Setting the Record Straight on Jawaan Taylor's Polarizing Chiefs Tenure Thus Far

Jawaan Taylor has been a debated player since signing with the Chiefs, but he's done his job between the whistles and deserves more recognition for it.

Feb 11, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor (74) against the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

There's been a lot of conversation about right tackle Jawaan Taylor's play since he signed with the Kansas City Chiefs two offseasons ago, particularly because a certain commentator decided to bring excess attention to him on national television. In turn, that buzz has clouded some folks' ability to judge Taylor's actual play on the field.

Obviously, the penalties are a massive issue for Taylor. He's been called for well over 20 of them since joining the Chiefs. Although he had those issues while with the Jacksonville Jaguars, it wasn't as bad as it's been in Kansas City. Now that the most significant gripe is out there, let's discuss how he's been between the whistles.

According to Pro Football Focus, Taylor has played 199 pass block snaps this season and allowed nine pressures, good for a pressure rate allowed of 4.52%. Comparing that to other tackles the Chiefs have had as their primary starters since the departures of Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz, we can see that Taylor is on pace for the lowest figure in four years.

Granted, Kansas City's tackle situation has been in flux over that period, but Taylor has still been the best and even produced the fourth-best pressure rate last season in what was the worst year of his career.

	Pressures Allowed	Pass Block Snaps	Pressure Rate
2021 Orlando Brown Jr.	45	916	4.91%
2021 Andrew Wylie	38	479	7.93%
2021 Lucas Niang	26	360	7.22%
2022 Orlando Brown Jr.	58	893	6.49%
2022 Andrew Wylie	54	865	6.24%
2023 Jawaan Taylor	59	909	6.49%
2023 Donovan Smith	53	688	7.70%
2023 Wanya Morris	24	235	10.21%
2024 Jawaan Taylor	9	199	4.52%
2024 Wanya Morris	8	131	6.11%
2024 Kingsley Suamataia	6	68	8.82%

Expanding the comparison to the rest of the league, Taylor continues to prove that he's an above-average tackle. Of the 36 tackles with at least the same number of pass block snaps, he has the seventh-fewest pressures allowed. Lowering the parameters to 150 pass block snaps, he ranks 12th out of 50 qualified tackles. PFF has a stat called pass blocking efficiency, which they define as "measuring pressures allowed on a per-snap basis with weighting toward sacks allowed." Taylor ranks 11th among tackles with at least 199 snaps and 15th of those with at least 150 snaps.

By no means are those rankings and stats elite, but they are good to great when it comes to pass protection. Taylor currently has a 97.3 pass blocking efficiency clip, which is the second-highest of his career behind only his final season in Jacksonville when he was truly elite as a pass blocker. His ability to athletically move in space to mirror up the arc is truly impressive, but it can also sometimes cause horrifying losses.

Taylor enjoys playing in space and explodes out of his stance super quickly. Sometimes it's too much of an over-set, leaving the B-gap exposed. With Trey Smith, who would rather play in a phone booth instead of space, this can leave the offensive line susceptible to stunts and twists by the opposing defense. That has been a core issue on the right side of the line in pass protection. Due to the differing styles, it can lead to easy wins for the defense and blow-up plays for the Chiefs.

Overall, Taylor was brought in to provide trusty pass protection for the Chiefs' offense. After a rough first season, he has bounced back nicely in that department. He was paid to be one of the better pass protectors in the league, and that's exactly what he's been this year. It can be frustrating at times because of the penalties, yet he's been the best and most reliable tackle Kansas City has had since the beginning of the 2021 season. That provides a sense of assurance for the team.

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