Chiefs made a change to their starting lineup Friday. Here’s why that’s significant

There was a significant development during the Chiefs’ first day of full-padded workouts Friday.

Kingsley Suamataia, the team’s second-round pick out of BYU, opened team drills with the first team at left tackle. Previously at training camp, second-year player Wanya Morris had gotten the first reps.

“I thought he did a nice job for what I saw,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said of Suamataia after practice. “I mean, I’ve got to go up and look at it (on tape), see where we’re at. He’s working through some things and learning. As long as he keeps working — and this goes for all of them — if they keep working, we’ll be fine.”

The battle between Suamataia and Morris figured to be one of the biggest storylines of this year’s training camp.

Friday’s change, then, signals an important moment as the Chiefs look to secure this all-important spot on the offensive line.

Suamataia had mixed in with the 1s some during summer workouts, but he had never been in first ahead of Morris at training camp.

The Chiefs’ decision to put him there Friday seems to reflect their hope that he can develop enough to win the job before Sept. 5’s season opener against the Ravens.

Kansas City choosing to go with a rookie left tackle for an entire season would be unprecedented for a future Super Bowl champion. According to research from The Star’s Sam McDowell, only two rookies have started at least half their team’s regular-season games at left tackle and then won the Super Bowl that same season: Matt Light for the Patriots in 2001 (12 games), and John Michels for Green Bay in 1996 (nine).

Neither player was the left tackle for their team the entire season.

The Chiefs have consistently praised Suamataia since trading up in April to draft him with the 63rd pick. Chiefs assistant general manager Mike Borgonzi said then that Suamataia “was the guy that we targeted” toward the end of the second round, saying KC made attempts to trade up in the early 50s before eventually moving up the one spot to get him.

Borgonzi described Suamataia as a “prototypical left tackle” because of his athleticism.

Chiefs general manager Brett Veach also relayed to Suamataia over the phone after his selection that Reid “was sweating for, like, 10 picks, because the two most important things to him are offensive linemen and BYU graduates,” Veach said. “So I was happy we were able to check both of those boxes.”

KC hasn’t been hesitant to start rookies on the offensive line in the past. Center Creed Humphrey and right guard Trey Smith fit that mold, as each began their rookie-year training camps with the first-stringers in 2021 before earning their starting roles.

Suamataia said last week that he believed his most significant challenge in camp would be learning the offense.

“All of us are raw, talented guys. That’s why you’re in the league, in the NFL,” Suamataia said on July 17. “But it’s just who is going to dive into the playbook more, and really know the offense inside and out.”

Morris, a 2023 third-round pick for the Chiefs, started four games at left tackle last season following an injury to Donovan Smith. He was better at pass-blocking than run-blocking then, according to Pro Football Focus’ grades, while struggling most in a Week 16 game against Las Vegas. He allowed 10 QB pressures and one sack in that game.

It certainly wasn’t a perfect day for Suamataia on Friday; online videos showed him struggling in pass protection during some one-on-ones against veteran defensive lineman Mike Danna.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes — like Reid — said he wasn’t prepared to give a complete evaluation of Suamataia without first reviewing the film.

“But for the most part, he’s getting better every day,” Mahomes said, “and that’s all you can ask for with a young guy.”