The Chiefs Should Give Lucas Niang the Benefit of the Doubt in 2022
In this story:
As the Kansas City Chiefs' offseason continues, their offensive line is one of the strongest units on the entire team. With that said, there's been a hint of uncertainty surrounding the right tackle position. Outside of depth, though, that shouldn't necessarily be the case.
Lucas Niang held the starting job to begin the 2021 campaign, and he's earned the right to do so once again next season. It's been a long road for him, as he opted out of his rookie year in 2020 and subsequently wasn't guaranteed anything entering his first actual act with the Chiefs. In the face of some adversity, he overcame it to start 12 games for Kansas City and perform at an adequate level.
Aug 20, 2021; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Lucas Niang (67) blocks against the Arizona Cardinals during the first half at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
This isn't to say Niang is a perfect player, as he has some flaws. He's naturally a very large offensive tackle, which leads to him not being extremely nimble. That showed up in pass protection, as his pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus (PFF) was 59.1 this past season. While not terrible by any means, there were several reps on tape where Niang was overmatched against his assignment. Part of his occasional struggles stemmed from developing chemistry with Patrick Mahomes on the fly, but most of it can be attributed to him as an individual. Niang does need to improve as a pass protector in order to stick long-term.
On run plays, however, Niang thrived. His run-blocking grade was 70.0, and that shouldn't come as a surprise. His raw strength and ability to serve as a road grader of sorts are plus traits for a starting tackle. Overall, Niang's 64.6 composite grade in 2021 fell in the "average" category. Considering it was the lowest among the Chiefs' regular starting five, that speaks to just how good the group was.
That's another element working in Niang's favor as he heads into year three. Had the Chiefs' offensive line been a mess, or even an average unit across the board, it would make sense to upgrade at every position possible. Outside of Niang, the quartet of Orlando Brown Jr., Joe Thuney, Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith consists of good-to-great players. Kansas City has an elite line overall and can afford to have Niang be its weakest link for the time being. It's a luxury the team hasn't previously been able to experience.
Mike Remmers competed at right tackle for the Chiefs and even overtook Niang for the primary role at one point. With that said, he suffered numerous injuries throughout the year and is a pending free agent. Andrew Wylie, who replaced Niang after he hurt his knee, performed admirably but is also set to hit the open market. Kyle Long, who is listed on the team's website as the backup right tackle, didn't play a single snap for Kansas City in 2021 after coming out of retirement in the spring. He's a free agent, too. Prince Tega Wanogho is a young and intriguing player, but he's arguably the rawest player in the offensive line room. As far as competition goes, there isn't a ton for Niang to worry about as of right now.
On the other hand, it would benefit the Chiefs to re-sign one of Remmers or Wylie for depth moving forward. Wylie is younger and more reliable at this point but at age 27, he could have his pick of the litter when it comes to teams looking for a versatile swing tackle. Remmers is older and has a decent track record in his own right, although his recent injury history is worrisome. At the very least, some sort of Niang insurance coming from free agency or the draft is much-needed for the Chiefs.
Sep 26, 2021; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Lucas Niang (67) prepares to block Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Uchenna Nwosu (42) during the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
This is all a long road to a short end: The jury is still out on Niang. While he's been a solid starting tackle when active and healthy, those haven't been sure things. He's already missed one season of potential development and has seen the injury bug pay him a visit a couple of times now. Patellar tendon injuries are very difficult to come back from, especially for a player as big as him. If Niang is able to recover in time for the 2022 season to begin, can the Chiefs be sure that he's going to be the same player? That answer is no.
Can the Chiefs even be sure that they know for a fact what level of player Niang was before his season-ending injury? That answer is also no. Despite his respectable performance in three-quarters of a season, that sample size is far from expansive and leaves quite a bit of room for interpretation and projection. There's so much Kansas City still has to learn about its 2020 third-round pick.
That's the kicker, though. General manager Brett Veach has already invested a top-100 pick in Niang. He spent Niang's entire opt-out season communicating with him to ensure that everyone was on the same page. Andy Reid and his coaching staff have put in hours upon hours striving to turn Niang into a permanent starter for the franchise. Niang himself got a taste of what that's like in 2021. Without a better option already in-house, among other reasons, it's only right for everyone involved to run things back and for the former TCU standout to get the benefit of the doubt as the 2022 season approaches.
Nov 7, 2021; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Lucas Niang (67) is introduced against the Green Bay Packers before the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
