Kansas City Chiefs select Wanya Morris in third round of 2023 NFL Draft
Oklahoma offensive lineman Wanya Morris is on to the NFL after a solid career in Norman. He’ll begin his pro journey with the Kansas City Chiefs, who selected him in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Morris played both right and left tackle in his two seasons with the Sooners, starting eight games at right tackle in 2022. According to Pro Football Focus, he played 580 snaps and allowed just two sacks to earn a grade of 76.6.
Morris began his college career at Tennessee in 2019, where he started 12 of 13 games at left tackle as a true freshman. He earned SEC All-Freshman honors and returned as a starter in 2020 before transferring to Oklahoma that offseason. He spent 2021 as a backup left tackle for the Sooners but made the move to right tackle in 2022.
The switch worked out well for Morris, who was named second team All-Big 12 this past season. He and the rest of the offensive line helped pave the way for a rushing attack that ranked first in the Big 12 with 219.4 yards per game.
Morris played high school football for Grayson (Tenn.) High School, where he was a five-star prospect. He ranked as the No. 20 overall player and No. 4 offensive tackle in the 2019 class according to the On3 Industry Rating, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.
What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Wanya Morris
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein provided some analysis on Morris in his recent scout of the offensive tackle’s draft profile. The analyst noted that is “smooth and athletic” but added that he still has work to do with his cut-off blocks.
Still, Zierlein also acknowledged that Morris’ experience playing both left and right tackle in college should work in his benefit when it comes to earning a spot in the rotation during training camp.
Morris is an athletic pass-setter with a strong inside hand but lacks a desired level of core strength to effectively push back against rush bullies. He’s very average at getting to positioning for back-side cut-off blocks in the run game and struggles to stay connected to sustain blocks due to inconsistent hand placement and drive strength in his lower half. His physical profile and experience starting at both tackle spots should give him a leg up in a camp battle for a swing tackle role.