The Kansas City Chiefs secured an offensive tackle in free agency, but the position he could play is undecided.
Jawaan Taylor is set to become the Chiefs’ newest member, but numerous reports suggest he could play a position he doesn’t have much NFL experience in. The Chiefs have reportedly backed away from LT Orlando Brown Jr. and could tackle Taylor on the left side of the offensive line.
Taylor played 18 snaps per PFF in left tackle last season with the Jacksonville Jaguars, but he has thousands of snaps of NFL experience on the right side of the offensive line. He started a few games on the left tackle during the 2017 college football season with the Florida Gators, but the majority of his experience came back on the right tackle in college. He never missed a game during his NFL career, no matter where he played.
So the Chiefs could test Orlando Brown Jr.’s route again. They traded for Brown in the 2021 NFL offseason, moving him to the left side of the offensive line after spending most of his NFL career in right tackle. They seem to feel that Taylor has the athleticism and ability to switch sides seamlessly without losing the benefits of his pass blocking ability.
There also remains the possibility of Kansas City finding their left tackle of the future in the 2023 NFL draft, but this gives them some flexibility now to deviate from that train of thought. It also doesn’t hurt to have a player in the house who you think can play both left and right, as Chiefs fans have learned all too well at Super Bowl LV.