Chiefs' Add a Future King to the OL Room with Their Second Round Pick

How does Kingsley Suamataia fit with the Chiefs OL and what are Year 1 expectations?

With the 63rd pick in the NFL Draft, the Kansas City Chiefs selected Offensive Tackle Kingsley Suamataia out of BYU. This of course was after a small, one draft slot trade up to ensure they landed a player they had been attempted to trade up for over the last ten draft picks. With this pick, the Chiefs hope they landed a long term solution at the left tackle position after a few short-term stints and other developmental picks that hadn’t fully panned out over the years.

Suamataia is going to find himself in competition with one of those developmental picks from just last season in Wanya Morris. For now the plan - according to Brett Veach - is for the two young guys to get in work during OTA’s and assess from there.

Did the Chiefs land a steal with a Day 1 starting OT at the end of Round 2, is Suamataia another Day 2 swing on a developmental OT in line for the Chiefs, or somewhere in between? Let’s time into the film.

Kingsley Suamataia Film Review

As with any prospect, there are differing opinions on Suamataia’s readiness to start in year one - and Morris didn’t seem to stoke high end faith in his limited reps last season - so it’s time to dig into the tape.

The Athlete

The first thing that pops to most people when throwing on his film is going to be the athleticism. It’s easy to see why with his explosion out of his stance, his range in the run/screen game, or his ease of movement when mirroring deep into the pocket. He possess some rare athleticism for the position and it’s very notable in how “quiet” his upper body stays when on the move.

He doesn’t need to swing his arms, sway side to side, or change levels to make these kinds of movements. There isn’t an energy leak anywhere in the movement chain which leads to the effortless movement and allows it to be extremely efficient. It’s also worth noting this athleticism appears in all directions; forwards, backwards, and laterally, but athleticism isn’t just about the ability to move.

Strength and power are part of the puzzle too and Suamataia has those in his pocket. Power is more sudden and about an initial exertion of energy and this is another area he shines in. His explosive slide out of his stance along with the impact he brings as a blocker on the move showcase his power well. Strength is a little more of a slow burn and about exerting force - or resisting a force - gradually over time. It’s not a weaknesses to his game but as a 21 year old, Suamataia still has room to add strength that can show up in his anchor and grip strength.

Something else we will talk about a bit later is some potential mild stiffness to his hips. There are times in which Suamataia is a little slow to redirect his kick-slide and change directions or adjust his strike target on the move at the second level that could be tied to his technique or physical stiffness. It’s also worth remembering he is 6’5”, 326lbs - AKA a big ole fella - which could also play a roll. At the end of the day, he’s an exceptional athlete that is rangy, powerful, and explosive; all of which shows up on the tape.

Pass Protection

Starting with the more important of the two blocking roles - for the Chiefs - pass protection. It’s important to know that Suamataia only has one collegiate season of playing left tackle - and one at right - and during that season he only had 122 of what Pro Football Focus calls True Pass Sets. Given BYU’s heavy RPO and play-action based offense, he didn’t see many traditional, true pass sets vs a defender only rushing the passer. Furthermore, a lot of his play was in the Big 12 which is known for three down - often times “tite” - alignments meaning there isn’t a ton of translatable reps to the NFL.

Hand Technique

Suamataia is a younger player that needs development to his game, however I love how he utilizes his hands and the differing techniques he deploys. He carries his hands low which removes the ability for defenders to easily attack them du ring their rush plan. He frequently flashes his outside hand trying to bait defenders into attacking it before he pulls it away and takes control of the rep. His outside hand is often second to make contact and done so to latch-and-control rather than to stun or knockback.