Chiefs Kept UDFA OT on 53-Man Roster for a Very Specific Reason

Many were surprised when Ethan Driskell made the Chiefs' 53, but general manager Brett Veach thinks there's ample reason for the call.

Aug 17, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Ethan Driskell (75) and Detroit Lions cornerback Steven Gilmore (24) shake hands after the game the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports / Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs didn't have too many surprises on their initial 53-man roster, but one undrafted free agent managed to raise some eyebrows by appearing on the list. Rookie offensive tackle Ethan Driskell beat the odds in his first summer in the NFL, also beating out veterans like Lucas Niang in the process.

Driskell, who logged 26 games at left tackle between 2022 and 2023 in college, is oozing with upside. The Marshall product stood out to general manager Brett Veach back in May, with the championship-winning executive saying he was "surprised" Driskell didn't get drafted. He made the most of the offseason and training camp despite not being picked, consistently improving as the weeks and months went on.

While Driskell's progress caught Veach's attention, it's his natural gifts that stole the show. Speaking to the media this week, Veach expanded on why he made the team.

"Driskell is just one of those type of players that has rare physical traits, he’s a big guy, he’s athletic," Veach said. "Again, like (C.J.) Hanson, there’ll be some anchoring issues and there will be some weight issues early on, but he was a guy that I think it was rough the first preseason game and then it got a little bit better and then it got a little bit better and then you can see him grow and get a little more confidence at practice."

Veach also admitted that with how much work the Chiefs did to develop Driskell, they didn't want to risk missing out on the chance to keep doing so.

"One of the hard parts of it is you see that, (then) there’s certainly another team seeing that," Veach said. "Then we bring a player in here and we work with him, we develop him, we go through the rough patches and then all of a sudden to have him break free on the waiver wire, someone is getting a young player under a rookie contract with a ton of work that we put into it. I think there’s always that desire to see it through [to] the end. Again, (offensive line) Coach (Andy) Heck has done this with many players over the years.”

At 6-foot-8 with arms over 35 inches long, Driskell has insane length for an offensive line prospect. The combination of height and weight (listed at 313 pounds), however, factors into the aforementioned anchoring shortcomings. It'll take a while before he's ready to contribute in a meaningful way, but he has measurables that simply can't be taught.

Driskell's preseason was a mixed bag. Pro Football Focus credited him with two and four pressures surrendered in weeks one and three, respectively. His second game against the Detroit Lions, however, was fantastic. In 24 pass-blocking reps (11 true pass sets), he didn't allow a single pressure and was given a 77.1 pass-blocking grade.

With Week 1 of the regular season on the horizon, Driskell is facing next to no pressure to perform. On the left side of the line, fellow rookie Kingsley Suamataia will start and second-year man Wanya Morris will back him up. 2023 free agent pickup Jawaan Taylor is the starter on the right side and should be good to go following a minor shoulder injury. Barring someone going down, Driskell can continue to fine-tune his game while on the 53 but not being forced into action.

As the Chiefs chase a third Super Bowl in a row, getting the most out of every player on the roster is critical. They don't waste any spots. That, combined with Veach's comments, should indicate how the club feels about Driskell.

Read More: Brett Veach on End of Kadarius Toney's Time in KC – 'We're Certainly Disappointed'