Darian Kinnard, Offensive Lineman
Prior to the start of training camp, it was believed that Darian Kinnard was a stone-cold lock to make the final roster, but now it’s not so simple. Against Chicago in the preseason opener, across 26 offensive snaps, he was underwhelming in both pass and run blocking. Despite being widely viewed as a ‘steal’ for the Chiefs, he was still only a fifth-round pick, and players who were selected on the third day of the draft often get cut even before their first career regular season game.
It’s also been reported that he’s now the third-string right tackle, behind Andrew Wylie and Prince Tega Wanogho.
Right tackles this morning: Andrew Wylie (first team), Prince Tega Wanogho (second team), Darian Kinnard (third team)
— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) August 15, 2022
Wylie is widely considered the starter on the right side and Prince Tega Wanogho had a much stronger performance in the preseason opener than Kinnard in both run blocking, but especially pass-blocking. According to Pro Football Focus ($), Tega Wanogho had a 100% pass blocking efficiency while Darian Kinnard was only at 90.9%, tied for the lowest among all Chiefs offensive linemen.
In the end, I don’t know if Kinnard is actually in danger of being waived but I no longer view it as a lock. He needs a very strong performance against Washington to help both prove the Chiefs wise for trading up to select him and to overtake Prince Tega Wanogho as the second option at right tackle.