7. Travis Kelce: The first half of the list is close to complete. One conversation that’s common in football these days is the tight end discussion. Just a few years ago, it was a debate that could’ve gone either way, to be honest. Whenever people ask me, one name comes out and I don’t even hesitate. For the third time in four years, Travis Kelce is back on the list. Last year, he was locked into the ninth spot. This year, he’s seventh and claims the title as my best tight end entering the 2021 season.
This is a wide receiver stuck in the body of a tight end. I’m convinced of that because I’ve never seen any tight end do the things he does on the regular. The Chiefs can use him in a variety of ways. Travis is a sharp route runner. He runs his routes perfectly and always finds himself in the right spots at the crucial point of football games. Defenses will continuously play zone on him and he simply finds his soft spots then attacks. As a receiving tight end, he attacks everything coming his way. Travis is 6’5 and uses his height to his full advantage (as he should!) so he goes up to get the football every time it’s coming his way. His mindset with the football in his hands is another thing to discuss. In space, Travis is a difference-maker. He does wide receiver-like things such as hurdling defenders and smoothly getting up the field.
Last season, Travis was second in receiving yards with 1,416 yards. He was behind Bills wide receiver, Stefon Diggs. He was also second in receiving touchdowns with 11 behind Davante Adams. This is Patrick Mahomes’ safety valve. He knows he can target number 87 with no issue because there isn’t a defense that can slow him down or even contain him. He is the first tight end in NFL to record five straight 1,000-yard seasons.
