Instant Analysis: TCU’s Lucas Niang Drafted by Kansas City Chiefs

TCU’s stalwart left tackle has a new home, as Lucas Niang has been drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs took Niang in the 3rd round with the 96th overall pick. Niang is the fourth Frog off the board in the 2020 NFL Draft.

As Melissa mentioned in her draft profile for Niang:

6’6”, 315 pounds, and with 34” arms, Niang certainly LOOKS the part of a long-term NFL starter. He went two plus seasons without allowing a sack in college, even while playing hurt as a senior. In fact, in well over 1,000 pass blocking drop backs, he surrendered only 32 pressures. And, again, zero sacks. That’s good.

Niang joins an offensive line that needs depth at tackle, with Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz holding spots atop the depth chart. He’s talented enough to push for a significant role early on, but also enters a situation that won’t force him into early action while he continues to recovers from surgery. Niang spent the last portion of TCU’s season out of commission, as he opted to have surgery following TCU’s game against Texas.

Niang was an absolute stud at TCU, and is a great value pick late in the 3rd round for the defending champs.

Here’s what NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein has to say about Niang:

Dancing bear with good agility and a great football IQ. He doesn’t carry his weight proportionally and looked heavier/slower in 2019, but he clearly has NFL starting talent. Niang is a scheme-diverse run blocker with athleticism for move blocks and technique/leverage to open running lanes with power. He plays with top-notch awareness and instincts in pass pro, but he’s an early opener in his pass sets and I’m not completely sold he can meet edge burners at the top of the rush on a consistent basis. The medicals need to check out on the hip, but he’s a help-now right tackle prospect who should be a long-time starter.