Chiefs

Chiefs started two new tackles vs. Saints. Here’s who had the more impressive debut

One of the biggest changes to the Kansas City Chiefs’ offense was adding two new starting linemen in 2023: left tackle Donovan Smith and right tackle Jawaan Taylor.

So how did they perform during Sunday’s 26-24 preseason loss to the New Orleans Saints?

In this video, KC Star reporter Jesse Newell and Brett Taveau — author of the Chiefs book “Unpacking Greatness” and a longtime high school offensive coordinator — go deep into the film to explain why one player was especially impressive in his Chiefs debut.

This story was originally published August 16, 2023 at 6:30 AM with the headline "Chiefs started two new tackles vs. Saints. Here’s who had the more impressive debut."

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Jesse Newell
The Kansas City Star
Jesse Newell covered the Chiefs for The Star until August 2025. He won an EPPY for best sports blog and previously was named top beat writer in his circulation by AP’s Sports Editors. His interest in sports analytics comes from his math teacher father, who handed out rulers to Trick-or-Treaters each year.
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