Looking to the 2020 NFL season, it feels like the Chiefs are set at the offensive tackle position. They have a pair of bookend’s in Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz as starters. They have Mike Remmers as a valuable backup on the right side. They even have several developmental options like Jackson Barton and Greg Senat.
Looking just a year down the road to 2021, the Chiefs could get out of Fisher’s contract with minimal dead money, saving $11.5 million against the salary cap. That could be valuable money if the team has Patrick Mahomes signed to an extension or money tied up in a fifth-year option.
With that in mind, Kansas City could draft an offensive tackle for the future. This draft class happens to be loaded with talent at the position and Veach believes he can get value in each of the first four rounds. Here is a look at some of the offensive tackles the Chiefs could consider in each round of the 2020 NFL Draft:
Round 1: Houston OT Josh Jones
Jones was the No. 28 overall player on Chiefs Wire’s top 50 prospect rankings. He started a total of 45 games at the left tackle spot for the Houston Cougars over the course of four seasons. Jones is a high-caliber athlete with a nasty streak. In 2019, Jones played in just nine games and racked up a total of 325 pass-blocking snaps. During those snaps, he was charged with just two total pressures according to Pro Football Focus.
I’ve said before that Jones reminds me of current Houston Texans OT Tytus Howard. He was a riser in the pre-draft process after a strong performance at the 2019 Reese’s Senior Bowl. Howard ended up being selected at No. 23 overall in 2019. Both are similar players in the sense that they have desirable traits for a starting tackle, but they’re still a little raw in their overall technique, fundamentals and body development.
This is a player that we know the Chiefs have some level of interest in. With the ability to develop into a high-quality NFL starter, Jones could very well be the pick if they stay at No. 32 if he’s there.