In the offseason of 2023, the Chiefs elected to move on from their two starting offensive tackles and elected to make a big move in free agency, adding Jawaan Taylor on a four-year, $80 million contract. Taylor has been decent on the right side of the line, but he has not lived up to the value of his contract, with many thinking the Chiefs may move on as soon as next offseason.
Taylor was considered one of the best pass-protecting tackles in the 2023 offseason, but had some red flags that caused the Jaguars to move on. Kansas City took their chance, looking to help the former 35th-overall pick find a long-term role.
He has not lived up to expectations thus far, as Taylor has been the most penalized player in the NFL over the last two years with 31 accepted penalties. This is five spots higher than the man in second place (Laremy Tunsil) and nine spots higher than the third-most penalized. Taylor allowed seven sacks last year, which sounds bad, but he has been a relatively effective pass blocker. But penalties have held him back quite a bit, and it appears the Chiefs are nearing the end of the road for him.
This film for Taylor tells a unique tale of a player who is a solid pass blocker and is consistent almost to a fault. Taylor has a great release from the line of scrimmage that allows him to get deep in his pass sets and set the edge. His release is so quick that he has often been called for false starts, despite film showing that he is almost always perfectly in time with the ball being snapped.
The deep drops for Taylor help him quite a bit to prevent speed rushers from winning with a wide approach off the edge. But because he almost constantly takes the same route in pass protection, he often loses to pressure up the middle. Taylor is a subpar run blocker, and his performance, along with his monster contract, will make it hard for the Chiefs to justify keeping him past this season.
This year, Kansas City was not taking any chances, as they added Jaylon Moore to a significant two-year contract, and also spent a first-round pick on Joshua Simmons, who was one of the best pass-blocking tackles in the draft. Both players have played left and right tackle and will have the potential to start at either spot this season and beyond.
Taylor is not as bad of a player as many make him out to be, but his contract makes it very hard for the Chiefs to justify hanging on to him past this year. I had Simmons ranked as my second overall tackle, and he was seventh on my big board. I think he is immediately the best offensive tackle on the Chiefs roster, maybe offensive lineman as a whole. Simmons was not picked to sit on the bench, and if Taylor wants to keep his job, he will have to fight for it, but it is a real possibility that Taylor is not in the starting lineup as soon as week one.
