Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is officially back with the team on a one-year, $12 million deal with the franchise, so he’s in place for the 2026-27 season. But, Kansas City needs to look to the future, and that’s why many NFL analysts and experts think they’ll pick up a budding tight end in the 2026 NFL draft.
But, what if the Chiefs bring on a seasoned tight end to replace Kelce? Not as seasoned as the future husband of Taylor Swift, but at least a tight end who’s not a rookie. That’s the idea behind a new trade pitch that would add some major drama to the 2026 NFL draft in Pittsburgh.
In a piece published on Friday, April 10, Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports lays out a bevy of trades that he believes could, and should, happen during the draft. In it, he predicts that the Kansas City Chiefs will trade with the Detroit Lions to land a Kelce successor in Sam LaPorta.
Kansas City Chiefs May Nag Travis Kelce Successor in 2026 NFL Draft Trade
“The NFL Draft isn’t just about the draft,” Vacchiano notes in the feature. “It’s often a catalyst for another round of trades.”
Vacchiano adds, “Sometimes it’s just general managers swapping draft picks. But it’s also the perfect time to move valuable or unwanted players, too.”
In the piece, he has the Chiefs getting LaPorta from the Detroit Lions in exchange for first-round picks, where the Lions would move up to No. 9 and Chiefs would fall to No. 17, as well as a 2027 conditional fourth-round pick.
“Yes, the Chiefs just re-signed Travis Kelce, who is still an effective player and one of Patrick Mahomes’ favorite receivers,” he notes in the feature. “But Kelce is 36, not what he once was, and could be in the last season of his Hall of Fame career.”
He adds that LaPorta is coming off back surgery and nearing the final year of his contract, where he might “get squeezed out in Detroit, where the Lions have a lot of young players to sign.” So, this trade would likely cost Kansas City a second-round pick. “As an alternative, they could consider a package that involves swapping first-rounders instead,” he adds.
Why the Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs Trade Could Work for a Tight End to Replace Travis Kelce
At 25 years old, LaPorta is far younger than Kelce and likely hasn’t peaked yet. Assuming he comes off back surgery and is in good health going into the 2026-27 season, I think it would absolutely make sense for the Chiefs to make this trade.
With LaPorta, the Chiefs aren’t starting from square one with a rookie tight end with no NFL experience. Before he was injured, LaPorta was the Lions’ go-to tight end. In the initial nine games of the 2025-26 NFL season, he clocked 40 receptions for 489 yards and three touchdowns, according to NFL research.
Honestly, having Kelce gone next season, or whenever it happens, will be a shock to the Kansas City Chiefs’ system. They may not want to rely on a rookie during that period, even one that they drafted a year earlier in the upcoming draft. Having LaPorta waiting in the wings brings the team reassurance and not at a high cost.
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