Replacing a legend is never easy, but the Kansas City Chiefs have to start thinking about a plan for doing so.
Tight end Travis Kelce, who has won three Super Bowl rings in Kansas City and has a legitimate case to be the greatest of all time at his position, has decided to return for the 2025 season after mulling retirement.
At age 35, entering his 13th season with 12,151 receiving yards under his belt, Kelce has a lot of miles on his body. The Chiefs would be smart to assume the upcoming season will be Kelce’s last, but how will they go about finding his future successor?
One writer believes Kansas City will take an aggressive approach to that question in the upcoming NFL Draft.
In a recent mock draft, David Helman of FOX Sports predicted that the Chiefs would select LSU tight end Mason Taylor with the 31st pick of the first round in the 2025 NFL Draft.
“The popular pick is going to be an offensive lineman, and that makes sense. But with Jaylon Moore signed on for the next two years, maybe the Chiefs look to the future,” Helman wrote.
“Travis Kelce is back for 2025, but it’s plain to see that his career is winding down. Taylor is one of this year’s most complete tight ends, and he’d help this offense as both a blocker and a receiver.”
Taylor, 20, has 1,308 receiving yards in 38 career games at LSU, including a career-high 546 this past season. While he’s not necessarily ready to put up 1,000-yard seasons right from the jump, he’s got the steady hands and the athletic 6-foot-5 frame to be a future star.
Obviously, the Chiefs wouldn’t be selecting Taylor with the thought that he could be Kelce 2.0. But the future Hall of Famer will leave a big void, and the more talented players the Chiefs can collect to help fill it, the better.
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