The (5-4) Kansas City Chiefs have experienced ups and downs so far this year. While the team is not where it wants to be, there were still plenty of positives in the first half of the season.
One of them was the Chiefs finding a long-term starter at left guard. Kingsley Suamataia has opened every game of the season — and has played well.
A year ago, Suamataia seemed lost at left tackle; he started three games before being ultimately benched for poor performance. This season, he has come back in a big
way, making the transition to the interior, where he appears to be a natural.
He hasn’t been perfect, but his performance in the first half of the year has laid the foundation for what is shaping up to be a successful career.
Let’s take a look.
Grading the film
During the bye week, I reviewed every game of the season, grading every one of Suamataia’s snaps.
To save time, I used a simple grading method: Did he do his job or not?
While his season grade of 70% would be a “C” on a report card, it is important to point out that some losses are worse than others. Suamatia managed to avoid critical losses throughout most of the season. With only one sack allowed and one penalty committed through nine games, he has not hurt the team. With his wins, he has been a highly productive player.
Pass protection
Suamataia doesn’t have the quickness or flexibility to be an NFL tackle, but his build and strength have made him a perfect fit at guard. The interior offensive line requires greater base strength and hand-fighting ability — rather than the complex footwork required to play tackle.
He has played with good hands and a strong base all season — and it has helped him win snaps at a high rate.
Even back at BYU, Suamataia had a strong grip and powerful base — although sometimes, he didn’t seem to realize how strong he was. At tackle last season, he didn’t get to show off this power very often — but this season, he has put his raw strength on display.
At tackle, his hands did little to help him in pass protection — but along the interior, he has weaponized his strong grip and upper body. He has developed a nice “snatch” technique to put pass rushers on the ground.
He always had a good frame for a tackle, but as a guard, his physique is elite. His 34-inch arms come in handy against defensive tackles with more stout frames; they have trouble countering his blocks.
Once he can get his hands on the rusher — and if he keeps his feet moving — he can quickly shut down plays in pass protection.
Run blocking
Even at tackle, Suamataia showed positive signs as a run blocker, but moving to guard has unlocked what he can do in the Chiefs’ offense.
The Chiefs’ interior offensive line is the key to their success in the running game, and Suamataia has joined center Creed Humphrey and right guard Trey Smith in creating some serious push up the middle.
He does need to work on maintaining his pad level to win leverage battles. Like many tall guards, he can struggle to win the point of attack due to his pad level. This can cause stalemates at the line of scrimmage.
When he does drop his pads, there aren’t many players he can’t uproot.
Blocking in space
Not being athletic enough to play tackle in the NFL doesn’t make Suamataia “unathletic.” In fact, his ability to move in space and create plays at the second level is one of his biggest assets.
He will need to work on proper aiming points and taking good angles to get to defenders, but his natural ability to climb upfield — and smoothly move in space — has rolled over from college.
This movement ability has also allowed the Chiefs different ways to set up the pocket for Mahomes — allowing more time to throw the ball down the field.
Nasty streak
Since Humphrey and Smith were drafted, the Chiefs’ offensive line has prided itself on playing a nasty, all-out brand of football. Suamataia has adopted that mentality, making some tremendous physical plays. It is basically a requirement to play professional football.
When smaller players want to “play games” in the box, it is refreshing to see an offensive lineman take a no-nonsense approach.
The bottom line
Before any NFL Draft, many film analysts and draft gurus will harp that some prospects should “transition to guard” as professionals based on physical limitations that would impact their ability to play tackle. This transition is not as easy as they will make it seem.
The footwork is nowhere near the same between the positions — and the level of strength required to play inside is something not many college tackles can do.
Suamataia is a rare case. He possesses the strength to play inside — and his work to go all-in on changing positions has taken him from being a project to a future staple of the Kansas City offensive line.
Last season, his career as a tackle ended against the Denver Broncos in a forgettable Week 11 matchup, but later that season — during a Week 18 game in Denver where Kansas City’s starters rested — his career as a guard was born.
The Chiefs will start the second half of the season against the Broncos in a must-win game — and Suamataia will play a significant role in the offense’s success.
