When the Kansas City Chiefs chose to unveil the signing of Jaylon Moore in free agency as their next attempt to answer the need at left tackle, it was largely seen as a roll of the dice by the team's front office. And while the proof will be in the proverbial pudding when he takes the field, Chiefs general manager Brett Veach says the team have believed good things for Moore's' future for quite some time.
On Thursday, Veach spoke to the media to answer questions about the team's offseason plans and the upcoming NFL Draft, which begins on April 24, and he took the time to detail the team's free agent signings. Moore was perhaps the team's biggest signing, if only for the position he plays in keeping Patrick Mahomes healthy.
The Chiefs are leaning on Moore to fill the void at left tackle in 2025.
Moore was formerly a backup for the San Francisco 49ers behind Trent Williams, who the Chiefs also pursued in free agency years ago. This year, he landed a two-year contract with Kansas City worth up to $30 million with $21M of that guaranteed.
Specifically, Veach was asked about the reasons for going with Moore, and Veach had plenty of great things to say about Moore, including how the front office has actually admired him for quite some time.
"One thing that we've shown is we're going to put a high priority on offensive line, defensive line," said Veach. "And you start off with Jaylen Moore. I don't think it's a secret we want to get some stability there at the left tackle position."
Veach went on to explain how his lack of experience wasn't such a deterrent given the player in front of him and the potential he holds.
"[Moore] is a guy that I think the only downside was just the lack of starts during his career," said Veach. "Now, when you consider the fact that he played behind a first-ballot Hall of Fame player in Trent Williams, you can see why. But he's athletic. He's a smart kid."
While the Chiefs didn't end up selecting him, Veach admitted that the Chiefs front office liked Moore in the days leading up to the 2021 NFL Draft, where the Niners took him in the fifth round.
"We did a lot of work on him during the pre-draft process years ago. Always had a liking ... I thought he had a game that translates, and credit to him that when he had a chance to go out there and log six, seven starts last year, he did a really good job."
Moore's lack of experience is an issue, and Veach wasn't blind to the uncertainty of things, but he believes Moore can make it work at left tackle as he steps into a new season with a new team.
"Now, the next step is maintaining that level of play throughout the course and the duration of a season. But again, we're super excited to add him and hopefully provide some stability to that left side of the line."
After using four starters at left tackle last season—from Wanya Morris to Kingsley Suamataia to Joe Thuney to D.J. Humphries—if Moore can settle into a stable role, it will go a long way toward re-establishing the offense as one of the league's best.