Tight end Travis Kelce is coming back for another year with the Kansas City Chiefs, and he talked draft on his podcast.
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce wants a quick turnaround, but he also knows the reality of the Chiefs' situation going into this season. Kelce offered some comments on the draft and this year’s draft class in his New Heights podcast, and he definitely likes what he sees so far, according to a piece written by Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk.
Kelce started his comments by saying that most teams with a top ten draft pick are “really not too good,” but the tight end thinks the Chiefs are the exception to that rule because of their history off success.
He mentioned all three of the Chiefs’ top three selections, all of whom were defensive picks, and Kelce seemed especially excited about the pass-rushing potential of second-round pick R Mason Thomas.
“The guy is a [expletive] freak of nature in terms of athleticism and explosiveness,” Kelce said. “I can’t wait to see how this guy gets after the quarterback, man. It’s been kinda something that the Chiefs have been looking at to get better at. That’s getting after the QB and really putting quarterbacks under duress.
“Obviously, we’ve always had Chris Jones there, and George [Karlaftis] is a [expletive] workhorse. . . . I think this is going to be a game-changer at the edge position.”
Kelce knows it had better be. The Chiefs defense struggled to get off the field in critical situations last year, and that needs to change for the team to rebound from its 6-11 season. The other two top picks, cornerback Mansoor Delane and defensive tackle Peter Woods, will also play a huge role, and they’ll likely have to given that the mobility of quarterback Patrick Mahomes will be limited when he makes it back from knee surgery.
Kelce is also aware that this season is all about Mahomes’ comeback. The Chiefs added running back Kenneth Walker III via free agency, and Walker has the power and speed to run up the middle and still break off big plays.
But the tight end came back because of Mahomes, and his return is about a combination of loyalty and potential. Kelce’s bond with Mahomes is genuinely strong, and the connection they have on the field is a big part of why the tight end will almost certainly be a first-ballot Hall of Fame. Whether the Chiefs can rebound is a different question entirely, and they’ll need contributions from athletic young players like Thomas to do it.