Five Kansas City Chiefs players who must step up in 2022

OT Orlando Brown Jr.

Orlando Brown had an up and down first year in Kansas City. The former Oklahoma Sooner was voted into the Pro Bowl in his first year with the Chiefs, earning his third straight Pro Bowl appearance.

In his Chiefs’ debut against the Cleveland Browns, Brown faced pass rusher Myles Garrett. He allowed five quarterback pressures in that game, and according to Pro Football Focus, that tied a career-high for Brown.

According to Pro Football Focus, Brown allowed four sacks (tied for 27th most), 12 hits (tied for fourth-most), and 37 pressures (tied for 13th most) while committing seven penalties (tied for 16th most) during the 2021 season. All four stats are single-season career highs for Brown.

Part of the reason those are all career highs for Brown could be that he played in Baltimore where he pass protected quarterback for Lamar Jackson, who is far more known for his running than his passing, which is the complete opposite in Kansas City.

But there is a big positive with Brown that should be noted. According to ESPN, Brown had the second-highest run block win rate among offensive tackles in 2021, falling just short of the top spot behind San Francisco’s Tom Compton.

The Chiefs placed the franchise tag on Orlando Brown this offseason, which makes sense after the trade to acquire him included giving up last year’s first-round pick. Brown is just 25-years-old and will turn 26 next month. He is still young and still has a lot of upside. He just needs to improve as a pass-blocker this season and he will be the complete offensive tackle the Chiefs need him to be.