Reviewing every D.J. Humphries 3rd down pass protection snap from 2023
The Chiefs have brought on a new left tackle. Is he an upgrade in pass protection, or a depth piece?
I swear Brett Veach times signings/trades/etc specifically to mess with me. I can’t prove it, of course, but how else does one explain this news dropping at 5:01 p.m. on a Friday evening?
Well played, Brett. Fortunately, thanks to NFL Pro looking at film is a little simpler these days and I’ve already been able to look at every single 3rd down pass protection snap by Humphries in 2023. But we’ll come back to that. First, how did we get here?
There has been a great deal talk about the left tackle position this season. Without going too deep down bad memory lane, Kingsley Suamataia was given the starting role initially, only to struggle so mightily (particularly against Cincinnati’s Trey Hendrickson) that he was benched for Wanya Morris, a second-year player who has been adequate but inconsistent in pass protection due to lacking high-level athleticism (though is a powerful run blocker).
You all recall what occurred vs the Broncos several weeks ago. Morris got hurt. Kingsley came in and played so poorly that Morris was forced to come back into the game despite clearly being hampered. Kingsley was not even active against the Bills as Morris got the start, with undrafted (and massive) rookie free agent Ethan Driskell instead getting the nod.
That’s the positional background. The “on the field” background is that protection has been hit and miss at times this season for Patrick Mahomes. It was much more significant early, but even with Morris playing more steadily than Kingsley did the pocket has been inconsistent enough that it appears to be affecting Mahomes’ play (along with some of the issues at receiver as the Chiefs struggled through multiple injuries). I just wrote about how Mahomes and Trey Smith were a primary issue against the Bills in a game where the protection looked leaky (not Morris), but it’s worth noting we’re on the heels of a Denver game in which Mahomes was being chased around all game (even when Morris was in) and a Tampa game where a bad defense still managed 12 “flushes” of Mahomes.
The short story on Morris is that he hasn’t been terrible as a pass blocker, but he has not been good and perhaps not even average either when one takes consistency into account. And that appears to have had an impact on Mahomes’ pocket presence, as a lack of trust permeates some of the decisions he makes in the pocket. Some snaps he’ll trust it only to get burned by a quick loss (a major problem for Morris is when he loses, it can be very fast given his lack of high-level agility), and then a few snaps later he’ll be quick to get rid of the ball or bail on a pocket despite having adequate protection.
And now, Veach has brought in D.J. Humphries, a former 1st round draft pick (in the 2015 draft) who has played all eight of his seasons in Arizona. After some early-career struggles, Humphries was able to play well enough to get high-level extensions in 2020 and then again in 2022. He was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2021, and was released by the Cardinals after tearing his ACL late last season.
So there’s your history, but the question for Chiefs fans is whether Humphries was brought in as depth or to take over the starting LT spot? Morris was never the plan this year until Suamataia’s struggles, and given the inconsistency he has at times as a pass protector that would not surprise me. And the fact that Kansas City was willing to give Humphries a deal that pays him $2 million with a max value of $4.5 million (I’d assume with bonuses if he grabs the starting role) this late in the season while they’re up against the cap at least suggests to me the possibility that he’ll slide into the role.
That said, the first and most important question is what Humphries film says. He’s known to not be a particularly pile-moving run blocker, but of course that’s not the primary job for an offensive lineman in Kansas City. Does he offer a potential upgrade as a pass blocker at the left tackle spot?
(Humphries is 74, at left tackle every clip we’ll look at)
And so to the film I went, looking at every 3rd down pass protection snap (129 total). I focused on those snaps in order to be able to sift through how he looks on obvious passing downs in which he’s left in a “pure” pass blocking situation (of those 129 snaps, 71 were 3rd and 7+ and 46 were 3rd and 3-6 yards, and another 12 were 3rd and short where the team passed). I charted each situation for wins, losses, and neutral plays, as well as for pressures/hits/sacks.
Let’s talk about D.J. Humphries and whether, based on his 2023 film, he can upgrade the pass protection at the left tackle spot.