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Chiefs News: Lucas Niang brings depth to offensive line

By Leigh Oleszczak

Kyle Hicks #21 runs the ball behind the blocking of Lucas Niang #77 of the TCU Horned Frogs (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
Kyle Hicks #21 runs the ball behind the blocking of Lucas Niang #77 of the TCU Horned Frogs (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /
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Chiefs news highlights the newest member of the Kansas City Chiefs: Lucas Niang of TCU, who plays offensive tackle and is a depth piece for KC.

The Kansas City Chiefs found themselves an offensive tackle who could be a nice pickup for the line in the coming years. Lucas Niang – an offensive tackle out of TCU – was the 96th pick for the Chiefs and he’ll now look to learn the ropes from Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz.

Niang is a great depth piece for the line and when you have a quarterback like Patrick Mahomes, the ultimate goal is to protect him. Niang might not be someone who starts in 2020, but he could be one of the bookend tackles for many years to come.

I actually had the Chiefs drafting Niang in my final mock draft published on Thursday and had a second round grade on him. In that mock I wrote,

"He’s an NFL-ready tackle and if nothing else, could step in if Fisher or Schwartz misses time (Schwartz has yet to miss any time). Fisher missed quite a few games last season and the left tackle position was a liability while he was out. With Niang as the backup, he could slide in and play that spot and then move back to interior when Fisher returned."

The Chiefs tend to draft tackles and then transition them into guards and perhaps that’s the end game here. They could have Niang at the left guard spot and then once one of the tackle spots frees up (my guess would be left tackle would first), Niang could slide over there.

I like this pick, but understand why some fans might not be thrilled about it. There were a lot of other needs for this team including cornerback and defensive line, but don’t get it twisted – Offensive line is always something a team like the Chiefs need to be upgrading. It’s a taxing position and as a result, injuries occur more frequently and it’s good to have depth there.

Last year, Fisher missed a few games and Cameron Erving got absolutely wrecked when subbing in for him. Niang could prevent that from happening again in 2020.

Offensive linemen are never exciting selections, but they’re necessary, especially when it comes to protecting Patrick Mahomes for the rest of his career.

What do you think of this pick, Chiefs Kingdom?

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