Three Questions: Kansas City Chiefs Tight Ends

Aug 9, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) against the New Orleans Saints during a preseason game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The Saints defeated the Chiefs 17-13. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

What are we to make of Travis Kelce?

Kelce was something of a surprise third round pick when the Chiefs took in at the top of the third round in 2013. Many were thinking something along the lines of a wide receiver or a developmental quarterback like Matt Barkley. Tight end didn’t seem like a need after the signing of Fasano and the presence of Moeaki on the roster.

Things became more problematic when Kelce missed all of last season with a microfracture injury, an issue that kept him out of most of the OTA practices. Did the Chiefs waste a top third round pick when they could have had Keenan Allen or is this just a bump in the road for what will be a future offensive weapon for the Chiefs.

What we know of Kelce is he is an aggressive, well-rounded tight end who can line up wide and catch passes or stay on the line of scrimmage and run block. He has a great intensity and is sometimes compared to Rob Gronkowski for his style of play. In theory, the Chiefs could have a three wide receiver set where Kelce is the slot receiver and Fasano is on the line as a tight end. The mismatches the Chiefs could create in the passion game along with the potential quality blocking available for Jamaal Charles on outside runs would be very enticing.

Only problem with this dream is we haven’t seen this from Kelce on an NFL field. The need to see a healthy Kelce be productive in the preseason is somewhat vital. For the deeper and more effective the Chiefs are at tight end, the more potent the Chiefs will be on offense. Of all three of the projected tight ends for the Chiefs this season, Kelce has the best shot at being a game-changing type player.