Jaguars lineman could make sense if Chiefs trade their target for critical depth

The Kansas City Chiefs are at the center of most discussions leading up to the National Football League’s trade deadline in early November, yet 100 percent of those rumors focus on a single position at wide receiver. But what if there was another function?

For the Chiefs, the selection will be tougher than most, given their status as frontline contenders and the front office’s reputation as excellent scouts. The Chiefs have assembled one solid draft class after another, allowing them to field a deep, competitive roster on both sides of the ball even as they retain their top talent.

But for a team that is ready early and ready to endure the rigors of a long road, it may be wise to add a few more pieces at key positions of need with some versatility. The offensive line in particular is an interesting place to add some depth.

Let’s not forget a few key things when it comes to the Chiefs’ offensive line.

First, the only Super Bowl performance that has slipped from their grasp in the last five years is the one where they started the game with a patchwork offensive line (that’s putting it nicely). Against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Chiefs offense didn’t even have a chance to get moving after losing left tackle Eric Fisher in the previous round.

Second, the Chiefs have released some key o-line pieces over the past few seasons with Nick Allegretti and Andrew Wylie. Don’t forget that both was instrumental in the postseason for the Chiefs during these championship runs. Do they have the horses to do that again?

Right now, the Chiefs offensive line is in the midst of a small youth movement around the core of offensive starters up front, from left guard to right tackle. Around the likes of Joe Thuney, Creed Humphrey, Trey Smith and Jawaan Taylor, the Chiefs invested three of their seven draft picks on the offensive line last spring and that comes after the selection of Wanya Morris a year ago.

So far, the verdict is still out on the competitors on the left, such as Morris and Kingsley Suamataia. Plus, no one knows what to make of interior linemen like Hunter Nourzad or CJ Hanson — at least not yet. Are they willing to lean on their rookies in an emergency?

This is what makes a potential trade so interesting up front, and why Walker Little could be the right choice. The Jacksonville Jaguars aren’t going anywhere anytime soon in 2024 without a historic turnaround for the franchise, and Little is an expiring asset for them who could at least pick up a future draft asset in return if they were willing to let him go.

For the sake of review, Walker Little was a second-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft (taken ahead of Nick Bolton and Creed Humphrey) at No. 45 overall. As a lineman out of Stanford, he entered the league with a large frame (6-foot-1, 315 lbs.) and greater potential. However, he was also a very raw commodity, having opted out of the COVID-affected 2020 campaign after suffering a season-ending knee injury in the first game of 2019.

In short, the Jaguars chose Little with few leads (sorry, we can’t resist). When healthy, he was an all-conference blindside blocker, but he declared for the NFL Draft before anyone could safely assess the development or trajectory with any degree of confidence. The Jags took the swing at an important position, but Walker has given them solid swing tackle and nothing more over the last four seasons.

Here’s the key for the Chiefs: Little could still find his place at the NFL level in terms of potential, considering he’s only 25 years old and needed a lot of reps to get into the league. For the Jags, he has also started games at left and right guard, while getting significant reps at left guard in 2023. If he’s a serviceable player who can provide some veteran versatility inside and out, that’s an interesting addition to the Chiefs’ roster.

At this point next year, the best move for the Chiefs would be to trust their scouts and lean on their younger players, who will have a full year in Andy Reid’s system by then, as well as a better handle on the speed and force. of the game at the NFL level. For this year, though, some more upfront experience would be a welcome addition and the Jaguars could be the key to rounding out that unit.