The Kansas City Chiefs don’t have an overwhelming amount of needs at the tight end position.
The Chiefs already have the best tight end in the NFL in Travis Kelce. Behind him, they have a plethora of players, with several primed and ready to contribute. The only one on the 53-man roster last season was Deon Yelder, who contributed on special teams and as a blocker. They have returning practice squad players in Nick Keizer and Alize Mack. They also have new free-agent addition Ricky Seals-Jones, who will likely have a pass-catching role in the offense.
Blake Bell is the only player at the position who won’t be back with the team in 2020. His production and snaps are hardly irreplaceable, though. I suspect that any of the players above are capable of producing a similar season as a receiver, if not a better season.
While the need isn’t there, Kansas City could always take an interest in adding a player if they’re the best available at a certain point in the draft. With that in mind, here’s a look at some of the tight ends the Chiefs could consider in each round of the 2020 NFL draft:
Round 1: None
Sometimes there just aren’t any players at a certain position worth spending a first-round draft pick. This tight end class isn’t the most exciting group and with the 2021 class shaping up to be one of the best in a long time, it’s hard to imagine any team spending a first-round pick on a tight end. The Chiefs shouldn’t have any tight ends on their draft board this early.
Round 2: LSU TE Thaddeus Moss
There’s a high degree of variance when it comes to the top-rated tight end in the 2020 NFL Draft. When I’m looking at the full package, no one is better in this class than Moss.
Moss is the son of Pro Football Hall of Fame WR Randy Moss, and you know he doesn’t want to live in the shadow of his dad. The younger Moss is already on his way to proving that he’s an entirely different type of player. Everyone thinks that he’s just a dynamic receiving threat and move tight end because of his father, but really he’s a great in-line blocker. His senior season showed he understands leverage, hand placement and has the power to move some good defenders in the SEC.
This is not to say that Moss isn’t a talented pass-catcher — he absolutely is. I think we saw some really good development from him at LSU throughout 2019. It all culminated in a huge national championship game, where Moss caught two touchdowns passes from Joe Burrow.
If the Chiefs go tight end early, this is the guy that you want to come away with.
Round 3: Dayton TE Adam Trautman
I know there are a lot of people out there that think Trautman could be the top tight end in the class. And before you criticize where I have him on this list, remember that Travis Kelce was also drafted in the third round.
Like Kelce, Trautman started out as a quarterback in college but ended up playing tight end. As it turns out, Trautman is just an average athlete for the position as demonstrated by his performance at the combine. His best drill was the 3-cone where he tested in the 96th percentile at 6.78 seconds.
Where Trautman makes his money is in the one-on-one matchups as both a blocker and a receiver. He is an extremely nuanced route runner with great hands. He also shows a competitive edge in the blocking game looking to pancake defenders from an in-line position. For that reason, I really like his fit in Kansas City. He seems tailor-made for their 12 personnel packages.
Round 4: Florida Atlantic TE Harrison Bryant
There’s a lot to like about Bryant, but there are an equal amount of questions. He has the production in college with 48 games played, 148 career receptions, 2,137 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns. He used to play tackle in high school before his college coach moved him to tight end, so he’s not exactly afraid as a blocker.
The problem that stands out right now is that his athletic testing at the combine was very poor. He seems to make up for that on the football field by being a tough player, a good route runner and showing strong hands. I’m worried if that will be enough in the NFL when he’s playing against the best athletes football has to offer.
At the same time, you put on tape like Ohio State and Bryant handles a top prospect like Jeffrey Okudah with ease. It’s a bit deceiving, but I think there’s more to Bryant than meets the eye.
Round 5: Cincinnati TE Josiah Deguara
Deguara was productive for the Bearcats over the past two seasons, racking up over 70 receptions for nearly 1,000 yards and 12 touchdowns. We spoke to Deguara at the combine about his fit in the NFL.
“I think I fit in pretty well,” Deguara told Chiefs Wire. “My biggest strength is my versatility whether it is playing a traditional tight end or maybe a little fullback. Teams like what I can do in that scenario too. So being able to do a lot of different things on the field, it’s definitely something that I can use to my advantage. It’s cool to see how far the [tight end position] has come in the NFL.”
That versatility makes him a big fit in the Chiefs’ offense, where he’d likely play more of an H-Back role. Deguara already looks up to and talks with Chiefs TE Travis Kelce, so working together would be a breeze.
Round 6: Virginia Tech TE Dalton Keene
Keene was one of the winners at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. He was basically in the top-10 of every measurable drill and had the best scores in the broad jump and short shuttle. His on-field workout simply confirmed the type of athlete that he is.
The biggest thing holding Keene back in the draft is a lack of production at Virginia Tech. He’s coming off of back-to-back seasons with less than 30 catches for under 400 yards and he only has eight career touchdowns. Going to the right fit in the NFL will be crucial. In Kansas City, he’d be looking to fill the role vacated by Blake Bell, who left the team in free agency.
Round 7:Oregon State TE Noah Togiai
Togiai is a bit of a sleeper in this draft class. He’s listed at 6-4 and 244 pounds. He had a pro day ahead with Oregon State ahead of the coronavirus shutdowns. He posted some really impressive numbers with a 4.69s 40-yard dash, which would have been the third-best among combine participants.
His athleticism is often put on display in his game tape, where you’ll find him hurdling defenders, diving for catches and more. Togiai did get in front of teams early in the pre-draft process at the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, where he was a standout prospect.
If Kansas City gets back into the seventh round, this is a guy I could see them targeting.
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