Earlier this week, BYU OT Kingsley Suamataia was considered a possibility for the Kansas City Chiefs at the end of the first round. Instead, they found their future left tackle near the end of the second round.
The Kansas City Chiefs had two goals heading into the first two days of this draft. First, they wanted to select a stretch wide receiver, which they did Thursday night by drafting Xavier Worthy. Second, they tried to find a starting left tackle on Friday, which they accomplished by selecting BYU OT Kingsley Suamataia.
Over the last week, rumors swirled that the Chiefs were very high on the BYU Tackle, so much so that some draft prognosticators had Kansas City taking him at pick #32 of the first round.
By being Added to the roster, Suamataia will compete with second-year left tackle Wayna Morris for the starting spot in 2024. His job at the NFL level is to protect Superstar Quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
“Blocking for Patty Mahomes himself? It’s mind-blowing,” the BYU product said after being drafted by the Chiefs. He also made it clear to his quarterback, “I got you. Nobody’s gonna touch you.”
That type of attitude and commitment is just what the Chiefs needed at left tackle. Though some suggest Suamataia could play guard in the NFL, Kansas City intends to play him at tackle. He is young, talented, athletic, and has top-end run-blocking skills. He still needs to work on pass protection, mainly how he uses his lower body for leverage.
However, he will go up against defensive lineman Chris Jones in practice, so he will quickly learn what you must do against the best pass rushers in the NFL.
Wayna Morris was solid last season for the Chiefs, but as his playing time increased, he needed consistency in pass protections. If your job is to keep Mahomes safe, his struggles force Mahomes to leave the pocket too early.
When Donovan Smith returned from injury, Morris went back to the bench. The jury is out regarding his ability to be the top left tackle on the roster. So, the Chiefs were wise to get Suamataia at the end of the second round.
The Chiefs did move up one spot, trading their pick #64 to get the San Francisco 49ers for pick #63. They had inklings another team might make a deal with San Francisco, so with no third-round pick, the Chiefs didn’t take any chances.
Kansas City didn’t have a third-round pick Friday night; it was traded to the Buffalo Bills as part of the Xavier Worthy deal, so the Chiefs will have to wait until Saturday to get back into the draft. They still have five picks left to add depth to their roster.
