Finding steals in the NFL draft has become a bit of a calling card for Kansas City Chiefs GM Brett Veach as of late. In the 2020 NFL draft, Veach landed CB L’Jarius Sneed in the fourth round. Sneed would have a superb rookie season playing both outside cornerback and the slot.
He earned a first-round selection in a number of 2020 NFL re-draft scenarios. Last season, the Chiefs notably selected Tennessee OL Trey Smith in the sixth round. He’d start every game at right guard for Kansas City as a rookie.
So who is expected to be the biggest steal from the team’s latest crop of rookies? Luke Easterling of Draft Wire picked each team’s biggest steal in the 2022 draft and fifth-round draft pick Darian Kinnard was his choice for the Chiefs.
Kinnard is also receiving some serious hype from ESPN broadcaster Louis Riddick, who says he could be the starting right tackle in Kansas City as early as this year.
Kinnard was projected to be taken as early as the second round ahead of the draft. He slid to Day 3 as a result of injury and character concerns, but the Chiefs capitalized on his fall by moving up to the top of the fifth round to select him.
The 6-4 and 345-pound right tackle is a ferocious run-blocker and coming out of Kentucky he was rather underrated as a pass-blocker. According to PFF, Kinnard allowed just one sack and six other pressures in 414 pass-blocking snaps in 2021.
Andy Reid seemed a little surprised by what he saw from Kinnard at rookie minicamp, saying that he has picked up everything easily. With the injury to Lucas Niang, Kinnard has the inside track to beat out Andrew Wylie for the starting right tackle job.
Keeping an eye on this list going forward: pic.twitter.com/6YLJiarhgR
— Louis Riddick (@LRiddickESPN) May 20, 2022
It’s just a matter of seizing the opportunity.
