2023 NFL Draft: Could Chiefs Truly Take Tight End Early?

Believe it or not, the 2023 NFL Draft officially begins in less than four weeks. Teams were able to fill some needs in free agency. But overall, more team needs still stick for any squad, if you dig deep enough. For the Kansas City Chiefs, there is one position that may not be a desperate need, that they could still address in the 2023 NFL Draft. That position would be tight end.

There is no question that Travis Kelce will go down as one of the best tight ends in NFL history. Of course, his presence has often overtaken the top wide receiver on Kansas City’s depth chart since Tyreek Hill was traded. Rarely, if ever, do you see a tight end being the top receiving option. Yet, Kelce has been able to dominate and continue on a torrid pace.

So with that production from Kelce, why would the Chiefs possibly look at adding a tight end in this draft? We will list the possible reasons as to why in today’s piece. Furthermore, this could be one of the best tight end draft classes that we have ever seen. Kansas City may possibly take a tight end within the first two days of the 2023 NFL Draft, as a result. Let’s kick it off.

Taking Pressure Off Of Kelce

Even though he may not come out and say it, Travis Kelce could be looking to limit a bit of wear and tear on his body. He has fortunately been extremely healthy throughout his career. Certainly, Kelce is still the top option and the main security blanket for Patrick Mahomes. Going forward, the Chiefs could possibly be looking to take some pressure off of Kelce, nevertheless.

Taking pressure off of Kelce does not simply have to mean limiting a few of his snaps. In fact, using him even less as an in-line tight end could be extremely beneficial. Kansas City has always moved him around the formation. But, the more free releases in the slot, the more efficient the Chiefs could be with him having a new sidekick. Given the athleticism with some of these 2023 tight end prospects, that could be even more enticing for Kansas City to draft a tight end early. You may not get a chance to select a tight end of this caliber in some time, while Kelce and the Chiefs continue to evolve.

Another New Toy For Coach Reid

Obviously, any new toy and pass catcher for Andy Reid creates intrigue. With the traits and profiles of this year’s top tight ends, you cannot help but wonder what one of those could become in KC. With the wizardry of Reid, a new tight end may create an even deeper offensive attack. The Chiefs also used more 12 and 13 personnel last season. With how successful it was, Reid and Kansas City may feel that one of these tight ends are the best available players on the board, depending on the scenario.

Possible Fits

With those factors in mind, let’s take a look at the top tight end options for the first two days of the draft. What are their most dependable traits? On the other hand, how could they fit in the Chiefs offense as a new tight end?

The Top Four

The top four tight ends are pretty cut and dry for almost anyone that you talk to. However, the order of those four names can vary greatly, depending on what you value the most from these pass catchers. No matter what order you have them in, the top four of Dalton Kincaid, Michael Mayer, Darnell Washington and Luke Musgrave all have their own buzz and steam.

Personally, Kincaid and Musgrave possess the highest ceilings of this group, for my money. Their mix of athleticism, ball skills and instincts against coverage are their top traits to rely on. Both Kincaid and Musgrave can be used as an in-line tight end or flexed out in the slot. With the Kansas City Chiefs, that could allow for some packages that have Kelce and one of those tight ends to be flexed out. Accordingly, defenses would be forced to defend every blade of grass even more, having more areas of the field to worry about. That could mean more one-on-one looks for Kelce, to boot.

The floor of Washington and Mayer is still a tremendous baseline. It is just tough to rely on those two for consistent separation, however. Their size and technical refinement are the most notable traits. Whereas with the athleticism and speed, Washington and Mayer are not going to outclass Kincaid or Musgrave during routes or in the open field. These two would mainly be kept as in-line tight ends in Kansas City. Creativity could still be had with Kelce. However, it is just not as deep as what you could mix up with Kincaid or Musgrave, in my opinion.

Other Day Two Options

There are four other options that could make sense for Kansas City on day two of the 2023 NFL Draft. All of these names are very intriguing and fun balls of clay to work with. As things currently stand, there may still be a bit of rawness or refinement to work around. But if the Chiefs were to make a tight end selection with any of these names, the potential for an early impact is still there.

Mainly, the other four tight end options that stick out as potential day two picks are Sam LaPorta, Luke Schoonmaker, Tucker Kraft and Zack Kuntz. LaPorta is similar to Kelce, Kincaid and Musgrave, where he can move as smooth as a wide receiver, while still dominating with a tight end’s frame. His route running and instincts are his top traits.

Meanwhile, Schoonmaker and Kraft are just scratching the surface of what they could ultimately become. Both are still a bit raw, or they lack much career production. But by betting on their traits, the Chiefs could be getting strong pass catchers who can win in traffic and with contested catch situations. Schoonmaker and Kraft are sneaky good after the catch, too.

Kuntz may be the most inexperienced of all of these names. Though, he is a mountain of a man at 6’7” and 255 pounds. Add in his impressive speed, route running and ball skills, and Kuntz could eventually be a versatile mismatch like Kincaid or Musgrave.