Kansas City Chiefs Fifth-Round Pick Darian Kinnard May Start At Right Tackle

In the 2022 NFL Draft, the Kansas City Chiefs emphasized fixing a defense that finished 27th in the league last year. They spent four of their first five picks on defense and seven of their 10 overall selections.

But their lone pick spent on the offensive line — a fifth rounder — could very well end up as their starting right tackle.

Kentucky’s Darian Kinnard could take a similar path to another rookie from an SEC school who ended up starting all 17 games last season for the Chiefs at right guard.

“I feel like I’m another Trey Smith situation,” Kinnard said.

The long-bearded, green-haired Kinnard has the size and pedigree to also become a starter from Day One on the right side.

The 6-5, 345-pounder was a consensus first-team All-American. He made 39 consecutive starts and led a stout Kentucky line with 30 knockdown blocks. According to Pro Football Focus, he was one of just three Power Five school offensive tackles who graded 85 percent or better as both run and pass blockers.

“He’s a big, massive man with long arms,” said Chiefs senior college scouting executive Pat Sperduto. “He’s got a ton of talent.”

The Chiefs felt strongly enough about Kinnard that they traded up for him, sending the 158th overall pick and a 2022 seventh‐round selection (233rd overall) to the Seattle Seahawks in order to acquire Kinnard with the 145th overall selection.

The Chiefs embrace rookie offensive linemen.

In addition to Smith, rookie center Creed Humphrey and right tackle Lucas Niang, who was basically a rookie since he opted out of his first season in 2020 because of Covid-19, were the Week One starters in 2021.

Niang struggled at times while starting nine games last season before suffering a torn patella tendon in the penultimate regular-season game.

Mike Remmers, who remains unsigned and may retire, and Andrew Wylie, who signed a one-year, $2.5 million contract in the offseason, also started at right tackle, but that position clearly was the weak spot on a much-improved Chiefs offensive line.

Kinnard could man that position.

“I like him as a right tackle,” Sperduto said. “If we needed to, we could put him in at guard, but I think his first spot’s going to be right tackle.”

Kinnard was slated to play left tackle his senior year at Kentucky, but the Wildcats ended up signing Dare Rosenthal, a transfer from LSU, who was better on the left side. So Kinnard stayed at right tackle.

That’s the position Kinnard predominantly played at Kentucky, though he also played guard. He said he’s open to playing wherever the Chiefs think he’s the best fit.

“Really, it’s what they want me to do,” Kinnard said. “Just from experience level, I’d say right tackle.”

That versatility perfectly fits the model of Chiefs offensive line coach Andy Heck who crosstrains his linemen, making sure they practice at multiple positions so they can fill in along the line in case of an injury.

That Heck was able to land his latest pupil in the fifth round represents a draft day heist.

Kinnard, though, admitted to being disappointed he slid so far.

“Most definitely,” he said. “All the feedback I got was all second round, maybe at best squeeze into the bottom of the first.”

Perhaps some of the reason he slid in the draft was due to a medical issue. Like Smith, who lasted until the sixth round (226th overall) because of a history of blood clots in his lungs, Kinnard has a partially torn meniscus, a condition for which he has not undergone knee surgery.

“I haven’t had a problem with it since the Senior Bowl,” Kinnard said. “I’ve been good.”

Kinnard also needs to improve his hand placement technique. But the Chiefs were pleasantly surprised that the mammoth lineman was still available in the fifth round.

“We thought he would’ve gone a lot higher,” Sperduto said.

And that will serve as extra motivation for Kinnard as he strives for a starting job.

“I’m ready to get started,” he said, “and really prove that these other teams messed up.”