Travis Kelce is returning to play a 13th NFL season for the Chiefs, but the franchise is evidently looking towards the future when it comes to the tight end position.
Bowling Green product Harold Fannin Jr. revealed on Up & Adams this week that he was set to meet with Kansas City prior to the NFL Draft, which begins on April 24.
Fannin also said that meetings with the Browns, Lions and Broncos were on his schedule.
In his third and final collegiate season, Fannin racked up 117 catches, 1,555 receiving yards and 11 total touchdowns.
Both his catch and yardage totals led all FBS schools in 2024.
Fannin is projected to be a mid-round draft pick, and the Chiefs will have several opportunities to select him there if they wish.
They own the No. 66 overall and No. 95 overall picks in the third round, as well as the No. 133 pick in the fourth round.
Kansas City also owns the No. 63 pick late in the second round, though they may deem that spot too early to select the talented pass-catcher.
In 2024, 35-year-old Kelce had his worst regular season in a decade, as he produced 823 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
Nonetheless, he still ranked a respectable fifth among tight ends in receiving yards for the regular season.
The tight end was ultimately quiet in the Super Bowl as the Chiefs lost 40-22 to the Eagles, as he didn’t catch a pass in the first half and finished with just 39 yards.
Beyond potentially drafting Fannin, the Chiefs do have other options for a Kelce replacement, including the team’s current backup, Noah Gray.
The tight end signed a three-year extension with the team prior to last season – keeping him under contract through 2027.
Gray also posted a career-high 437 receiving yards last year as Patrick Mahomes began to lean on him more.
Kansas City also drafted tight end Jared Wiley in the fourth round of last year’s draft, and signed veteran Robert Tonyan this offseason.