4. Mitchell Schwartz, Kansas City Chiefs
If you logged onto Twitter over the past week, you were probably treated to outrage over another rankings list. ESPN has been putting together rankings lists based on conversations and interviews with NFL decision-makers. When it came time to put together their offensive tackle list, one name was missing:
Kansas City Chiefs’ right tackle Mitchell Schwartz.
Since being drafted in the second round out of the University of California, Mitchell Schwartz has been a starter at right tackle in the National Football League. After four years in Cleveland, Schwartz has been a rock solid contributor for the Chiefs the past four seasons. Last year was a masterpiece from Schwartz, who went the entire season without allowing a single sack. He also gave up just 21 quarterback pressures, the lowest mark of his entire NFL career.
Schwartz threw basically the offensive tackle version of a perfect game in his final two starts of the season: The AFC Championship Game and the Super Bowl. Super Bowl LIV is a perfect case study, given the talented San Francisco 49ers’ defensive front. On this play he stones former Kansas City Chief Dee Ford with great hand placement and footwork, after taking the fight to the defensive end:
On this snap, Schwartz slow-plays Arik Armstead, but never gives an inch once the contact is made:
But Schwartz’s work in the AFC Championship Game should not be ignored. Take this example on a fourth down conversion, as he locks down the right edge:
So perhaps the NFL decision-makers might not appreciate Schwartz for what he does, but here at the Touchdown Wire, we are huge fans.