The Kansas City Chiefs have landed their left tackle of the future. Per multiple reports, the Chiefs will send their 2021 first-round pick (No. 31 overall), along with their 2021 third- (No. 94) and fourth-round (No. 136) picks, and a 2022 sixth-round pick, to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for offensive tackle Orlando Brown, as well as the Ravens' 2021 second-round pick (No. 58) and a 2022 fifth-round pick. The Ravens and Chiefs announced the deal, pending Brown passing his physical, but didn't confirm the reported draft-pick compensation.
Brown, a Pro Bowl right tackle, had made noise this offseason about wanting to play on the left side of the line, where the Ravens already have Ronnie Stanley entrenched. Brown showcased his ability to play on the left side this past season, when Stanley went down with a fractured ankle in Week 8. Brown seamlessly slid over to the blind side and once again played at a Pro Bowl level
A move to Kansas City allows him to shift to that spot permanently, after the Chiefs cut longtime left tackle Eric Fisher (as well as right tackle Mitchell Schwartz) earlier this offseason. Brown, a third-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, is heading into the final season of his rookie deal. The Chiefs will presumably want to sign him to a long-term contract at some point, but according to a report from NFL Network, there is no contract extension coming his way as part of the trade itself.
Along with Brown, the Chiefs have significantly remade the rest of their offensive line. Kansas City signed former Patriots guard Joe Thuney to a five-year, $80 million contract, and also added former Rams center Austin Blythe and brought former Bears guard Kyle Long out of retirement. (They also have Laurent Duvernay-Tardif returning from his opt-out in 2020.) That quartet (with either Long or Duvernay-Tardif slotting in at one guard spot) will presumably start from left to right along the line, with Mike Remmers -- who filled in for Schwartz after the latter's injury last season -- remaining in the lineup at right tackle.
With The First Pick Newsletter
With The First Pick Newsletter
Prepare for the upcoming NFL Draft with the day’s big stories + mock drafts, big board updates and more.
Thanks for signing up!
Keep an eye on your inbox.
Sorry!
There was an error processing your subscription.
Kansas City's offensive line was decimated by injuries and overwhelmed by the Buccaneers' pass rush during the team's Super Bowl loss, and it appears general manager Brett Veach made it his top priority to remake that group this offseason. The Chiefs have spared no expense to make sure that Patrick Mahomes is well protected over the next several seasons.
The Ravens, meanwhile, now have two first-round picks, Nos. 27 and 31 overall. That's potentially the sweet spot for right tackle prospects such as Oklahoma State's Teven Jenkins or Notre Dame's Liam Eichenberg. The Ravens are expected to sign former Steelers tackle Alejandro Villanueva to play right tackle, according to ESPN, but he will be 33 years old this coming season and is not necessarily a long-term solution.
Still, filling the starting role could allow the Ravens to go in a different direction with their first-rounders. Baltimore does have needs elsewhere, such as wide receiver and potentially defensive line, where players like Calais Campbell, Pernell McPhee, and Derek Wolfe are hitting their 30s and could need to be replaced down the line.
