The Kansas City Chiefs drafted Wanya Morris with the 92nd pick in the third round of 2023 NFL Draft – He brings familiarity and physicality to the team.
Recruited from the University of Oklahoma, Morris was an eight-game starter, playing under offensive line coach Bill Bidenbaughwho coached the Chiefs’ current center Creed Humphrey and former chiefs left tackle Orlando Brown Jr.
Before moving on and becoming the Sooners, Morris started 19 games for the NFL Tennessee Volunteersplays alongside the current right guard for Kansas City Trey Smith.
Knowing a clear payoff, the Chiefs have taken a player who ticks several boxes of what they’re looking for in a tackle.
in 6’5″, 307 lbs. (and arms 35 1/8″ long)Maurice appears in and plays the role as well. Blending physical fitness with good athletic ability, he’s a natural fit for the Chiefs’ pass protection system. Morris can improve Kansas City’s blocking in space at the tackle site.
Despite these advantages, his game can be up and down at times. Consistency problems with his style show his weaknesses. Even given these flaws, his game’s strengths outweigh the weaknesses.
power: ban in space
Morris is a streamlined athlete and is excellent in space as a roping player. Oklahoma ran several plays with him leading the way in space, showing off his motor skills and finishing ability.
Andy Reid will always appreciate offensive tackles with an athletic ability in space. On the table, Morris follows through the hatch and detonates the db. Good ending to the play. pic.twitter.com/LbfVJbeRgx
– Caleb James (@CJScoobs) April 29, 2023
With a classic counter run, Morris pulls and advances while the right guard steps forward and knocks out the last man on the line of scrimmage. Morris gains depth beyond surprise as he looks forward to the second level. Driving through the hole, he made contact with a defensive back who was looking to close the hole.
After dunking a bit but running through the defensive back, Morris hits a big hit and ends the play with a pancake. His mobility will give him an edge in attack looking to capitalize on the movement of the big men.
Strength: height and handedness
Arm’s length has been something chiefs have appreciated in the past, and Morris fits the bill. With over 35 inches of withers, Morris used his height and trickery to keep the quarterback clean.
Morris uses the ghost hand here to get the edge rush to show his move first. Edge swings through the air, and Morris quickly hits the inside shoulder and works around the pocket. pic.twitter.com/uVEASvlVIZ
– Caleb James (@CJScoobs) April 30, 2023
With a wide lunge lined up on his outside, Morris gets out of his position quickly. He shows his hand to the rim pusher, enticing the rim pusher to drop it. As the tip goes to flick the hand away, Morris pulls the hand back and the tip hits the air.
The “ghost hand” worked in his favour, and he uses his long arms to close the distance on the edge of the dowel and work it around the arc, without letting it reach his body.
Morris has a great understanding of how to use his hands, and his knowledge of how to take corners is top notch.
Wanya Morris shows great instinct here and over-exposes the edges. Morris uses his inside hand to drop the piece, then catches his outside hand to drive the rim up the field. Great job of sealing the edge before it reaches the bending point. pic.twitter.com/XUoopCXLPv
– Caleb James (@CJScoobs) May 3, 2023
Doing the chop unbalances the edge pusher, and Morris quickly pounces on him.
The contrast appears with internal pressure
While Morris is cunning with his hands, his strokes lack real power. These issues are further demonstrated when scroll protection is bypassed.
Morris overdid it a bit, but not by much. He looks to touch the rim, but doesn’t bring enough with his kickoff. The edge strikes the hands down and penetrates the B gap. pic.twitter.com/iNqDlyeN5z
– Caleb James (@CJScoobs) May 2, 2023
The rim pusher is lined up in tight alignment on Morris’ outer shoulder. In a snap, Morris takes a flatter set and looks to connect with the edge browser quickly. His hands don’t bring enough force, and the edge knocks them over and cuts through the backfield to put pressure on the middle.
Inconsistencies in the movement of the feet to project the edge are exacerbated by a functional lack of strength in the punch. Physical limitations are magnified when technology is turned off by an inch.
Inconsistent: the first step
Although a good athlete at times, Morris can be inconsistent with his footing in the running game.
With the edge lined up tightly on his outside shoulder, Morris expects protection from an inside gap on the backside of this area.
At the moment Morris swiveled off his inside foot and crossed his outside foot. This does not allow it to create any depth or width away from the snap and allows the edge to shoot through the inner gap.
Morris is off balance and lunges, but Edge is snapped by him to make a tackle on the opposite side of the court. This play is more about what it fails to do than what Edge does.
Strength: effort
While he is far from a perfect player, Morris shows effort and physique that make him a perfect fit for the Chiefs offensive line.
Morris isn’t great on the bottom block here, doesn’t make a solid connection with the 4i and lets him force his way into the play
Morris does a great job playing through the whistle blasting late around the defender. Effort is always there regardless of faults. pic.twitter.com/xzOU67lfZ1
– Caleb James (@CJScoobs) April 30, 2023
Morris takes a bad first step while blocking on a 4i (inside tackle), which cuts through the backfield and affects play. Morris knows he’s been hit, and his man has a huge impact on the play, but as long as the play is live, he still has a chance of hitting someone.
When the run is removed, the mound begins to form. Morris picks up the pace and breaks up the defender again before he can jump the mound, letting out some frustration from the echo of the whistle.
bottom line
Morris falls somewhere between a draft and a rookie player. He plays enough snaps between two of the five powerhouse colleges to develop his understanding of the game and is physical and smart enough to win most plays.
His issues stem from the ground down. Although many will point out the lack of power in his punch as his main problem, this can be covered by improvements in footwork. Morris has a long arm for taking any momentum he wants out of the game, and must focus all his efforts on making sure his feet put him in a position to do so.
These problems are solvable.
Under the tutelage of the Chiefs offensive line coach Andy HeckMorris will have the opportunity to hone his skills and possibly force his way into the starting line-up at some point during the 2023 season.