Amid Kelce Controversy, Chiefs Urged To Draft Replacement

   

Inside the building? The Kansas City Chiefs' offseason work has been headlined by the need to fortify the offensive line.

Beyond that? There are all of those Taylor Swift/Travis Kelce-related "controversies,'' or pseudo-controversies.

The latest? Kelce is seeking out Kayne West for a "man-to-man'' meeting regarding the entertainer's disgusting sexually-related takes on Swift.

Football. And entertainment. It can be an uncomfortable clash.

After Patrick Mahomes was sacked the most times in his career last season (47), naturally, drafting a left tackle to solve perhaps the most problematic position on the roster is the smart move.

But what about in the later rounds? One such area that has been touted is running back with no one under contract beyond 2025, and another is tight end.

With Travis Kelce's final season thought to be 2025, the Chiefs would be smart to look for his replacement now so the heir apparent can learn from the future Hall of Famer for 12 months before taking over.

And for The Athletic's Nate Taylor, one such prospect is Elijah Arroyo.

"On Day 2, the Chiefs could be in the range to select a tight end. A prospect such as Elijah Arroyo of Miami could spend his rookie season learning from future Hall of Famer Travis Kelce, who could retire after the 2025 season," Taylor wrote. "Last season, 71.4 percent of Arroyo’s 35 receptions resulted in a first down or touchdown. His top speed was 21.8 mph. Just six NFL players had a higher max ball-carrier speed in 2024, according to Next Gen Stats."

The speedy tight end hauled in 35 receptions for 590 yards and seven touchdowns last season, easily the best return of his college career.

Ranking first among tight ends at the scouting combine for athleticism, Arroyo has sure hands, which are a quarterback's dream, but he does have some medical concerns with a knee injury plaguing his last two seasons per NFL.com's Lance Zierlein.

If the Chiefs get the all clear on that and see Arroyo as a prospect who they can see value in developing to take over from Kelce, then he looms as good option with plenty of upside. ... while Kelce winds down his terrific career before riding off into the sunset with his sweetheart.