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2019 NFL Draft: Seven tight end targets for the Kansas City Chiefs

By Lyle Graversen

ORLANDO, FL - DECEMBER 19: Josh Oliver #89 of the San Jose State Spartans makes a reception for a touchdown during the AutoNation Cure Bowl against the Georgia State Panthers at Florida Citrus Bowl on December 19, 2015 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FL - DECEMBER 19: Josh Oliver #89 of the San Jose State Spartans makes a reception for a touchdown during the AutoNation Cure Bowl against the Georgia State Panthers at Florida Citrus Bowl on December 19, 2015 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) /
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The NFL Draft is only a few weeks away and one position that the Kansas City Chiefs may be targeting is tight end. Here are seven guys to keep an eye on.

This past week, the Kansas City Chiefs added a new tight end to their roster when they signed free agent Blake Bell. The Chiefs obviously have their starting tight end set with Travis Kelce, who with the retirement of Rob Gronkowski is now universally viewed as the top tight end in the NFL. However, the Chiefs now find themselves trying to find a new number two tight end with the departure of Demetrius Harris.

While many Chiefs fans (myself included) were not big fans of Harris, he did play over 400 snaps for the Chiefs last season and a replacement (preferably an upgrade) needs to be found.

The Chiefs depth chart behind Kelce at this point is less than impressive. Bell is currently the clear number two tight end on the team in terms of NFL production and he has a grand total of 30 receptions over four NFL seasons. While I’m fine with the Bell signing, I don’t believe the Chiefs should be content to stand pat at the position.

Behind Bell, the Chiefs have Deon Yelder and David Wells who have combined for three NFL games and zero NFL receptions. If Kelce suffered an injury (knocks on wood), the Chiefs would be in serious trouble at the position as the roster currently stands.

The good news for Chiefs fans is that the 2019 NFL Draft is incredibly deep at tight end this year. Some K.C. fans have even toyed with the idea of the Chiefs taking a tight end in the first round. That certainly isn’t the approach that I would take. With serious defensive needs elsewhere and quality depth at tight end, it makes way more sense to draft defense early and grab a tight end in rounds 2-5 that could still produce as a number two tight end right away as a rookie. That is why you will not see the three top tight end prospects profiled in this piece. T.J. Hockenson, Noah Fant, and Irv Smith Jr. are all great prospects, but I don’t see any way they make it to the Chiefs in the second round picks, and that’s as early as I would draft a tight end if I were calling the shots. If you disagree, that’s fine. There is plenty on those three top tight ends out there for you if you want to read about them.

Instead, I am going to focus on seven tight ends that the Chiefs could target outside the first round that I believe would be great picks. This is such a deep tight end draft that despite not profiling the top three tight ends you still may not see one of your favorite mid-round guys in the seven that I really like for the Chiefs. That’s how many options there are.

Let’s start with the guy that I believe will be the first off the board after the big three that could go in the first round.

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