A free agent who plays offense and protects the quarterback , Andre Dillard, joined the Green Bay Packers on April 18, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.
This is important for the Kansas City Chiefs because Fowler also reported that the Chiefs brought in Dillard for a free agent visit recently.
Before signing with Green Bay, Dillard took a free agent visit to the #Chiefs, per source. Kansas City needs tackle help, which it could find in the draft. https://t.co/jrmSQlw6Mx
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) April 18, 2024
It is not known if the two-time defending Super Bowl champions offered Dillard, 28, a contract, or if the veteran left Arrowhead without a deal. The details of Dillard's deal with Green Bay are also still unknown.
Regardless, this shows that the Chiefs missed another chance to fill their need for a starting left tackle through free agency.
Andre Dillard has not met the expectations of being a first-round pick.
Dillard was chosen in the first round, 22nd overall, by the Eagles in 2019 from Washington State.
At 6 feet 5 inches and 315 pounds, Dillard was meant to be the future starting left tackle for the Eagles once the team let go of six-time All-Pro Jason Peters. However, this did not happen.
Dillard and Peters were on the roster together during the 2019 and 2020 seasons. During that time, Peters missed 11 regular season games, but Dillard did not impress enough in his early opportunities in the NFL to prove he was the team's future starter. As a result, Dillard only played 37 snaps during his final season in Philly in 2022 and 20 snaps during the team's postseason run. PFF.
During his three seasons with the Eagles, Dillard allowed 45 total quarterback pressures (35 hurries, 5 sacks, 5 hits) on 714 offensive snaps played.
During the 2023 offseason, the Tennessee Titans signed Dillard to a three-year, $29 million deal, including a $5.9 million signing bonus and $13 million guaranteed, according to Spotrac.
Dillard's only season in Tennessee did not go well. In 16 games played during the 2023 season, four of which he started, Dillard surrendered 41 total QB pressures (20 hurries, 12 sacks, 9 hits) and had 5 penalties called against him.
His poor performance last season led to Dillard being released by the Titans on March 13.
Chiefs can look for a solution at offensive tackle during the draft.
As it stands now, second-year offensive tackle Wanya Morris is expected to be the starting left tackle for Kansas City in 2024. While Morris could be a suitable option to protect quarterback Patrick Mahomes's blindside, the team might still want to take advantage of the upcoming draft class for offensive tackles and improve at that position, which would also give Morris more time to grow.
Even though the offensive tackle class is not very large, it is top-heavy. Therefore, there is a chance that the Chiefs could acquire a franchise left tackle with the last pick in the first round this year.
If the team is unable to address the left tackle position during the draft, they may consider adding a veteran from the free agency pool after the draft.
Some options still available among the free agents include Donovan Smith — who played for Kansas City last season — David Bakhtiari, and Duane Brown.
The 2024 NFL Draft will happen from April 25 to April 27 in Detroit, Michigan, and will be shown on ESPN, ABC, and NFL Network.
The Chiefs will make seven selections in this year’s draft:
- Round 1: Pick 32
- Round 2: Pick 64
- Round 3: Pick 95
- Round 4: Pick 131
- Round 5: Pick 159 (from DAL)
- Round 5: Pick 173 (compensatory)
- Round 7: Pick 227 (from TEN)
