The top five Jerick McKinnon plays from last season
4. Tough as nails
Technically this is two plays, but they are both prime examples of just how good McKinnon is as a pass blocker.
The first block came against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Divisional Round at a moment when protecting Mahomes was extra important. Mahomes had already been banged up in that game, suffering what we would later learn was a high ankle sprain.
At the time, things looked dire. Mahomes was visibly in pain, had been sent to the locker room to be examined and he clearly wasn’t as mobile as he usually would be. So what do you do when your superstar QB is hurt and the game is on the line? You stick your nose in there and protect him, exactly what McKinnon does.
Just watching my two favorite pass pro plays from Jerick McKinnon this season. Divisional round when he stuns Foye Oluokun and week 1 when he lays out Marco Wilson. #Chiefs pic.twitter.com/og1zDl0aE6
— Nick Jacobs (@Jacobs71) January 23, 2023
McKinnon—who is 5-9, 201 lb.—rocked the 6-2, 215 lb. Jaguars linebacker Foyesade Oluokun, stopping him dead in his tracks.
This kind of play was not an anomaly. Back in Week 1, McKinnon made another similar block, this time against Arizona.
Cardinals cornerback Marco Wilson rushes free off the edge, with only McKinnon in between him and Mahomes. Again, it was McKinnon who came out on top after dishing out an impressive hit to keep Mahomes upright and allow him to complete a 11-yard reception.
There were many, many more plays similar to these throughout the season, but these two in particular highlight just how big of an asset McKinnon’s pass blocking is.