The Kansas City Chiefs addressed another need on the roster in the second round of the NFL Draft, selecting Kingsley Suamataia, an ascending tackle from BYU, with the 63rd pick.
Before selecting Suamataia, the Chiefs traded their original second-round pick, No. 64, and No. 211 to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for Nos. 63 and 173.
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The 6-foot-4, 326-pounder will have the opportunity to protect the blind side of quarterback Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City.
And Mahomes approves.
I love veach man! š
ā Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) April 27, 2024
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Suamataia ranked No. 40 in Dane Bruglerās top 300 big board. Hereās what Brugler had to say about him in his annual NFL Draft guide:
āA two-year starter at BYU, Suamataia lined up at left tackle this past season in offensive coordinator Aaron Roderickās RPO offense, which utilizes wide and mid-zone schemes. Highly recruited, he had a short stint at Oregon before feeling āmore comfortableā closer to home with BYU, where he played both tackle spots. His 1,342 offensive snaps in college were evenly split between left tackle (48.8 percent) and right tackle (51.2 percent).
āSuamataia played in an offense that wanted to run the ball downhill, and he was happy to oblige, displaying range and an initial pop as a drive blocker. He is nimble in pass protection with the strength to lock down rushers, but his timing, technique and recognition skills remain immature.
āOverall, Suamataia is still very young and lacks refinement in several areas, but his blend of size, mobility and core power is the foundation of a scheme-diverse NFL starter. He will require a patient coaching staff who can ease his transition to the pro level.ā
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Chiefs excited to see what Xavier Worthy can do with Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid
Scott Dochterman grades the pick
The Chiefs traded up one spot to secure an athletic marvel in Suamataia. Raw but oozing with potential, Suamataia started 11 games at left tackle and 12 at right tackle at BYU. It might take some time, but with 34 1/4-inch arms and a 5.04-second 40, Suamataia has the physical skills to secure a long-term starting tackle spot by midseason or in 2025.
Grade: B-plus
The @Chiefs just selected Kingsley Suamataia, who is 6'5" and 326 lbs and can do this ā¬ļø
šŗ: #NFLDraft on NFL Network/ESPN2/ABC
š±: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/fUOTn55Ba0ā NFL (@NFL) April 27, 2024
How he fits
In the first round Thursday night, the Chiefs couldāve selected either Suamataia or Oklahoma tackle Tyler Guyton. Instead, they selected speedy receiver Xavier Worthy, believing their patience in the second round would be rewarded. Suamataia could compete with second-year player Wanya Morris for the starting left tackle job this year.
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Suamataia has the combination of size, power and athleticism to potentially be an above-average starter if he develops quickly.
Rookie impact
The Chiefs believe Suamataia, 21, was the best candidate to be a possible plug-and-play left tackle. He started 11 games at left tackle last season. Over the last two seasons, Suamataia played 701 pass-blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus, allowing just 24 quarterback pressures and two sacks. He has above-average length and hand size, which should help him if he earns the starting job.
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Depth-chart impact
Entering the draft, the Chiefs had just four tackles on their roster ā Morris, Jawaan Taylor, Chukwuebuka Godrick and Lucas Niang ā with no clear starter at left tackle. If Suamataia excels during the Chiefsā offseason program, training camp and the preseason, he could be elevated to the starting role. Morris, who started four games during his rookie season, is projected to have the advantage when the competition with Suamataia begins.
If the Chiefs want both players to spend next season developing, Brett Veach and Andy Reid could re-sign veteran Donovan Smith to another one-year contract to be the starter.
They also could have picked ā¦
Itās clear Suamataia was the Chiefsā top target late in the second round. He also fills one of their biggest roster needs. Other options, though, included cornerback T.J. Tampa (Iowa State), guard Cooper Beebe (Kansas State) and guard Christian Haynes (Connecticut).
Perhaps the most appealing prospect was Oregon wide receiver Troy Franklin. Still, it was unlikely that the Chiefs would double up on a skill position when someone as talented as Suamataia was available.
Fast evaluation
Similar to Worthy, the selection of Suamataia is understandable and could prove to be a shrewd move for the Chiefs. Mahomes approved of the decision, too, which is always a bonus for Veach and Reid. Suamataia and the Chiefs felt comfortable with one another very early in the pre-draft process. This partnership should thrive if Suamataia can continue to develop.
(Photo: Sam Hodde / Getty Images)
