The Kansas City Chiefs decide to franchise tag offensive lineman Trey Smith and they traded offensive lineman Joe Thuney to the Chicago Bears. The offseason will be filled with the Chiefs finding ways to add more quality offensive linemen to their roster.
Their Super Bowl loss to the Philadelphia Eagles made it clear what areas they needed to improve in this offseason. While it is still early in the offseason and many things still have to be figured out, the Chiefs appear determined to fix their issues over the next few months.
Kansas City’s offensive line held up strong for most of the season, until falling short when it mattered most. Still, the Super Bowl loss enough to motivate the Chiefs’ front office to better protect franchise quarterback Patrick Mahomes over the next few seasons.
Sterling Xie of the Pro Football Network released his mock draft with his projection of picks for evert team. Like many others, Xie projects the Chiefs to address their offensive line by selecting offensive lineman Josh Conerly from Oregon.
“The saying goes, “The Chiefs are still the Chiefs.” Despite a revolving door at left tackle and moving Thuney to Chicago, general manager Brett Veach knows work needs to be done to fix the offensive line,” Xie said.
Xie noted the areas Conerly plays well in that could help the Chiefs better protect quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Conerly would be a solid addition to a Chiefs offensive line that is suddenly thin and in need of help at multiple positions across the line.
“Josh Conerly Jr. is a hungry run blocker with great athleticism. He can pull and operate in the open field with ease. As a pass protector, he has quick feet, maintains good leverage, and has a strong anchor. Conerly does everything well and could be the missing piece the Chiefs have been looking for,” Xie said.
After a subpar performance by their offensive line cost them yet another Super Bowl, fixing their offensive line has to be the main priority for the Chiefs’ front office this offseason. The Chiefs’ roster does not need much this offseason but they need more offensive linemen.