Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs is back for another season, which is a great thing for the franchise, but there’s a good chance the 2026-27 run will mark his final season in the NFL.
With that in mind, it’s important to the Chiefs franchise to secure a successor for Kelce, and what better place to do it than in the 2026 NFL draft?
The draft is really an ideal spot to land a Kelce replacement, because if they draft a young tight end out of college, that player will have an entire year to learn and prepare, since Kelce is back this season. So, if the Kansas City Chiefs secure a tight end, that player will have a year to develop under the wings of Kelce and the Chiefs’ staff.
Kansas City Chiefs Secure Travis Kelce Successor in 2026 Draft Scenario
Jordan Reid of ESPN has unleashed a full, seven-round mock with all 32 teams’ picks in the 2026 NFL draft. For the Kansas City Chiefs, he doesn’t have them picking a tight end early, but he does have them selecting a talented one later in the draft.
For the team’s No. 148 pick, Reid has the Chiefs drafting tight end Joe Royer out of Cincinnati. At 24 years old, Royer is one of the older players in the draft, but that means he comes with experience.
Royer is a two-year starter from Cincinnati, and he went there following three seasons at Ohio State. While his Buckeye days weren’t great, he bloomed in Cincinnati.
“Royer is low-cut with a long torso and good foot quickness,” his official NFL profile states. “He is better over the first two levels, with a more basic route tree allowing him to flow. He’s physical as a pass-catcher when needed and makes combat catches that others might drop.”
His profile adds that Royer “shows enough toughness and technique as a blocker to expect him to improve in that area” and has TE2 or TE3 potential if he can “polish his game.”
Well, the Chiefs will need a TE1 when Kelce has left. But, that could absolutely be Royer with the right training.
Kansas City Chiefs Get Edge Help Early in 2026 NFL Draft, According to Projection
Reid also has the Chiefs taking Rueben Bain Jr., an edge out of Miami, for their No. 9 pick. It makes sense for the team to go with an edge as early as possible.
In the piece, Reid points out that it’s been a long nine years since the Chiefs have picked in the top 10. In that draft, they got quarterback Patrick Mahomes, so that’s a good sign.
“Bain is a rugged, high-effort edge rusher who brings an immediate identity to that position group,” he states. “He checks every characteristic defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo likes on the edge as a densely built, heavy-handed playmaker with alignment versatility.”
He adds that “Bain’s short arms are a historical outlier, and teams are aware of the off-field issues that have surfaced, but I still believe he will go in the top half of Round 1.”
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