First Round Offensive Tackle Prospects
The following six prospects are all predicted to go anywhere from in the top ten picks to very early in the second round. A few of these guys will go way too high for the Chiefs to have a shot at, but a few of them could be options either at pick 31 or in the 20s if the Chiefs wanted to make a trade-up similar to the one they did last year.
1. Peter Skoronski – Northwestern – 6’4″ – 313 lbs – 32 1/4″ arms
There isn’t a lot of reason for Chiefs fans to focus on Skoronski. He’ll likely go off the board way too early for the Chiefs to even trade up for him. Plus, he would be the shortest starting tackle of the Andy Reid era and his arms are over an inch shorter than any of their other main tackles. He is an absolutely fantastic player, for what that’s worth. He’ll either become a Pro Bowl guard or a successful left tackle for a team that doesn’t prioritize size/length on the outside.
2. Paris Johnson Jr. – Ohio State – 6’6″ – 313 lbs – 36 1/8″ arms
I would imagine that Paris Johnson is the top offensive tackle on Kansas City’s board. He is a perfect match for their height/weight preferences, he has insanely long arms and has the desired combination of power and athleticism to excel in both the run and pass game. I don’t expect him to fall into trade-up range, but I’m sure the Chiefs would love to get their hands on him.
3. Broderick Jones – Georgia – 6’5″ – 311 lbs – 34 3/4″ arms
Broderick Jones also meets all the size metrics that the Chiefs look for. He’s less refined and experienced than Johnson is, but his tape is full of plays where he just throws guys out of the club. If a team thinks they can get him to reach his ceiling as a player he has a chance to be a dominant left tackle for a decade. If Jones were to fall into the 20s the Chiefs should jump at the chance to move up and get him.
4. Darnell Wright – Tennessee – 6’5″ – 333 lbs – 33 3/4″ arms
Darnell Wright was an early mock draft favorite for the Chiefs, but now his stock seems to be pushing him out of range of a reasonable trade up. Wright looks more like a right tackle, but a dominant one that mauls people in the run game and was also able to handle Alabama’s pass rusher Will Anderson in their head-to-head matchup. Wright would be a great fit to be KC’s new right tackle, but if his recent buzz is correct it will take a trade up to land him.
5. Anton Harrison – Oklahoma – 6’4″ – 315 lbs – 34 1/8″ arms
Now we’re getting into the range of guys that are an actual option at pick 31. Anton Harrison is a tad shorter than KC’s other tackles, but his long arms give him the requisite length for the position. He also moves incredibly well and is just 21 years old. He needs to improve his play strength and polish his technique, but Harrison has great upside as a left tackle. He’d be a great pick at 31 and I’d even be okay with a small trade up for him if KC is okay with taking a left tackle and keeping Jawaan Taylor on the right side.
6. Dawand Jones – Ohio State – 6’8″ – 374 lbs – 36 3/8″ arms
Dawand Jones is a monster. Seriously, he’s one of the biggest players I’ve ever scouted. A lot of Chiefs fans are opposed to drafting Jones because of how things worked out with Orlando Brown Jr. (another big tackle). I think he’s a great fit for K.C.’s open right tackle spot. He’s a mauler in the run game and moves well enough that his incredible length makes it almost impossible to get around him. In fact, in over 900 pass pro reps in college Jones only allowed a total of 3 sacks, 1 QB hit, and 13 pressures. I’d draft him at pick 31 in a heartbeat.
When people say they don't want Dawand Jones because they "don't want another big slow tackle like OBJ" I feel like they're selling Jones short. He moves better than OBJ and is more aggressive. Look at his effort working downfield.https://t.co/dAKYgGYshN
— Lyle Graversen (@LyleGraversen) April 16, 2023
Now let’s look at the offensive tackle options that will likely go in rounds two and three.