The interior offensive line is fairly low on the list of needs for the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2023 NFL draft.
The Chiefs shored up the offensive interior in the 2021 NFL offseason, adding Joe Thuney in free agency and selecting Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith in the draft. They re-signed Nick Allegretti, who is the team’s main backup offensive lineman. They also have Darian Kinnard, who they drafted a season ago, with the flexibility to play both guard and tackle.
That said, Kansas City always drafts with an eye toward the future. They could find themselves in the position to draft some interior offensive line depth or developmental talent in this draft class. That includes some players who could end up contributing in a starting capacity down the road.
Here’s a look at some of the players the Chiefs could consider adding in each round of the 2023 NFL draft:
Round 1: None
The Chiefs are set on starting interior offensive linemen. There simply aren’t any players worthy of a first-round pick that would make sense for Kansas City at either offensive guard spot or the center position.
Round 2: North Dakota State OL Cody Mauch
Mauch played tackle at North Dakota State, but a lot of people seem to believe his best position will be playing the offensive interior in the NFL. Listed at 6-foot-6 and 303 pounds, Mauch is a road grader in the run game and moves like a gazelle out in space. He battles in pass protection and has some really strong mitts, which help him control defenders. He’s definitely one of those offensive linemen who really take it to heart when the coaches are yelling “finish” during practice.
Round 3: NC State OG Chandler Zavala
This 6-foot-3 and 316-pound guard still feels criminally underrated less than a week away from the 2023 NFL draft. He has some really impressive movement skills for his size and his stat sheet and NC State was pretty insane. According to PFF, in 17 games played over the past two seasons, Zavala allowed just eight pressures and no sacks. The Chiefs don’t need an offensive guard early, but if Zavala is the best player available at the end of Round 3, I wouldn’t be mad.
Round 4: LSU OL Anthony Bradford
Bradford had a formal with the Chiefs at the combine and he was brought in for a top-30 visit. At 6-foot-4 and 332 pounds, Bradford tested like one of the elite interior linemen in this draft class. His 10-yard split (1.72s) at his size, is a bit mind-boggling. He only has 17 career starts (mostly at right guard), but he’s also still quite young (22 as a rookie), which bodes well for development. His power pops off the tape, especially when pulling in the run game. Pass protection still needs some work.
Round 5: Oregon OL T.J. Bass
This 6-foot-4 and 318-pound interior offensive lineman is also one of the more underrated prospects in this class. He played left guard and left tackle at Oregon, grading out very well as both a pass protector and a run blocker. He’s better working a phone booth than he is blocking out in space as he’s not the most athletic in this class. His pass sets at tackle were a little frantic at times, which combined with his lack of length makes me believe the interior will be his home in the NFL.
Round 6: USC OG Andrew Vorhees
Vorhees tore his ACL during the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, so he won’t be playing in 2023. He did go on to put up 38 repetitions of 225 on the bench press after learning he’d torn his ACL, which was pretty dang impressive. The 6-foot-6 and 310-pound offensive lineman remains one of the more versatile and experienced prospects in this draft class. He has 48 games started at USC since 2017 with experience at left guard, right guard and left tackle.
Round 7: South Carolina IOL Jovaughn Gwyn
Gwyn impressed me at the Senior Bowl, where he was a late addition to the roster. He opened up some big holes in the run game and competed in pass protection. He’s a little undersized at 6-foot-2 and 304 pounds, but he offers the flexibility to play both guard spots and center. He was a four-year starter and a two-time team captain for the Gamecocks.
