Travis Kelce Loves What The Chiefs Did In The 2026 NFL Draft

Originally posted on The Spun | By Tzvi Machlin | Last updated Apr 30, 2026 10:23 AM ET

Travis Kelce is set to rejoin the Kansas City Chiefs for the 2026 season and hopes to go out on a high note. While NFL fans didn't universally love what the team did at the NFL Draft last week, Kelce sure did.

On the latest episode of his New Heights show with his brother Jason, Kelce praised the Chiefs for their high-profile acquisitions of cornerback Mansoor Delane and defensive tackle Peter Woods.

Kelce had even higher praise for the team's second-round pick, R Mason Thomas, calling him a "freak of nature" and a "game-changer" at the edge rusher position.

“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.”

Chiefs at the Draft

The Chiefs had two first-round picks in this year's draft thanks to a pre-draft trade but made the first big shock of the night by trading up from No. 9 to No. 6 with the Cleveland Browns to take Delane.

They would finish up the first night of the draft by taking Woods and only took Thomas on Friday.

On Saturday, the Chiefs rounded out their draft by adding Oregon CB Jadon Canady, Nebraska RB Emmett Johnson, Cincinnati WR Cyrus Allen and ending the frustrating fall of LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier.

Oct 18, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Louisiana State Tigers quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (18) stands in the pocket against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the second half at FirstBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

The downfall of the Chiefs in 2026 was their offense though. They went 0-6 in games where opponents scored more than 20 points. The Chiefs made sure to address that situation in free agency with the likes of Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker.

Now the question is whether the defensive additions will offset the players they lost and if they'll be enough to make the most of 2026 while setting them up for success afterwards.

We'll get back to you on that front in about eight months.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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