Jason Burgos
ESPN’s latest NFL mock draft points to the Kansas City Chiefs setting up succession plans for one of the greatest players in franchise history.
For the first time since Andy Reid took over as head coach of the Chiefs 13 years ago, the team suffered through a losing season in 2025. However, the one bright side to their streak of playoff appearances ending is that the team gets to make a selection in the top 10 of the NFL Draft.
Since the season ended, the franchise has been linked to a variety of elite prospects with its No. 9 pick, including Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love, Ohio State receiver Carnell Tate, and LSU star Mansoor Delane. The latter would make a ton of sense to fill the void left on the edge of the defense after they traded cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams earlier this month.
However, ESPN’s Mel Kiper believes the Chiefs will look to replace a different star from 2025 with the 9th overall pick. “Yes, Travis Kelce is back in Kansas City. But he’s turning 37 next season, and quarterback Patrick Mahomes needs playmakers in this offense. Kenyon Sadiq is as explosive and versatile as they come,” he wrote in ESPN’s latest NFL mock draft.
Will 2026 be Travis Kelce’s final season with the Chiefs?
Despite speculation that he might go on a free agent tour this month, Kelce signed a new three-year deal with the Chiefs that could be worth as much as $54.7 million. While it is a multi-year deal in theory, it is really a one-season pact. So the door remains wide open for this to be the 37-year-old’s final year in the NFL.
The Chiefs have remained an elite team for much of the last decade because they are smart with their draft picks and cap space. If they truly felt Kelce would play all three of those years, they would not be using a rare selection in the top 10 on another tight end.
Part of the reason why the offense has regressed in recent seasons is that Kelce is in an understandable age-related decline. But the organization knows how valuable a game-breaker tight end can be in their system, especially with Eric Bieniemy back as offensive coordinator.
While the Oregon stars’ stats don’t jump off the page — 51 catches for 560 yards in 2025 — he looks electric on tape. Sadiq is a fantastic athlete with serious speed who can be used as a wide receiver as well. Furthermore, the 6-foot-3, 245-pounder is a willing blocker and has shown the ability to make catches in traffic.
A season learning from Kelce and potentially usurping his role late in the year does make sense for the Chiefs.
