KC Chiefs: Grading The 2015 NFL Draft Class

Round Two: Mitch Morse

Grade: A-

When Mitch Morse went down with a concussion and had to miss the two playoff games, the Chiefs might have undersold his importance.

Mitch Morse played much better than anyone anticipated. Of all the rookie offensive linemen in the league, he made the best transition to the NFL according to profootballfocus.com.

Morse didn’t have to travel far to join his NFL team being drafted out of the University of Missouri. He worked hard and earned his spot as a starter out of training camp and played very solid football from week one.

He was thrown into the fire right away against a Texans team that has a very solid pass rush. He held his own against Vince Wilfork and J.J. Watt and helped created lanes for the Chiefs running backs.

Mitch Morse downside is that he doesn’t protect against the pass very well. He does however excel in the run game. His ability to get downfield and create zone running lanes is advanced for a rookie. For someone that will take over calling out blocking schemes at some point, he’s got a good head start.

When a rookie is able to step up and show veteran type leadership like that, it’s something that can rub off on the rest of the team.

He also has a level head on his shoulders. In a game against the San Diego Chargers, Alex Smith got into a skirmish with one of the Chargers’ defensive backs. It was Mitch Morse who pulled his quarterback away from the situation and helped calm him down. When a rookie is able to step up and show veteran type leadership like that, it’s something that can rub off on the rest of the team.

The Chiefs lost a great center in Rodney Hudson, but Mitch Morse may turn out to be every bit the center that Hudson was. If he can develop into a leader that keeps his team out away from bad penalties, he could be better.

Next: Georgia On My Mind