Meet the Kansas City Chiefs tight ends at training camp

#80 Mark Vital

College: Baylor
Years Pro: 1 (25 years old)
Chance of Making the Roster: Practice Squad Candidate

How many good tight ends in the NFL played basketball in college? It seems like there are a bunch. Mark Vital fits the mold of an NFL tight end but is very raw. Vital played on Baylor’s 2021 championship team. While he was not necessarily a star, he was a consistent role player that added a spark to the team. Averaging an identical 6.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game, Vital provided a lift to the bears throughout his career. Now, he makes the switch to the NFL.

Vital will probably not be ready to take over a roster spot this season. Some serious development is needed before Vital can be looked at as a viable option. With that in mind, he could find himself with a role on the practice squad to transition from basketball to football.

#89 Matt Bushman

College: BYU
Years Pro: 1 (26 years old)
Chance of Making the Roster: Practice Squad Candidate

Matt Bushman was a very good college player. Unfortunately, he was forced to sit out his senior season and was signed to the Las Vegas Raiders practice squad last season after going undrafted. Bushman is explosive and can high point the ball as well as any other tight end. Unfortunately, he has a smaller frame and has not yet found a way to adapt his play style to the NFL.

Bushman will certainly be a player to keep an eye on. If he can put together a good preseason and training camp, he may very well fill a practice squad role.

#46 Jordan Franks

College: Central Florida
Years Pro: 2 (26 years old)
Chance of Making the Roster: Low

Jordan Franks is on his fourth NFL roster in two seasons. Franks was recruited to play wide receiver in college but transitioned to tight end at UCF. Franks has a smaller frame than any of the other tight ends on the roster but is a natural receiver. With the Bengals, Franks got some playing time and caught two passes, one of which was for a touchdown. Since then, he spent time with the Browns and recorded no statistics.

It appears that Franks will likely be a camp body. He is not a guy that will carve out a role on offense, but he has an outside chance of being a special teams contributor.