NFL Draft 2020: Best pick made by each AFC West team

Kansas City Chiefs: Lucas Niang, OL, TCU

Round 3, 96th Overall

I give the Kansas City Chiefs a ton of credit for their selection of Clyde Edwards-Helaire in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. We all know that this team has needs on the defensive side of the ball, but instead of grabbing a cornerback that they didn’t love, they took an absolutely perfect running back for their already incredible offense. Edwards-Helaire is going to be an absolute monster in Kansas City and should be considered the early Rookie of the Year favorite.

That being said, this was not my single favorite pick made by this team in the recent NFL Draft. That honor goes to Lucas Niang, the offensive lineman who the Chiefs were able to snag late in the third round.

Niang dealt with a hip injury last season and it hurt his play. However, when this guy is healthy, he is an absolutely dominant player on the offensive line. Niang is quick off of the ball and moves well in space. He also has long arms, shows great overall hand usage and is extremely powerful at the point of attack. Simply put, Niang has an exciting overall skill-set and a ton of upside as both a pass protector and run blocker at the next level.

The Chiefs do not have an immediate need at the offensive tackle position, but they could sure use some help on the interior. Assuming he is healthy to start the season, I would like to see the Chiefs give Niang an opportunity to kick inside and be an immediate contributor. Eventually, he could kick back outside and take over at left tackle for Eric Fisher.

No matter where you play him, Niang is simply too good to keep off of the field. As long as he can stay healthy, he will be a fantastic asset for this team. Not bad for a late third-round pick.