Should the Chiefs Still Invest in an Offensive Tackle Early in Draft?

The Kansas City Chiefs have signed a new potential starting left tackle. Should the team still invest in the future at the position?

August 19, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers guard Jaylon Moore (76) after the game against the Denver Broncos at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

The Kansas City Chiefs have started the new league year with a few new additions and some subtractions to the main roster as they look to build their team back into perennial Super Bowl contention.

Despite an embarrassing defeat in Super Bowl LIX, all eyes are on how the team responds with new pieces and the recuperation of others.

In free agency, the Chiefs went out and signed former Chargers cornerback Kristian Fulton to a two-year, $20 million deal while adding former 49ers tailback Elijah Mitchell on a one-year contract. Kansas City also brought back long snapper James Winchester for another season. But these were nowhere close to the contract they gave one of the top offensive tackles on the open market.

The Chiefs signed former 49ers left tackle Jaylon Moore to a two-year, $30 million contract with $15 million per year and $21.2 million in guaranteed money. This is a significant deal for a player that was considered sufficient at best for the 49ers. While the hope here is that 27-year-old can develop into a quality player for the defending AFC champions, it seems like a stretch and unrealistic possibility.

One of the big reasons why Moore received such a contract was because of the lack of true market value at offensive tackle this offseason with very few quality talents available. This meant teams were going to overpay for the talents they wanted and this holds true for Kansas City in regards to signing Moore.

Does this keep the Chiefs from drafting an offensive tackle in the NFL Draft? No, it shouldn't.

Kansas City is one of the best "draft and develop" teams in the league and they have had success doing so with both sides of the ball, setting themselves up well for the future as they're hoping to continue staying in contention with quarterback Patrick Mahomes for as long as possible. Drafting an offensive tackle early in the draft should remain a priority regardless of the signing.

It should be maintained that the Chiefs consider trading up for a top offensive tackle, even with Moore on the roster. The position is too volatile to ignore and with the possibility of Kingsley Suamataia moving over the left guard, securing the future at left tackle should still be a high priority for the Chiefs.

Moore should be given the benefit of the doubt but expectations will be high on the team's big free agent signing. If a young left tackle is drafted, those expectations will only increase.

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