As a crucial part of the Kansas City Chiefs’ rebuild on the offensive line, Creed Humphrey has his work cut out for him heading into the regular season.
One of the premier linemen in April’s draft, arguably the best center in the class, Humphrey will need to become an anchor on Kansas City’s line for the new-look unit to truly mesh. His selection in the second round marked something of a turning point for the Chiefs’ offense, as his pick signaled that the team was truly all-in on protecting MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes after a huge lapse in the Super Bowl.
Now just weeks away from making his NFL regular-season debut, Humphrey seems to have settled into his role after spending training camp acclimating to the pro game. In comments to reporters before Tuesday’s practice, Humphrey was confident in where his unit is now but stopped well short of saying their job was finished.
“I think we’re on the right track,” Humphrey said of the line’s performance so far in the preseason. “There are things we can improve on, so really now it’s just getting to work and improving on those things that we know we need to improve on.”
Kansas City found big holes in the run game against Arizona last week, led by rookies Humphrey and Trey Smith. Commenting on the team’s ability to open running lanes and move the ball with an effective ground game, he told the media that effort is a big part of making things happen offensively.
“I think it really just comes down to how hard you’re playing,” Humphrey said, “and I think we’ve improved on that each week so far. When you play hard, good things are bound to happen, so it was good for us. There were some fortunate plays for us. Really it’s just how can we continue to make that happen now.”
As the middle-man of the Chiefs offensive front, Humphrey is the primary communicator to his fellow linemen pre-play before the ball is snapped. As such, his ability to settle in and get truly familiar with the schemes and vernacular of the offense on a given play is crucial. Responding to a question about how he’s settled in so far, Humphrey sounded confident as he explained how he feels in his new role.
“I’ve been pretty comfortable so far,” he said. “Communication could be a little bit better. That’s something that we’re all working on, so really we’re just taking it from there. I think it’s been pretty good so far, though.”
Kansas City’s matchup against the Browns in Week 1 of the regular season will be Humphrey’s first real test at the NFL level. Preseason exhibitions certainly serve their purpose, but getting action against the first-string defense for Cleveland will be different. Humphrey has a big chance to become a star and get a ring if his play in Kansas City translates from what scouts saw on his film at Oklahoma.
