Chiefs UDFA Spotlight: Missouri OT Yasir Durant

How does Missouri OT Yasir Durant fit with the Kansas City Chiefs?

Originally, Durant had signed on with San Diego State in 2016 but ended up going to JUCO instead. Durant joined Mizzou in 2017 as a top JUCO transfer after a semester at Arizona Western Community College. By Week 4 he was starting left tackle for the Tigers, anchoring a key position on an offensive line that didn’t surrender many sacks or tackles for loss.

Durant would continue to excel at the left tackle position over the course of the next two seasons, thriving in pass protection and performing admirably in the run game. Over the course of his career with Missouri, Durant surrendered 29 pressures and 4 sacks according to Pro Football Focus. He was also very reliable, only missing a single game due to injury.

Stats:

2017: 13 games played. 68.1 PFF grade with one sack, four hits, seven hurries.

2018: 13 games played. 72.7 PFF grade with one sack, two hits, five hurries.

2019: 11 games played. 73.3 PFF grade with two sacks, one hit, six hurries.

Combine/pro day results

Height: 6-6
Weight: 331
Hands: 9.5″
Arms: 34 3/4″
40-yard dash: 5.52
10-yard split: 1.95
225-pound bench: 21
Vertical: 25″
Broad Jump: N/A
20-yard shuttle: N/A
3-Cone Drill: N/A

Highlights & Film:

Fit with the Chiefs:

The plan in Kansas City seems to be to slide Durant inside at guard as opposed to playing him at tackle, which is where he played with Missouri.

“Any time you can get a couple 6-6 guys inside there protecting Pat (Mahomes) will be beneficial,” Chiefs GM Brett Veach said after they signed Durant.

While Veach has that specific vision for the big offensive lineman, Durant claims he’s versatile and they’re still trying to figure out his best positional fit.

“I have a lot of versatility,” Durant told the Kansas City media in early May. “I’m comfortable in a lot of spots. Right now we’re just working through things and trying to figure out where I fit at.”

Durant definitely has the size to play either tackle or guard. Arm length will hurt him if he’s playing tackle. But I also wonder if he’s athletic enough to play guard in the NFL. Is he the type of guy who can manage the high volume of RPO’s in the Chiefs offense? Can he handle the quickness of some of the interior rushers in the NFL when he already struggled to handle speed in college? Is he going to be able to pull and be used in space on screen passes? These are questions he’ll have to answer for the Kansas City coaching staff as soon as players are permitted to get back on the practice field.

Chiefs’ undrafted free agents

Position Player School Article Release Date
QB Shea Patterson Michigan 5/26
WR Maurice Ffrench Pittsburgh 5/28
LB Bryan Wright Cincinnati 6/2
OC Darryl Williams Miss. St. 6/6
CB Hakeem Bailey West Virginia 6/8
P Tommy Townsend Florida 6/15
WR Kalija Lipscomb Vanderbilt 6/17
DB Rodney Clemons SMU 6/20
OT Yasir Durant Missouri 6/22
DE Tershawn Wharton Missouri S&T TBA
WR Justice Shelton-Mosley Vanderbilt TBA
CB Jalen Julius Ole Miss TBA
WR Aleva Hifo BYU TBA
LB Omari Cobb Marshall TBA
WR Cody White Michigan St. TBA
CB Lavert Hill Michigan TBA
WR Andre Baccelia Washington TBA
OG Jovahn Fair Temple TBA
CB Javaris Davis Auburn TBA

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