2024 Chiefs draft prospect: Texas TE Ja'Tavion Sanders

Week 2 of college football is already here. Kansas City Chiefs scouts have already been hard at work watching NFL draft hopefuls across the NCAA. They were at the Clemson-Duke game in Week 1. They had a presence at the Kansas vs. Illinois game on Friday night. Where will their focus be on Saturday? Even with the […]

Charles Goldman — NFL Managing Editor

Sep 9, 2023 3:05 PM EDT

Week 2 of college football is already here.

Kansas City Chiefs scouts have already been hard at work watching NFL draft hopefuls across the NCAA. They were at the Clemson-Duke game in Week 1. They had a presence at the Kansas vs. Illinois game on Friday night. Where will their focus be on Saturday? Even with the NFL season around the corner, it's important to pay attention to college football season, because who knows which of these players will wind up playing in Arrowhead Stadium this time next year.

I've identified over 160 college prospects to keep an eye on ahead of the 2024 NFL draft, all of whom might be potential fits with the Chiefs. Below you'll find our first tight end of the bunch.

Texas TE Ja'Tavion Sanders

Height: 6-foot-4

Weight: 245 pounds

Class: Junior

A five-star recruit who played offense and defense in high school, Sanders is one of the more exciting athletes at the tight end position in all of college football.

This third-year tight end has appeared in 25 career games with the Longhorns across two seasons. He really broke onto the scene in 2022 as a sophomore, starting all 13 games and recording 54 receptions for 613 yards and five touchdowns. Those 54 catches were the most by a tight end in a single season in Texas Longhorn history.

He earned First-Team All-Big 12 honors a season ago and was a semifinalist for the John Mackey Award. He made preseason watch lists for the John Mackey Award and Lombardi Award this year. He already has two receptions for 44 yards and a touchdown through one game in 2023.

How does he fit in Kansas City?

The Chiefs got a taste of life after Travis Kelce in Week 1 of the 2023 NFL season and it wasn't pretty. Blake Bell and Noah Gray make for fine No. 2 and No. 3 tight ends, but neither could effectively threaten a defense as Kelce can.

Sanders can certainly replicate Kelce's success in the passing game. He's a plus athlete with tackle-breaking ability after the catch. He's quite adept at lining up in the slot, finding space, making a catch, and turning upfield for extra yardage against zone coverage. He can be isolated on the single receiver side opposite 3×1 formations and do some nice things to get vertical against man coverage. Even when he doesn't get a ton of separation, he's willing to get up and make a contested grab in coverage. He's also better lining up in-line as a blocker than he gets credit for, just like Kelce.

Kelce is under contract through 2025 and he'll likely be a Chief for his entire playing career as long as he so chooses to continue it. That said, it might be wise for the Chiefs to start thinking about the future while he's still suiting up. He's proven to be a great mentor for young players and Sanders could certainly learn a thing or two from the veteran.

Round estimation:

Right now, Sanders is settling as a late first-round draft pick. That could change with a standout 2023 season. He'll likely be the second tight end off the board after Georgia's Brock Bowers. Ohio State TE Cade Stover could give him a run for his money at the No. 2 tight end in the 2024 NFL draft.