53 Comments

He's somewhat raw, but the power and attitude he has can't be taught. The more film I watch of him the more I'm convinced he has a real shot at starting (and excelling) for the Chiefs as early as next year.

That being said I appreciate you critiquing areas where he needs to improve. He's the apple of everyone's eye right now, and sometimes people can get excited and go off the rails. It's good to temper those expectations.

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Seth, now that you’ve reviewed all 3 of the young potential starters (Niang, Creed & Smith), how do they compare to each other? Seems like a good idea for another article…. 🙄 Do I get some sort of royalty if you decide to write one? 😁

I know they’re projected to play different positions on the OL, but the excitement/curiosity/expectations for this new Oline is high.

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Awesome breakdown as usual, thanks Seth. Looks like as high of a ceiling guy as you can get late in the draft, awesome to see Veach take advantage of that groupthink of the rest of the league - and to see that they had already done their massive amounts of medical homework is cool.

Do you think the plan is to give him the Willie Gay treatment and essentially redshirt him assuming one of Long/LDT stay healthy, or is he going to be given a shot to start if he comes out in camp and quickly learns from Heck (and Thuney) the intricacies of techniques you mention?

Side note - I'm still having doubts that LDT is even on the roster... It wouldn't save cap room at all with that contract but somebody else could use the spot on the 53 man roster; I just don't see how it's physically possible at his age to return after the way he spent the last year. And if we're being honest he was the weak link in 2019 - it's been since '18 he was a good NFL starter.

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Loved the article. I would like some clarification on two points.

1. Please explain what you mean by gap run blocking vs zone scheme blocking and provide some visual examples of each. When or why is each one better and in what circumstances?

2. What do you mean by "punch"? Is he literally punching someone in the face or just extending his arms out and pushing them backwards? please try to provide some enlarged visuals focusing on this.

Finally, I know it's a pain but please try to circle the player you are analyzing. It is easier on the viewer--at least easier on me.

A day without a Seth Keysor email is like a day without sunshine.😃 Keep it up!

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founding

Thanks for being willing to sacrifice for our benefit.

I really appreciate the perspective you provide, and how you cut through the hype.

I'm excited about this line, and really hopeful that Smith seeks out the coaching to address the consistency and technique shortcomings, as a motivated guy with high expectations and a chip on his shoulder for being slighted by 31 teams could be a blessing for many years.

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It's pretty amazing that he can be this type of player with basically zero practice his last two years in college. Hopefully they can get his condition under control so he can get more reps during the week.

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I think all of Chiefs Kingdom has really high hopes for this guy (me in particular). He is SO fun to watch. I really hope that the blood clot issue remains a thing of the past. It could derail a very promising future. He seems to have a real desire to be great along with the amazing natural talent. Great review Seth! Keep it up.

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founding

I love Veach’s approach here. LDT is coming back from his opt-out. Maybe he looks better than 2019 with time to recover from injury, but maybe he’s on the decline. So sign Kyle Long, who is in the same situation only more so, in hopes that one of them works out. And if neither of them do, here’s a potential long term starter taken in the sixth round. Similar setup at center and right tackle. And whoever loses those competitions becomes quality depth.

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Great article on a great Veach draft pick. Thanks a bunch Seth! I view him as a starter quality Rookie despite the identified areas needed to be worked on. Veach aced this pick and Smith will have a great future with KC.

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How does Smith compare to how fellow 6th round guard LDT did coming out of college? I know LDT was coming from a smaller school and he definitely struggled a bit early on but it seems like Smith has a higher potential than LDT.

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Excited to see him play and that it only took a 6th round pick to get him. My biggest worry is the medicine impacting how often he can practice and thus develop.

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It is great, I think, that he has a tough road to being in the starting unit. If he can beat out the likes of LDT, Long, Wylie, and Allegretti, then I will be confident he can contribute. But given the depth, right now it feels more likely that he is on the practice squad or gameday inactive list than that he is in the starting lineup.

My only remaining OL question - which is amazing considering where we were after the tackles were released - is where do we go if Brown misses time? My thought is that our depth is much greater in the interior than the tackles, so do we kick Thuney out and bring in one of the guard/centers listed above?

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May 18, 2021Liked by Seth Keysor

This guy is going to go a long way toward erasing the last vestiges of Trezelle Jenkins from my brain

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Him being coached up and improving on some of his technique? Whoa.

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May 18, 2021Liked by Seth Keysor

Heavy hands, ability to mirror and a nasty disposition.

That's the Treyfecta!

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Well done as always. Something I find interesting is Ron Kopp tends to post a film analysis of the same player you review about 2 hours after you post. Just sayin'.

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