Kansas City Chiefs: Trey Smith grabbing headlines at training camp

The Kansas City Chiefs did everything possible to rebuild and reload their offensive line after their Super Bowl loss to the Buccaneers. and did so early and often. They signed Joe Thuney to a mega deal over 5 years worth up to $80 million. The Chiefs also coaxed Kyle Long to come back as a guard as well, then made a big move just before the 2021 NFL Draft, trading for Ravens tackle Orlando Brown Jr. It didn’t stop in the draft, as the Chiefs selected Creed Humphrey in the second round of the draft to be their center for the long term.

Then, in the sixth round, the Chiefs selected Tennessee guard Trey Smith. Smith has been through a lot in college, from blood clots forcing him to miss time to falling a bit out of favor in terms of draft stock. The Chiefs decided to take him on day three, and that pick could pay off sooner than expected.

Trey Smith is already grabbing headlines at Kansas City Chiefs training camp.

Reports are already positive for Trey Smith out of camp, the biggest of which is that he’s taken some snaps with the first team at right guard. Currently, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif is listed as the starter there, but he is coming back after a year off. Yes, trying out different combinations is a part of camp, but a day three player running with the ones is significant.

Andy Reid has also talked about Smith, saying “he’s done a nice job” and “he showed enough to legitimately be in that position right now”.

From the little bit of video shown of Smith so far in pads, he’s looked a bit better than he did in his final season at Tennessee. Smith has always been rock solid in pass protection and near impossible to move off his spot, and his athleticism for his size is good. However, there were some concerns with balance and waist-bending. Smith at times looked a little imbalanced even with his stance pre-snap.

The videos show that Smith looks a bit more comfortable in his stance, and packs a punch with his initial strike and active hands, which were as advertised. However, Smith looks way more comfortable in one-on-ones because of more knee bend and balance.

It’s too early to tell, but it’s not out of this world to believe that Trey Smith has a legitimate shot at the starting right guard spot for the Kansas City Chiefs. His skill set will benefit their vertical offense as good as he is in pass protection. A good preseason will go a long way, but it’s great to see him grabbing some early headlines.