Chiefs Eager to See How Kingsley Suamataia Fares in NFL Debut vs. Ravens

With a good training camp and preseason in the books, Kingsley Suamataia will soon face his biggest challenge yet as a pro.

Jul 22, 2024; St. Joseph, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Kingsley Suamataia (76) walks down the hill from the locker room to the fields prior to training camp at Missouri Western State University. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports / Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

When the Kansas City Chiefs square off against the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night, there will be plenty of things to monitor. How the club's rookie class fares should be at or near the top of the list.

Many will be keeping an eye on first-round wideout Xavier Worthy, but someone selected a bit later might be equally as intriguing in Week 1. Second-round offensive lineman Kingsley Suamataia, Kansas City's starting left tackle, faces quite the challenge right off the bat.

Suamataia has spent months preparing for this moment, though. The BYU product won the starting job thanks to his progression throughout training camp and the preseason, beating out second-year man Wanya Morris for the first-string role. Head coach Andy Reid knows the rookie won't be perfect in his first NFL game but at the same time, he's ready to see how things go in a real contest.

“He had a good training camp," Reid said. "He had a good preseason, but this is going to be a learning experience for him here. This is a good defensive line, and I’m sure there will be some ups and downs as he goes like any young player has. He’s prepared himself, and it’s time to go play now.”

Even in the post-Mike Macdonald era, Baltimore boasts a very dangerous defense. Zach Orr's group has plenty of pass-rushing talent on that side of the ball, headlined by players like Justin Madubuike and Odafe Oweh. Suamataia, as well as right tackle Jawaan Taylor and the rest of the Chiefs' front five, will have their hands full. After all, Baltimore was the only team to rank ahead of Kansas City in sacks during the 2023-24 regular season (60 to 57).

Echoing the sentiments of Reid, quarterback Patrick Mahomes can't wait for Suamataia's debut.

“He has the confidence," Mahomes said. "He’s going out there, and he’s enjoying the moment. He’s practicing hard. He’s learning from the guys beside him. This is, like we said, probably the best defense in the league other than ours, so it’s just going out there and competing against the best of the best Week 1. He’s going to get kind of introduced fast. I’m excited for him to accept the challenge and see where he’s at, but he did a great job in the preseason. He did a great job in training camp, and I’m excited for him to go out there and accept that next challenge.”

Suamataia, still just 21 years old, is still a bit of a raw prospect. There will be growing pains, surely, but his blend of length, athleticism and aggression will help mask some of those shortcomings early in his career. He's still developing in run blocking and pass protection, but the latter always takes precedence in a Reid offense. Luckily for him, he flashed some potential during the preseason. According to Pro Football Focus, Suamataia posted an 82.8 pass blocking grade on 22 such snaps. That ranked second on the team. On 10 true pass sets, he was credited with just one pressure.

If Suamataia can prove to be serviceable, it's a major benefit for Kansas City. Having a starting-caliber left tackle on a rookie contract is one of the biggest advantages an NFL team can have outside of doing the same at the quarterback spot. With big-time cap hits to several players elsewhere, Suamataia being solid and cheap would be the type of development that helps preserve a dynasty. Given the quality of left tackle play the Chiefs had a season ago – nothing special whatsoever – he should be given some leeway.

For the No. 63 overall pick, he'll be thrown into the fire immediately. By just about every account, he seems as prepared as he can be.

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