Oakland Raiders: Stacking up tight ends against the AFC West
By Kevin Saito
Kansas City Chiefs
Key Contributors: Travis Kelce, Demetrius Harris, Tim Wright
When your tight ends group boasts one of the very best in the entire league, it’s hard to not pick them to be the best in the division – as galling as it might be.
More from Golden Gate Sports
- Raiders: Rookie stock report following Week 3 performance
- 49ers sign new long snapper amidst a flurry of roster moves
- Oakland Athletics win Game 2 of Wild Card round with late-inning drama
- 49ers: George Kittle and Deebo Samuel cleared to return to practice
- 49ers expected to place DE Dee Ford on injured reserve
There is no denying that Travis Kelce is one of the premier tight ends in the NFL. Some might be inclined to say he’s even better than Rob Gronkowski and Greg Olson. It’s a debate worth having, but let’s have it another time.
There’s no question though, the six-foot-five, 260 pound Kelce has absolutely flourished in Andy Reid‘s offensive system. Over his five seasons – four really, given that he was put on IR after one game in his rookie year – Kelce has put up some monster numbers.
In his four seasons of actual duty, he’s topped the 1,000 receiving yards mark twice, on his way to 3,900 yards and 22 touchdowns. Kelce’s 83 receptions led the team last year, as did his eight touchdowns. The 1,038 receiving yards he pulled in were second only to wideout Tyreek Hill.
In Harris, the Chiefs have a solid blocking tight end and another big body (six-foot-seven, 230 pounds) for the occasional reception. This year, they’ve also added the six-foot-four, 220 pound Tim Wright to provide a little more depth and solid blocking options.
Make no mistake though, Kelce is the star attraction for the Chiefs and will be first-year starting quarterback Patrick Mahomes‘ security blanket when the lights come on and the games start to count. And to this point in his career, Kelce has proven he can handle it.
It’s not a difficult call to make to say Kansas City has the best tight ends group in the AFC West.