Patrick Mahomes reacts to the Chiefs taking Creed Humphrey

Patrick Mahomes was ecstatic when the Kansas City Chiefs selected center Creed Humphrey in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

Quarterbacks in the NFL love two kinds of draft picks: Targets and blockers.

Patrick Mahomes celebrated the latter when the Chiefs used a second-round pick to take Oklahoma center Creed Humphrey.

The quarterback’s tweet directly following the selection says it all:

Kansas City faced a harsh reality in the Super Bowl when the Buccaneers’ pass rush made Mahomes’ life a living hell. Tampa Bay had three sacks and 10 quarterback hits. Those numbers don’t do the massacre upfront much justice either.

The Chiefs have made every move possible to rectify that situation in 2021.

It started in free agency as they signed guards Joe Thuney and Kyle Long. Rams center Austin Blythe agreed to a one-year deal to come to Arrowhead. They re-signed Mike Remmers as well.

Then came a massive trade with the Ravens to acquire Pro Bowl tackle Orlando Brown.

Basically, Mahomes has had more than a few occasions to break out the smile emojis in the last few months.

Drafting Creed Humphrey shows more long-term commitment on the line

It turns out they weren’t finished giving Mahomes more support upfront.

Humphrey is 6-foot-4, 302 pounds. What he lacks in length and wingspan, he makes up in strength and intelligence. He was part of an offensive line at Oklahoma that was recognized as the best in college football.

Blythe will still be valuable as a starter at center in the short term, but Humphrey is a long-term investment for the position. The rookie will be able to compete for a job, but he’ll also have room to develop.

The end goal will be to have Humphrey delivering snaps to Mahomes for years to come.