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The Kansas City Chiefs have quite a few talented players at their disposal, with superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes being the best of the bunch. One of the most overlooked aspects of their ongoing dynastic run, though, has been their offensive line. In a recent ranking of the top interior offensive linemen in the league by ESPN, two of the Chiefs’ top protectors got their due praise.
While the left tackle position is generally considered the most important spot on the offensive line, the center is often the one calling the shots for this unit. That is a role Creed Humphrey has employed for the past four seasons in Kansas City, and he’s fresh off his third straight Pro Bowl selection and first All-Pro First-Team honor. As a result, he was voted the top interior offensive lineman in the league by ESPN, who polled executives, coaches, and scouts in order to create this list.
“Last year, Humphrey made the case as the best overall center since Jason Kelce. Now, he’s the top interior lineman thanks to consistency in the voting,” Jeremy Fowler wrote for ESPN. “Humphrey’s 96.2 pass block win rate last season ranks sixth among all interior offensive linemen. He’s the lead communicator for a championship-level offense. And his intangibles are well-known around the league.”
Humphrey isn’t the only stud on the Chiefs’ offensive line, though. While the team did trade away Joe Thuney to the Chicago Bears this offseason, they placed the franchise tag on Trey Smith to keep him in town. While his contract status is still up in the air, Smith is one of the top rising interior offensive linemen in the league, and he ended up getting ranked No. 4 on this list from ESPN.
“That Kansas City franchise tagged Smith at $23.4 million says a lot about the quality of the player. The Chiefs are often salary cap-strapped and aren’t afraid to let marquee free agents walk… but Smith is too unique to escape the Chiefs’ facility,” Fowler wrote. “Smith’s 75.1 run block win rate ranks third among this group, and he received several first-place votes because of it. As one NFL coordinator said, ‘He’s got elite hands, and he is great at finishing his blocks.'”
While the tackle positions are question marks for the Chiefs, they have one of the strongest interior linemen groups in the league, thanks in large part to Humphrey and Smith. If these two guys can keep up their strong play in both the run and pass game, chances are Kansas City will be able to put together another strong campaign in 2025 as they look to find their way back to the Super Bowl.
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