Chiefs big draft move gets cold water poured on it with scouts’ evaluation

After Kansas City Chiefs franchise quarterback Patrick Mahomes recently expressed love for general manager Brett Veach following the team's decision to select BYU offensive tackle Kingsley Suamataia in the second round, intel from ESPN's Jeremy Fowler would suggest rival scouts and front offices were not as high on the No. 63 overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Suamataia started 11 games at left tackle for BYU in 2023 en route to earning Second-Team All-Big 12 Conference honors, showcasing his elite and unique athletic traits for a player of his size and position routinely. However, that seems to have not moved the needle for his evaluative prospects based on what Fowler reported.

Chiefs big draft move gets cold water poured on it with scouts’ evaluation

Fowler highlights how Kansas City intends to deploy Suamataia as something to monitor, referring to it as "fascinating" before pointing out that the BYU product has "first-round traits." However, he mentioned that "some scouts question his desire to be great." 

What have scouts seen from Suamataia to make such a bold declaration? Lest we forget, he is only 21 years old! Being skeptical of his commitment to excellence at such a young age, especially considering he only has two years of experience as a full-time starter under his belt, feels wrong and premature.

Fowler concluded his analysis by wondering what Suamataia can accomplish as a pro "if any team can maximize his skill set." Perhaps no team and coaching staff is better equipped to do so than the reigning back-to-back Super Bowl champion Chiefs. Head coach Andy Reid is arguably the most innovative offensive mastermind in the NFL and will find a way to use his shiny new toy to his advantage after scouts around the league slept on him.

Suamataia should have an opportunity to compete with Wanya Morris for the starting left tackle spot but will likely find himself as a swing tackle early on in his career.