NFL Mock Draft: Alijah Vera-Tucker To Chiefs?
A recent NFL Mock Draft has USC offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker heading to Kansas City. According to The Draft Network's Joe Marino, the former Trojan could go No.32 in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft to Andy Reid's Chiefs.
Marino writes, "Lost in another year of winning football in Kansas City is how the Chiefs have been able to sustain elite offensive production with so many injuries along the offensive line. There’s a strong chance that Kansas City has to play in the Super Bowl with four backups in the lineup. With the depth of the offensive line so stressed and the investment made in Patrick Mahomes, making sure he is protected should always be a high priority. Vera-Tucker is a technically refined blocker that can play guard or tackle."
This is the lowest draft rating we've seen for Vera-Tucker since he declared for the 2021 NFL Draft. AllTrojans has reported several mock drafts which have pinned the former Trojan going to various teams in the NFL including the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears.
If Vera-Tucker does indeed end up playing at Arrowhead Stadium next year, he could become a good fit for the Chiefs' interior offensive line. Sports Illustrated's Arrowhead Report writes, "It's easy to watch the Chiefs' current patchwork offensive line and worry about options for next season.
With that said, Lucas Niang and Laurent Duvernay-Tardif are expected to return to the team. Right tackle Mitchell Schwartz's status moving forward is unknown, so right tackle could become a pressing need this offseason.
In that case, Niang would likely be better suited to move there than Vera-Tucker, who has an opportunity to thrive as a starting guard at the NFL level. It just so happens that the Chiefs' interior offensive line has struggled immensely at times this season, which makes Vera-Tucker a hand-in-glove fit capable of starting from the jump if needed."
Alijah Vera-Tucker re-declared for the 2021 NFL Draft in late December. He originally opted out of NCAA play when the Pac-12 postponed their fall season, but opted back in once Larry Scott changed his mind.
This season the NFL prospect took a shot at the left tackle position and covered Kedon Slovis' blind slide. Although he is expected to return to the guard position in the big leagues, his experience on the left side was invaluable. Vera-Tucker appeared in 31 games in his four seasons with the Trojans.
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