2017 NFL Draft Kansas City Chiefs Scouting Report: Damien Mama
By Ben Almquist
While the Kansas City Chiefs offensive line looks set, there’s no reason not to add depth. Damien Mama of USC could be a good option.
Earlier this offseason, the Kansas City Chiefs solidified their starting offensive line by extending Laurent Duvernay-Tardif. As it stands, the Chiefs appear to have all their bases covered along the offensive line. However, you can always add young talent on the line. Damien Mama from USC is a guy worth considering.
It should be made clear that the Chiefs don’t “need” an offensive guard. Apart from the new contract for Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, the Chiefs also drafted Parker Ehinger last season. Ehinger was slotted to be the starting left guard until he was injured. It should be expected that he will be taking over that spot again this year.
Behind the two starters, both Zach Fulton and Jah Reid are capable players who have a good bit of starting experience. However, both players have just one year left on their contracts. If Kansas City wants to look to the future, they may make a move.
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The Kansas City Chiefs have built their roster through competition. The team is consistently looking for guys who can beat out the players already in house. That’s how you get better. It’s something the offensive line is still in need of. Using some late round picks on offensive line talent could pay off big down the road.
Love watching @uscfootball @damienmama play. Perfect technique in passing the twist stunt and plays to the whistle and obliterates the sun pic.twitter.com/In1DaDxfAC
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) March 21, 2017
Damien Mama – OG – USC
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Even though he was a three-year starter and earned all conference considerations, Damien Mama never really lived up to his potential. The big man was one of the most highly touted high school recruits in the country. However, some inconsistent play at USC has given many analysts pause over him the past couple of years.
Damien Mama is a huge man with plenty of power. Shoots out of his stance and gets into position smoothly. Uses his strength and arm length effectively to knock defenders off their marks. Has the lower body strength to anchor against a bull rush. Looks for blocking opportunities in the open field.
The big hit on Damien Mama was in regards to his weight of over 400 lbs. Was out of shape and too big to move this past season. Didn’t show the quickness to recover if beaten early, which happened a good bit. Lumbers around instead of moving quickly into position.
Here’s the big thing with Damien Mama…he’s lost over 75 lbs. So the player he was this past year is not the player he is now. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee he won’t go back to that. The Chiefs could get a real steal with Mama late in the draft…or a guy who will be out of the league after his first offseason.
The Kansas City Chiefs need to be thinking about the future when it comes to depth on the offensive line. John Dorsey has done a great job of building stability at other positions, but the line could still use some work. This isn’t a great draft to do it in, but there are still some interesting options.