Chiefs starter entering contract season named as one of the most underrated in the league

The Kansas City Chiefs have had a lot of tough decisions to make lately. Really, they had to choose between L'Jarius Sneed and Chris Jones, as both wanted to get paid and stay on the Chiefs. Both did get paid, but Sneed was the one we saw getting traded to the Tennessee Titans.

The Chiefs are on the brink of some challenging decisions. The outcomes of their exceptional drafting and subsequent success are now emerging. In the not-so-distant future, they may find themselves at a crossroads, having to choose between center Creed Humphrey, guard Trey Smith and linebacker Nick Bolton, all pivotal players from the celebrated 2021 class. These choices, laden with uncertainty, could profoundly influence the team's performance in the years ahead.

Smith may not be on par with the other two, but his potential is undeniable. He has proven himself as a valuable player and is deserving of a higher pay grade. In fact, larger media outlets are predicting a breakout year for Smith. Pro Football Focus, for instance, has identified him as the Chiefs' most underrated player.

The Chiefs' offensive tackles got a lot of attention last season for all the wrong reasons, while Joe Thuney and Creed Humphrey continued to excel on the interior. But there was not much talk of right guard Trey Smith's performance despite him being one of the most consistent guards in the league. He is one of just three players to have played more than 4,000 snaps over the past three seasons — with Humphrey and Patrick Mahomes being the other two — and his 76.5 overall grade over that span ranks 11th among guards.

Last season, Smith allowed just two sacks and was penalized eight times. If there is an area he needs to work on, it is definitely the penalties, but a lot of times, those come in the form of a hold where Mahomes would have been hit if he didn't hold, and he'd rather take the penalty than his QB get hit.

With this being a contract year for Smith, we could witness a new level of performance from him. Consider the possibilities: either he aims to convince the Chiefs of his worth and secure a long-term deal, or he strives to attract the attention of other teams who might be willing to offer him the salary he deserves. The Chiefs may currently undervalue Smith, but by the end of next season, he could be heralded as one of the league's top guards.