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By Anne Erickson
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While the league has been jam-packed with free agency news, it's worth noting that the 2026 NFL draft is set for April 23 through 25 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The 91st annual event will give teams the opportunity to draft fresh talent at a low cost to flesh out their 2026-27 rosters.
For the Kansas City Chiefs, even though tight end Travis Kelce is officially returning for one more season, they need to start shaping a new player to eventually take his place. Instead of finding a player who's already been in the league for a few years, they may opt for totally fresh talent.
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In a Tuesday, March 10, piece for SI, Mark Morales-Smith projects landing spots for the top college players entering the 2026 NFL draft. For the Chiefs, he sees the team going with a tight end who may eventually replace Kelce.
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He expects the Chiefs to take Kenyon Sadiq out of Oregon as their No. 9 pick in the first round.
"Travis Kelce will be returning for one more season, but Sadiq is a special player and could be the long-term answer in Kansas City," he notes in the piece.
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Sadiq's official draft profile from the NFL calls him a "versatile tight end with a shredded physique and alluring potential as a volume target," adding that "Sadiq's route tree will be full of branches."
"His athleticism and break quickness should allow him to uncover against man coverage on all three levels," the profile adds. "He's talented after the catch, with the ability to make things easier for play-callers and quarterbacks looking to move the sticks. He has the body control and hand strength to win contested catches but will occasionally allow balls to hit the ground on lower-difficulty plays."
They also say he's "adequate as a blocker, giving good effort in-line and locating and landing on linebackers as a move blocker."
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So, Sadiq is getting raves, and if the Chiefs snag him now, Kelce will have time to work with the budding tight end and mentor him. He may even get an invite to Kelce's upcoming wedding. Well, let's not get ahead of ourselves.
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