On Tuesday, the Kansas City Chiefs officially traded offensive tackle Wanya Morris (and a seventh-round pick) to the Atlanta Falcons for a sixth-round pick, ending his tenure in Kansas City.
The Chiefs drafted Morris out of Oklahoma with the 92nd overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Over three seasons in Kansas City, Morris started at left tackle for stretches and filled in as the team’s swing tackle, starting 16 games while playing in 43.
Last week, it was reported that Morris was seeking a larger
role, and a few days later, the trade was agreed to.
Morris will leave to compete for a starting job with the Falcons, but this move more signifies that the Chiefs are comfortable with the offensive tackle depth and even with reserve players’ ability to fill in when needed.
Right tackle competition
The Chiefs do not have a full-time starter returning at either tackle position this upcoming season, even with Josh Simmons looking to become a stalwart at left tackle.
Right tackle is feeling more and more like the starting job is up in the air.
Sixth-year lineman Jaylon Moore will likely be given the first crack at winning the right tackle job, but he has company, according to head coach Andy Reid.
Second-year player Esa Pole will return to the team after starting the final four games of last season at left tackle after injuries to Simmons and Morris. With Simmons, the future of the left side of the offensive line, Pole is available to compete with Moore on the right side.
Moore will benefit from experience, and given his salary cap number for the season ($14.20 million), he should be expected to be start once we get to Week 1.
Moore is a technician who plays sound football, which should be expected of a multi-year veteran, but Pole has a much higher ceiling given his physical gifts.
Last season, Pole bounced from the Chiefs to the New York Jets, then back to Kansas City; he went from an undrafted free agent to a starter at left tackle by season’s end.
In limited looks, Pole played well and used his large frame and quick feet to win snaps. He did receive plenty of help from slide protection and chip blocks, but seeing the UDFA adapt to the NFL game is encouraging for the team.
Between these two players, there will likely be both the starting right tackle and the team’s top swing tackle for 2026.
Other names
The Chiefs will still have room on the roster for one or two tackles to possibly make the active roster, and there are a few names to look at.
Ethan Driskell
Driskell made the active roster at the start of the 2024 season after shining in training camp and the preseason. Last season did not go as planned for Driskell, as he spent the entire season inactive after undergoing an appendectomy during training camp. Despite the setback, Driskell still has a tremendous blend of size and athletic ability that caught the staff’s attention in 2024, and could help him find a roster in 2026.
Chu Godrick
A member of the team since 2023, Godrick is a roster exception as part of the International Player Pathway (IPP) program, and has been on the practice squad for the better part of three seasons before making his NFL regular- season debut in 2025. He started the final three games of last season.
Before training for the NFL, Godrick had no formal football background and was discovered as a basketball player in his hometown of Lagos, Nigeria. Getting to where he has gotten during his career is an accomplishment in itself, but this will be his best shot at making the active roster since arriving in Kansas City.
Matt Waletzko
A former fifth-round pick out of North Dakota, Waletzko spent the first four seasons of his career playing for the Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings. The Chiefs have him listed at tackle on the roster, but he will likely be able to slide inside as well.
Khalil Benson
Drawing headlines this spring, Benson earned an invitation to the Chiefs’ 90-man roster and training camp after impressing as a tryout player during the rookie mini camp. The Chiefs will leave no stone unturned, and the starting right tackle for the 16-0 Indiana Hoosiers has a championship pedigree that seems to have him in the mix ahead of camp.
The bottom line
Trading an established veteran capable of filling in during a pinch like Morris might scare some teams, but the Chiefs are showing confidence in the pool of talent the front office has assembled. Moore and Pole will make up the right tackle and swing tackle spots, while someone like Driskell or Godrick will have a chance to sneak into one of the final roster spots.
Injuries can happen at any time in the NFL, and with the Chiefs needing a big season from the offensive line, it will take all hands on deck to be the best unit possible.
