Chiefs offensive tackle Lucas Niang will opt out of the 2020 season, according to a source who spoke with NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). With hours to go before the deadline, the third-round pick becomes the 61st player to make the call.
[RELATED: PFR’s 2020 Opt Out Tracker]
It’s yet another blow to the Chiefs’ offensive line, following guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif‘s opt out decision. As of this writing, the Chiefs are down three players in total between Niang, LDT, and running back Damien Williams.
Niang was set to support starting tackles Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz. The TCU product is green, but the Chiefs saw big potential for the 6’6″, 315-pound lineman. Heading into his senior year, Niang was widely projected as a first-round pick, but a torn labrum brought his final collegiate campaign to an early end. In turn, his stock tumbled, bringing the Chiefs a potential mid-round steal.
For the full list of opt out decisions around the NFL, check out PFR’s 2020 Opt Out Tracker.