It's often tough for interior offensive linemen to garner significant fanfare in the NFL, but the advanced analytics are ensuring that the brilliant rookie campaign currently being assembled by center Creed Humphrey isn't overlooked.
Humphrey earned a spot on the Pro Football Focus “Midseason All-Pro” team this week, becoming the only offensive rookie to earn "First-Team" honors. In fact, only one other rookie – Cincinnati Bengals' wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase – even appeared on the "Second-Team" among offensive players, further exemplifying how unique it was for Humphrey to earn an All-Pro nod.
Here's a portion of what Lead NFL Analyst Sam Monson had to say about the former second-round pick:
"Humphrey has allowed just seven pressures in eight games across 400 pass-blocking snaps. As a run-blocker, he has a 93.8 PFF grade, which is second only to Trent Williams among all offensive linemen. If offensive linemen were ever truly in the running for such awards, Humphrey would have as good a case for Offensive Rookie of the Year as anybody this season."
It's simply been an outstanding year for Humphrey, as PFF currently ranks him as the top center in the NFL and the fifth-best offensive lineman overall. He's not alone in his excellent play, either, as fellow rookie Trey Smith earned a spot on PFF’s “Midseason All-Rookie” team alongside Humphrey. Smith currently ranks as the No. 6 guard in the league – and the top rookie guard – based on those same metrics.
Both Humphrey and Smith help form the interior of an offensive line that put together one of its best collective performances of the season in last week's victory over New York, as PFF graded all five of the Chiefs' starters among the top 30 offensive linemen overall (guards, centers and tackles combined) in Week 8.
Elsewhere on the Midseason All-Pro squad, wide receiver Tyreek Hill earned Second-Team honors after hauling in a league-most 64 receptions for 735 yards and six touchdowns through eight games. Here's a portion of what Monson wrote about Hill:
"His speed and short-area quickness are unmatched, and he still ranks among the league's most productive receivers despite the deep ball being a much smaller part of his production this season."
It's been a battle for the Chiefs' offense over the last few weeks, but PFF's recognition of Hill, Humphrey and Smith is a welcome reminder that this group has the talent to get back on track.
