Travis Kelce may already have a favorite draft pick in the Kansas City Chiefs’ 2026 rookie draft class for a few reasons
The Kansas City Chiefs are going to need some help on offense, and Travis Kelce is excited to see what a player from his alma mater can do.
The Kansas City Chiefs went into the offseason needing some massive help on the offensive side of the ball. The way they drafted suggests they think some of the coaching issues they addressed will fix some of those offensive issues.
So, they went heavily on defense in the draft. Their first four draft picks were defensive players, all with star potential besides maybe nickel Jadon Canady, who can still be a very good player. After that, they went all offense, but not many of those picks are making as much noise as former Cincy WR Cyrus Allen. He may already be Travis Kelce’s favorite pick, for a few obvious reasons.
“Cyrus Allen wide receiver from Cincinnati who I am f****** jacked up to see,” Kelce said on New Heights. “We got another Bearcat in the building — we actually got two Bearcats in the building. One came as well as Jeff Caldwell and the free agency pickup. But uh, Cyrus Allen is… he’s a route runner, man.
“When we were talking about, you know, what do I want to see in a guy in the wide receiver room… um, he has his own twist on a lot of routes, and he has the quickness, he has the decisiveness. He really knows how to use his shoulders and his quickness and rhythm to get DBs in a bind, man.”
Kelce, a Cincy alum, loves former Bearcats players. He’s made that known in the past. He also loves other receivers who get open. Why is that? Well, if defenses have to gameplan and hone in on him, he wants others to make plays around him. And then when other WRs are making plays, it opens the game back up for him. But who really is Cyrus Allen?
Cyrus Allen career stats in college
- 44 career games (Louisiana Tech for 2 years, Texas A&M, and then Cincinnati)
- 137 career catches
- 2221 career receiving yards
- 16.2 career average per catch
- 2s career TDs
Chiefs WR Cyrus Allen could be a fifth-round steal
The Chiefs are getting a player who could help this offense anytime he is able to get on the field. Not only that, Kansas City is adding to its receiver room, with guys who do a little bit of everything. Allen, as Kelce said, is a route runner. The Chiefs need someone in this offense, as complex as it is, whom they can trust to run the right routes. We saw several times last season when guys ran the wrong routes.
Allen could be a steal with some development. Here is Dan Brugler of The Athletic’s breakdown on Allen:
“A dynamic athlete, Allen moves with twitch as a route runner, although some of his steps and movements can get choppy. Despite his lack of size, he shows outstanding body control to adjust and frame the football mid-air, and his drops declined each season. Because of his below-average play strength, he can be out-physicaled, both mid-route and at the catch point. He has only average lateral agility, and you’d like to see him do more with the ball in his hands. Proving himself as a returner will help his chances of making a pro roster (he has some kick return experience). Overall, Allen gave his draft profile a boost at the Senior Bowl, and he shows the quickness and ball skills that will stand out during training camp.”
The Chiefs needed WR help. Most expected them to do it early on, but instead, they got a guy they seem to really love, just in the fifth round. One thing we know is true is that Kelce definitely loves the pick.
