Wanya Morris: Is Left Tackle His Job To Lose?

The Kansas City Chiefs have one of the better offensive lines in the NFL. That is especially true, when all three interior offensive linemen are healthy, which includes Joe Thuney, Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith. That trio offers a rare mix of football IQ, reactionary quickness and power. But at offensive tackle, Kansas City has faced some questions in the last couple of years. Specifically at left tackle, it has been almost a yearly question mark since moving on from the long-tenured Eric Fisher. Orlando Brown Jr. and Donovan Smith have occupied the spot as veterans. But in limited action, Wanya Morris was able to get some work in to show what he had.

Now in the latter stages of free agency, the Chiefs have still not signed any offensive tackle to provide competition. Entering his second season, Wanya Morris would currently be projected as the starting left tackle in KC. The Chiefs would obviously have Jawaan Taylor as his bookend on the right side, to boot.

Would trusting in Wanya Morris as the starting left tackle be a smart play by the Chiefs entering 2024? Plus, what would he potentially offer that maybe Smith did not last season? Let’s kick it off.

Did Morris Show Enough Promise In Limited Action?

After Smith dealt with a neck stinger injury, Wanya Morris received some spot starts late last season. He had four starts total, coming during a time in which the Chiefs started to take some steps forward as a blocking unit. It was not obviously all perfect for Morris in that quartet of starts. He was faced with a great amount of speed rushers in that stretch of contests. Figuring out how to better set up his fundamentals was a work in progress that you could visually see throughout that month or so of action.

But as he continued to get more reps, Wanya Morris still displayed signs of comfort. The blocking schemes amid a wide-ranging playbook were not too tall of a task for him to handle. And while jumping in on the fly, so to speak, Morris began to start gaining more confidence. This showed up in one-on-one reps as the blocker essentially out on an island. With those solid spurts, Morris was able to help his chances as a possible starter for Kansas City in 2024.

Areas Of Strength, Areas Of Improvement

Coming out of Oklahoma in last year’s draft, Wanya Morris offered possibly more athleticism than what most imagined, due to his dense size. But for the most part, the footwork in his pass sets were efficient in his limited action last year. That area of strength for Morris has not always been a strength for the veteran left tackles that the Chiefs have started recently. Meanwhile, he can also impose some physicality and toughness on opposing defenders. Morris was able to fair adequately, in terms of displacing defenders here and there last season, overall.

As for areas of improvement going forward, Wanya Morris will likely need to work on adjusting his pad level. Playing upright and too high has cost him at times. On top of that, getting the proper angles with his upper body and hand placement is still something to monitor, as well. With more time on task at the NFL level, that hand timing and hand placement will be something that he can continue to hone in on.

Recent Offensive Tackle Trends By Kansas City

As evidenced by Brown Jr. and Smith in the intro, the Chiefs have largely wanted a veteran option at left tackle in recent seasons. That does not mean that Wanya Morris is incapable of still winning the starting spot. Yet, one would have to assume that any competition for the job is going to be filled by a veteran addition. There are still some names out there in free agency that Kansas City could always sign. Just for a reference point, last year’s one-year deal for Smith did not actually come until after the 2023 NFL Draft. Will they sign a veteran option before the draft this time around?

If not, it would be a bit surprising to see the Chiefs opt to draft another offensive tackle in the 2024 NFL Draft. At least as far as early picks go. When Kansas City had opportunities to draft a young offensive tackle within the first couple rounds recently, they chose not to. Will there be a change in tune from the Chiefs in that way of thinking for this year’s draft? If so, the competition will be even more fascinating to watch for Wanya Morris at left tackle.