Travis Kelce offers bold take on Chiefs' second-round draft pick

Kansas City Chiefs rookie edge-rusher R Mason Thomas already has one franchise legend's seal of approval.

On the most recent episode of his "New Heights" podcast, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce praised Kansas City's early 2026 NFL Draft picks. The Chiefs had three top-40 selections, taking a defender with each, including cornerback Mansoor Delane (No. 6 overall) and defensive tackle Peter Woods (No. 29 overall) on Day 1. In the second-round, Kansas City took Thomas at No. 40.

As a 2025 senior at Oklahoma, Thomas had six sacks in 10 games while also scoring a touchdown on a 71-yard fumble recovery. While playing sparingly in his first two seasons (2022-23), he finished his collegiate career with 17 sacks in 42 games.

In its predraft evaluation, Sports Info Solutions ranked Thomas as the No. 40 overall prospect in the class while praising his "get-off quickness, explosion, suddenness and hand usage."

"I think this is going to be a game-changer at the edge position," Kelce asserted on his podcast. (h/t NFL.com)

"The guy is a freak of nature in terms of athleticism and explosiveness," he added. "I can't wait to see how this guy gets after the quarterback."

Chiefs defensive turnaround could be key to playoffs return

If Kelce's words prove prophetic, the Chiefs will likely once again be a Super Bowl contender coming off a disappoint 6-11 season. Kansas City struggled to take down quarterbacks in 2025, finishing tied for the seventh-fewest sacks (35) while also ranking in the bottom half of the league in pressure rate (33.8 percent) despite blitzing on pass plays at the league's third-highest rate (34 percent). (h/t NFL Pro)

Thomas' ability to rush the passer could improve those numbers. That may allow defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo to rely on a front-four consisting of Thomas, Woods, three-time All-Pro Chris Jones and 2022 first-rounder George Karlaftis to generate pressure, freeing linebackers and secondary members to drop back in coverage.

With a championship core, Kansas City's rookies, including Thomas, will be under more pressure than most to produce immediate results. 

That could be a challenge.

Per Stathead, the last second-round defensive end to have at least 10 sacks as a rookie was former New Orleans Saints edge Darren Howard, who had 11 while finishing second in Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2000. Last season, Carolina Panthers edge Nic Scourton had the most sacks among rookie second-round edge-rushers with five.

But considering the attention Jones commands in the middle, Thomas is in a better position to succeed than other recent Day 2 defensive ends. It might be imperative for Kansas City as it plots a return to the top of the competitive AFC West.

Kelce is already a believer. It's up to Thomas to prove the Chiefs veteran right.