The Chiefs will enter 2025 with several questions related to the offensive line after a plethora of struggles in 2024. They’ll have one of the best interior offensive lines in all of football with maybe the best center and guard in the NFL (Joe Thuney and Creed Humphrey) both under contract.
They also will likely enter the year with Jawaan Taylor at RT despite some struggles due to the high volume of dead cap in his contract next season.
With Trey Smith hitting free agency and commanding a contract the Chiefs likely can’t afford, as well as the revolving door at LT for the Chiefs, there will potentially be two spots up for grabs heading into 2025.
The team will likely look to add a veteran swing tackle to help some of the young guys develop. In the draft it is likely they will attack the offensive line with force, and here are some potential options.
As you look at the guys I have listed you will see a theme for what I like to see in offensive tackle prospects. I like players who are athletically gifted and would rather add a prospect who is a great athlete but a raw player rather than someone who is “day one ready” but has polished technique.
All the tackles I list have impressive measurables and are guys who are athletically gifted with plenty of upside to improve with time and development.
Let’s look at a handful of tackles who the Chiefs must target on each day of the draft, as well as a couple of honorable mention candidates and rankings as well.
1. Aireontae Ersery, OT, Minnesota – Day One
Ersery is one of my favorite offensive tackles in the class and is a guy who I listed as a breakout candidate prior to 2024 due to his elite frame and athleticism.
He has started 38 games for Minnesota at left tackle over the last 3 seasons where he was incredibly successful in the Big 10.
Ersery is a strong dominating force at LT and knows how to use every bit of his six-foot-six, 340-pound frame, and his 34-inch arms to get leverage and make impact blocks on the edge.
Ersery has plenty of experience blocking some of the best pass rushers in the nation throughout his time playing in the Big Ten. With this experience and success, I think Ersery could be a day one starter at either of the two tackle spots for the Chiefs as needed. My biggest gripe with Ersery comes from his posture and stance as he doesn’t get upright with his chest out.
This can cause him to lose his balance and take bad lateral steps which in turn gives edge rushers leverage at times, but this is a fixable problem and his skillset is well worth a first-round pick.
Ersery has ideal measurements and movement skills that will translate to the NFL and his elite skill set should make him an early priority for the Chiefs.
If the athletic skill set and history of success aren’t enough, Ersery is a Kansas City native and would be a fun hometown hero for many Chiefs fans. As a prospect, I think Ersery can make an immediate impact at tackle as well as having tons of potential to grow.
With the right development and help, in time he could be one of the best tackles in the NFL and would be a great grab for the Chiefs in the first round.
2. Anthony Belton, OL, NC State – Day Two
Anthony Belton is “my guy” at offensive tackle in this year’s draft cycle. Belton is not in the same tier as some of the other top tackles in the draft, based on general consensus, but he is a player who can be a great NFL player at several offensive line spots.
Similar to Ersery, Belton is a mammoth of a man standing at six-foot-five and 345 pounds and displayed dominating power on film. He replaced Ikem Ekwonu in 2022 and started almost every game at LT for NC State over the last 3 seasons.
Belton moves exceptionally well for a buy who weighs in at 345 and shows signs of being a skilled pass protector as well as being dominant in the run game.
He has all the measurements you want from an offensive tackle with his arms coming in over 34 inches as well as 10+ inch hands. Belton has all the intangibles to be a great offensive tackle in the NFL and can move to guard if needed too.
He would be a great pick-up for the Chiefs on Day Two with the potential that they could develop him into a significant contributor on the offensive line in the future.
3. Hollin Pierce, OL, Rutgers – Day Three
Pierce is another guy who is a massive man who I think can develop because of his size and strength. Pierce is the ultimate example of a raw player with great intangibles standing at six-foot-eight inches and 345 pounds.
He has insane 36.5-inch arms that he knows how to use to generate power into the chest of edge rushers. He also has strong arms and a great base to anchor himself against pass rushers and is dominant in the run game.
Pierce will fall in the draft because of his raw prospect profile and unpolished skillset. He is a very stiff player and struggles to get low with bend at the knees which will make his life hard against good speed rushers. Pierce has good hand placement with strong arms, but he will need to prove he can bend a little better and get low.
If the Chiefs feel they can develop his skill set, he would be a steal on day three of the draft.
4. Jonah Savaiinaea, OL, Arizona – Honorable Mention
If Ersery is off the board, Savaiinaea is my next favorite OL option the Chiefs can realistically get at 31.
Savaiinaea is a MASSIVE man who came in at six-foot-four, 340 pounds with 34 ⅝-inch arms at the Senior Bowl, hitting every benchmark to be an NFL tackle. On film, Savaiinaea is a nasty, violent run blocker who uses his huge frame to dominate opposing linemen with elite power in the run game.
The fit with Kansas City feels perfect, as the team could use him at guard or tackle, wherever the team needs him.
Savaiinaea has experience at both tackle spots and at guard and looked solid at every position he has played. Regardless of what the team does this offseason, the Chiefs can play Savaiinaea at tackle or guard depending on what they need and I think he would be the perfect pick for them at 31.
5. Ozzy Trapilo, OT, Boston College – Honorable Mention
Trapilo is another one of my guys in the middle rounds and is a massive man who is an incredible pass protector on the left side of the line.
Standing at six-foot-eight and 320 pounds, Trapilo has great size and anchoring skills and despite his shorter arms, uses his frame to take up space and make impact blocks in the passing game. Left tackle was a revolving door for the Chiefs this season, between Thuney, Humphries, Morris, and Suamataia, proving to be a position that needs improvement this offseason.
Trapilo is one of the better pass protectors in the class who has impressive movement for a guy with a six-foot-eight inch frame.
He has smooth movement skills and a great kick slide to mirror the movements of faster edge rushers as well as good anchoring skills against strong pass rushers.
The biggest concern for Trapilo is his lack of arm length, not hitting the 34-inch benchmark many teams look for, but his film is impressive, and with the Chiefs still looking for a left tackle, Trapilo could compete for the starting spot in 2025.
Current Offensive Tackle Rankings
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- Will Campbell
- Kelvin Banks
- Joshua Simmons
- Donovan Jackson
- Aireontae Ersery
- Jonah Savaiinaea
- Anthony Belton
- Cameron Williams
- Armand Membou
- Ozzy Trapilo
The four of those players are expected to be gone at pick No. 31 and would require a trade-up, meaning anyone starting at No. 5 could be a realistic option for the Chiefs, as well as Hollin Pierce in the latter rounds.
These rankings are subject to change, but you can bet Kansas City will be paying close attention to each available prospect as they rebuild the offensive line.
