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Kansas City Chiefs Scouting Report: Taylor Decker

By Leigh Oleszczak

Aug 30, 2014; Baltimore, MD, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes offensive linesman Taylor Decker (68) blocks Navy Midshipmen defensive end Paul Quessenberry (45) during the fourth quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. Ohio State Buckeyes defeated Navy Midshipmen 34-17.Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 30, 2014; Baltimore, MD, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes offensive linesman Taylor Decker (68) blocks Navy Midshipmen defensive end Paul Quessenberry (45) during the fourth quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. Ohio State Buckeyes defeated Navy Midshipmen 34-17.Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /
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The offensive line is an area where the Kansas City Chiefs have struggled over the past few seasons. Could Taylor Decker be a solution for the Chiefs in the draft?

The KC Chiefs haven’t had the best luck along the offensive line over the past few years. Sure, the 2015 o-line wasn’t nearly as bad as the unit from 2014, but it’s still an area of concern for the Kansas City Chiefs organization.

With that said, the team could go with an offensive lineman in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft and they could go with Taylor Decker out of Ohio State.

The Chiefs last drafted an offensive lineman in the first round in 2013, when they held the first overall pick and selected Eric Fisher. Fisher is slowly but surely improving and seems to have that left tackle spot locked up for at least next year.

Decker played last season at left tackle for the Buckeyes, but he has experience at right tackle as well. Having a young versatile offensive tackle could be huge for the Chiefs, and it could be the answer to their problems along the line.

Related Story: Scouting Report Central

Combine Results

  • 40-yard dash – 5.23 seconds
  • Bench press – 20 reps
  • Broad jump – 101.o inch
  • 3-cone drill – 7.70 seconds
  • 2o-yard shuttle – 4.76 seconds

Combine results courtesy of NFL.com’s Draft Tracker 

Decker is a tall guy, at 6’7″, and that actually can be seen as a weakness as an offensive tackle. If opponents can get underneath him, then it’s almost a straight shot to the quarterback. He also tends to be late on snap counts and CBS Sports describes it as he “falls asleep” in some of his snaps on film.

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The good news about Taylor Decker is that he’s a great presence in the locker room. He was a three-year starter for the Buckeyes and had 42 consecutive starts. Twenty-eight of those starts were at left tackle, which could make for an interesting discussion if Decker did indeed wind up in Kansas City.

Fisher has been moved back and forth between left and right tackle since he arrived to KC in 2013. Moving him again might be rough, but Fisher seemed to almost look better on the right side of the line.

All in all, drafting Taylor Decker would provide the Chiefs with depth along the offensive line. This is a team that could be losing Jeff Allen to free agency and needs more bodies to start and backup the offensive line.

Next: Ten Best Seasons in Team History

It might not be a sexy pick, but it could very well be the smart pick.

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