The Kansas City Chiefs go offense in the first round of the draft, but not the position many think.
The Kansas City Chiefs’ offseason has rightly been dominated by the urgent need to beef up Patrick Mahomes’ offensive line.
After the Super Bowl debacle that brought the total number of sacks on Mahomes in 2024 to a staggering 47 (most ever in a season), it is clear the franchise needs to upgrade his protection.
Jaylon Moore was signed to be the starting left tackle, but many feel more is needed for the rigors of NFL football. As such, many mock drafts have the Chiefs taking Josh Simmons or Josh Conerly Jr. to provide competition for Moore.
But for CBS Sports’ Jeff Kerr, in his latest mock both tackles named above are off the board, so the franchise pivots to taking Travis Kelce’s eventual successor – LSU’s Mason Taylor.
“Taylor is an enigma among this draft class, but there’s no denying his high-end talent,” Kerr writes. “An excellent route runner, Taylor can learn from the best in Travis Kelce as his eventual successor.”
Not a big stat-getter in college, with just 1,308 yards and six touchdowns in three seasons, but Taylor’s talent is evident.
A good route runner with speed, Taylor could develop nicely under Kelce in his rookie season, and in truth, who better to learn from when it comes to the tight end position?
With a well-rounded route tree, head coach Andy Reid could deploy Taylor in various ways and develop him nicely in his rookie season before getting ready to take over from Kelce in 2025.
The Chiefs do have offensive line needs, but finding Kelce’s successor is also on the to-do list, and in Taylor, Kansas City gets one who has Hall of Fame bloodlines.
