Travis Kelce believes Chiefs drafted a ‘game-changer’ who can shore up weakness
The Chiefs received good grades from national NFL writers for their 2026 draft class, and one podcaster was fired up about general manager Brett Veach’s selections.
That’s Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
“Overall, I thought we did an unbelievable job on getting young guys that looked like they love ball on the film that I watched of them and look like they can come in and help right away,” Kelce said on the latest episode of the New Heights podcast, which was released Wednesday.
Kelce noted the Chiefs’ unusual position of selecting ninth overall following a 6-11 season.
“A lot of top-10 teams, they’re really not too good, but that’s not the situation here,” Kelce said. “We have a championship team, just had one little down year, but we’re right back at it, and that’s what I’m talking about, baby. Already coming with the ... mindset of being a ... top team. I absolutely love it.”
The Chiefs drafted LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane with the sixth pick, then took Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods at No. 29. Oklahoma defensive end R Mason Thomas was the 40th overall pick.
Later in the draft, the Chiefs picked Oregon cornerback Jadon Canady, Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson, Cincinnati wide receiver Cyrus Allen and LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier.
“A lot of the big name DBs that we’ve had in years past are elsewhere right now,” Kelce said. “So getting the unbelievable DB, the best in the draft, and then getting a guy on the D-line that can really help Chris Jones not get double-teamed as much, or at least create matchups to where this kid can thrive early on and really bring something to the team, I think that’s going to be a huge part to the defense.”
But the one player who seemed to really excite Kelce most was Thomas. The Chiefs finished in the bottom quarter of the NFL in sacks and quarterback hurries in 2025, per Pro Football Reference.
Kelce admitted the Chiefs were looking to improve the pass rush.
“The guy is a ... freak of nature in terms of athleticism and explosiveness,” Kelce said of Thomas. “I can’t wait to see how this guy gets after the quarterback. It’s been kind of something that the Chiefs have been looking at to get better at, and that’s getting after the QB and really putting quarterbacks under duress. Obviously, we’ve always had Chris Jones there, and George (Karlaftis) is a ... workhorse.
“I think this is going to be a game-changer at the edge position. I know he had a hamstring (injury) last year on an unbelievable fumble recovery. So we’ll see him when he gets in the building. I’m sure Spags (defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo) will have a fun time putting him to work as well.”
That touchdown against Tennessee in the College Football Playoff was indeed impressive.
Welcome Bearcats
Kelce also shared his thoughts on other players. He was excited to see a couple of players from Cincinnati, where Kelce played, join the Chiefs.
“We got another cornerback from Oregon. He’s kind of more of a nickel guy,” Kelce said. “I’m excited to see this guy get to work. Spags, obviously, his nickel package, it can get confusing to a lot of guys, so I’m sure Jadon Canady is gonna ... be quite the chess piece for Spags, but after that two to three picks that I’m pretty ... excited about, and that’s because they finally got to the offensive side of the ball in round five, Emmett Johnson, running back from Nebraska, I believe he was like first-team Big Ten, won a few awards at the running back position last year. We actually got to see him live when Nebraska played Cincinnati at Arrowhead, and then the other sideline, Cyrus Allen, wide receiver from Cincinnati, who I am ... jacked up to see.
“We got another Bearcat in the building. We actually got two Bearcats in the building. One came as well in (receiver) Jeff Caldwell in the free-agency pickup. But Cyrus Allen, he’s a route runner, man, he’s a route runner. When we were talking about, you know, what do I want to see in a guy in the wide receiver room? He has his own twist on a lot of routes and he has the quickness, he has the decisiveness. He really knows how to use his shoulders and his quickness and rhythm to get DBs in a bind.”
This story was originally published April 29, 2026 at 11:27 AM.
