Darian Kinnard is in familiar position with Kansas City Chiefs

Darian Kinnard had an elite career at Kentucky playing right tackle. The former four-star recruit out of Cleveland St. Ignatius was a three-year starter at Kentucky and became a consensus All-American in 2021.

Despite that high-level play along the Big Blue Wall, there were positional concerns for Darian Kinnard heading to the NFL. Some believed that the star tackle would be better off playing guard in the pros. However, the Kansas City Chiefs traded up to select Kinnard in the fifth round and see the prospect as a full-time tackle.

On Saturday, the Chiefs began their rookie minicamp, and Andy Reid has Kinnard at tackle full-time. Kinnard admits to right tackle being the best position for him, and the rookie is focused on learning the scheme that will call for the offensive line to keep Patrick Mahomes II clean in the AFC West.

“The biggest thing was getting in the playbook,” Kinnard told the media on Sunday about adjusting to the NFL. “Just kind of soaking up everything I can. Going in and working on details. Honestly, just getting better on technique and learning the new playbook.”

The Chiefs are giving Kinnard looks at both tackle spots, but the plan is for the draft pick to come in and compete for time at the right tackle spot. There is an opportunity available at Kinnard’s natural position after it seemed like the Kentucky start was destined to play another position in the pre-draft process.

“A lot of teams asked — they never said we’re going to play you at guard,” Kinnard said about the positional scuttlebutt. “Some teams said ‘yeah, we see you as a guard’. At the end of the day, it was coming in for me and trying to make an impact. So whatever position that was it’s pretty cool coming in that they see me as a tackle. But at the end of the day, I was going to come in and compete for any job I could. It’s pretty reassuring that I get to play tackle.

Kinnard is back in a comfortable spot playing for an offense that excelled with a pair of rookies — Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith — on the offensive line last season.