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Chiefs predicted to draft Travis Kelce replacement in 2026 NFL Draft originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Kansas City Chiefs are in unfamiliar territory this offseason.
The team missed out on the playoffs for the first time in a decade in 2025, and as a result, owns a top 10 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. With plenty of needs on the roster, there are several different players the team could take with the No. 9 pick.
One of the biggest stories of the offseason has been the status of Travis Kelce. Nobody really knows whether the future Hall of Famer is going to retire or return for another season with the Chiefs. This could easily affect the team's draft strategy because Kelce has been such a big part of the passing game.
As a result, Luke Easterling of Athlon Sports has the team selecting Kelce's heir apparent in his latest mock draft. Easterling has the team drafted Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq, who just put on an insane performance at the NFL combine.
Sadiq ran the fastest 40-yard-dash time of any tight end since at least 2003. A powerful tight end with receiver speed? It seems like Sadiq is now firmly in consideration to be a top 10 pick.
Regarding Sadiq and the Chiefs, Easterling offered the following:
Patrick Mahomes needs more weapons, no matter where they line up on the field. In this scenario, their best bet could be to replace Travis Kelce with an elite athlete in Sadiq, who has a sky-high ceiling with his rare physical traits.
As Easterling mentioned, Patrick Mahomes needs more weapons even if Kelce returns. Other than Kelce, no pass-catcher on the roster reached even 600 yards in 2025.
Like Kelce, Sadiq is an explosive athlete who has no problem getting open in the middle of the field. The Oregon product caught 51 passes for 560 yards and eight touchdowns last season.
In Kansas City, Sadiq would be a matchup nightmare. He's too fast to be covered by linebackers, and he's too physical for cornerbacks. Assuming Kelce returns, there's no better tight end for Sadiq to learn behind, and we know Mahomes will get him the ball.
This may seem like a bit of luxury pick for now, but Sadiq really seems like a game-changer. Mahomes has taken the Chiefs to great heights without perfect rosters before, so loading him up with weapons may just be the best bet.
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