Brett Veach, the Kansas City Chiefs' General Manager, is actually laughing at the NFL media right now, and honestly, who can blame him? The whole offseason discourse about the Chiefs' offensive line has been bizarre, especially after they tried to convince everyone they were desperate for an offensive tackle in the NFL Draft. It never passed the sniff test. Veach himself admitted post-draft that he finds it hilarious anyone fell for the tackle talk.
The "Need" For A Tackle? What A Joke.
Let's break down why that pre-draft narrative was pure nonsense. For starters, the Chiefs already used top 65 selections in the last two drafts on current starters on the left side of their offensive line. Then there's right guard Trey Smith, who is the second-highest-paid offensive guard in the league by average annual value. And let's not forget Center Humphrey, the highest-paid center in the entire NFL. Jaylon Moore is the only real "unknown" at right tackle, but come on, the Chiefs signed him to a two-year, $30 million contract a year ago. That's hardly a sign of a dire need at the position. Using a top-15 pick on an offensive tackle would have been straight-up foolish with other needs on the roster. Veach knew it, we knew it, and apparently, a lot of the media just bought into the smoke screen.Rankings Are Wild, Reality Is Clearer
Here's where it gets even stranger: despite the strong evidence for a solid unit, the post-draft analysis has taken a wild turn. We're in "ranking season" for the NFL right now. With no organized activities and training camp still weeks away, content is king, and rankings are popping up everywhere. The shocking takeaway from some of these recent lists? A general consensus that the Chiefs' offensive line "stinks." Seriously, what?! At least three national publications, ESPN (Mike Clay), Sharp Football Analysis, and Fantasy Points, have ranked Kansas City's offensive line among the bottom 10 in the NFL heading into the 2026 campaign. It's tough to even comprehend. Josh Simmons just had an impressive rookie season. Trey Smith is viewed as a top-10 guard in the game. Center Humphrey is probably the best center in the league. Kingsley Suamataia took a massive step forward last year after moving to guard. Yeah, Moore's a question, but he's not a complete unknown, and plenty of other units across the league have way bigger liabilities. Even other outlets disagree! 4 for 4 and USA Today ranked the Chiefs' offensive line as one of the top 11. No other team in the league has a greater standard deviation in their offensive line rankings. Seriously, what a wild split. While some are ready to label this line bottom 10, others see them as top 11. If GM Veach is finding it hilarious, maybe the rest of the league should just take a breath and actually look at the tape.This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.