KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Chiefs officially have two draft picks under contract with Wednesday’s announcement of offensive tackle Laurent Duvernay-Tardif inking a deal.
May 14, 2013; Kansas City, MO.; OT Laurent Duvernay-Tardif signing his contract Wednesday. Credit: Laurent Duvernay-Tardif’s official Facebook fan page.
Duvernay-Tardif, the second of two sixth-round picks (200th overall), first announced the transaction by posting a photo on his official Facebook fan page with the caption: “Officially a Chief!!!”
The Chiefs later confirmed the signing. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The 6-foot-5, 315-pound offensive tackle appeared in 32 games with 29 starts at McGill University where he started his collegiate career as a defensive lineman before moving to the offensive line in 2011.
Duvernay-Tardif originally caught the eye of the Chiefs at the East-West Shrine Game. While considered raw and needs time to develop, his upside proved difficult to ignore for the Chiefs leading to and during the NFL Draft.
“It’s a big swing and we’re hoping for a home run,” Chiefs area scout Pat Sperduto said Saturday following Duvernay-Tardif’s selection. “You’ve got the guys upstairs that can develop him.
“They’ll close the gap as fast as they can and we’ll see how quick he hits the field. The staff upstairs, they know what they’re doing and they’re on board with it. I’m not worried about that. He’ll close it quick.”
Outside of football, Duvernay-Tardif is currently in his third year of medical school at McGill.
He helped deliver twins in an emergency C-section on Friday, the night before the Chiefs drafted him Saturday afternoon, The Edmonton Sun reports.
Duvernay-Tardif becomes the second draft selection to sign in as many days. Fellow sixth-round pick (193rd overall), guard Zach Fulton, signed his contract Tuesday.
The remaining draft selections still to sign are outside linebacker Dee Ford, cornerback Phillip Gaines, running back De’Anthony Thomas and quarterback Aaron Murray.
