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CBS Sports mock draft has KC Chiefs addressing offensive line in 2020

By Leigh Oleszczak

ARLINGTON, TX - DECEMBER 01: Oklahoma Sooners center Creed Humphrey (#56) drops back to block during the Big 12 Championship game between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorns on December 1, 2018 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Matthew Visinsky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX - DECEMBER 01: Oklahoma Sooners center Creed Humphrey (#56) drops back to block during the Big 12 Championship game between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorns on December 1, 2018 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Matthew Visinsky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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When a team has its franchise quarterback like the KC Chiefs do with Patrick Mahomes, protecting him is the most important thing. So, would it be crazy for this team to draft an offensive lineman in the first round in 2020?

Josh Edwards of CBS Sports conducted a mock draft for the 2020 NFL Draft and with the 24th overall pick, he had the Kansas City Chiefs selecting Creed Humphrey, a center out of Oklahoma.

Let’s just get this part out of the way here, why don’t we?

Drafting an offensive lineman in the first round isn’t exactly a sexy thing to do. That being said, offensive linemen are the most underrated part of a team and if Chiefs fans want Patrick Mahomes playing for them for the next decade, protecting him is priority number one.

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Humphrey would be an excellent pick by the Chiefs in the first round and would provide stability at the center position. As we all know, the Chiefs opted to move on from Mitch Morse this offseason due to his injury history and went with Austin Reiter instead.

Reiter had shown promise a season ago in Morse’s absence, but 2019 hasn’t been as kind to him, as he’s been a weekly starter. It’d be very smart for the Chiefs to find a better option at center for 2020 and beyond.

Here is what Edwards had to say about why he had the Chiefs going with Humphrey at pick 24,

"Kansas City has some deficiencies along their offensive line, specifically up the middle. Humphrey is a brick wall."

Deficiencies is putting it nicely. Cameron Erving has been a tire fire and we already touched on Reiter’s struggles this year. Eric Fisher, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, and Mitchell Schwartz are great anchors to have on the offensive line, but the Chiefs can’t keep plugging random guys in and expect Mahomes not to get nicked up.

We’ve seen him get hit hard this season and that’s because the offensive line isn’t the same strength it was a season ago. Injuries, of course, have played a role in that, so once Fisher and LDT are back, things should get better. Andrew Wylie is also a nice swing option to have out there as well.

As for Humphrey, Oklahoma makes it a priority to have an elite (or near elite) offensive line, so you know the kid has potential. He’s only in his second season at Oklahoma, having redshirted as a freshman.

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If the Kansas City Chiefs are serious about protecting Patrick Mahomes, drafting an offensive lineman in the first round isn’t a bad play, and Creed Humphrey would be a fine choice.

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