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Kansas City Chiefs select Trey Smith in FanSided 2021 NFL Mock Draft

By Leigh Oleszczak

KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 20: LaBryan Ray #89 of the Alabama Crimson Tide battles with Offensive lineman Trey Smith #73 of the Tennessee Volunteers during the first half of the game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium on October 20, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Alabama won 58-21. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 20: LaBryan Ray #89 of the Alabama Crimson Tide battles with Offensive lineman Trey Smith #73 of the Tennessee Volunteers during the first half of the game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium on October 20, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Alabama won 58-21. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images) /
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The Kansas City Chiefs need to bolster their offensive line in the draft and that’s what they did in FanSided’s recent mock draft.

When an NFL team is fortunate enough to have found their franchise quarterback, the next step is to build an offensive line that is up to the task of protecting said franchise quarterback. The Kansas City Chiefs‘ offensive line has been hit and miss since Patrick Mahomes became the starter, but it’s time to make it a strength and not a question mark.

Brad Weiss of FanSided put together a mock draft for the 2021 NFL Draft and had the Chiefs selecting Trey Smith with the No. 30 overall pick (the Saints were No. 31 and the Steelers were No. 32 in case you were wondering). Smith plays guard for the Tennessee Volunteers and it’s no secret that guard is a position of need for Kansas City.

Here’s what Weiss had to say about why he had the Chiefs taking Smith with the No. 30 pick,

"The Kansas City Chiefs are playing at an extremely high level right now, and quarterback Patrick Mahomes could run away with his second NFL Most Valuable Player award. They need to continue to utilize assets to protect him, and they do so here at No. 30, getting a versatile offensive lineman who can play up and down the line."

Something to keep in mind with the Chiefs’ offensive line moving forward is that they’ll be getting back both Laurent Duvernay-Tardif and Lucas Niang next season, both of whom opted out prior to the start of the 2020 season. Even with those two guys to plug in along the offensive line, the Chiefs could use a guy like Smith.

Smith’s story is inspirational, as he lost his mother in 2015 and promised her that he’d return to school, get his degree, and go on to play in the NFL. Smith himself hasn’t had an easy go of it, suffering from blood clots throughout his college career. Even with all that’s been thrown at him, the Vols guard is primed to be a first-round pick this April.

I mentioned that LDT and Niang should be returning for 2021, but the Chiefs will also have Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz back as well, giving them a solid group of four right there. Having Smith at one of the two guard spots could turn Niang into more of a swing lineman, which was a potential plan when the team drafted him earlier this year.

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I’m all for the Kansas City Chiefs drafting an offensive lineman in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft and Trey Smith would most definitely be an upgrade for this team.

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