Kansas City Chiefs: Noah Gray could be major factor as a rookie
The Kansas City Chiefs are at a point right now where any player that is acquired is going to be assumed to become the best version of themselves. That is the kind of effect that Patrick Mahomes and a culture of winning that has been cultivated even before Mahomes arrived has.
Even late-round draft picks are going to be in a great position to succeed early on thanks to the way Mahomes distributes the ball around and one player that really stands to benefit from that is Noah Gray, a former Duke tight end the Kansas City Chiefs took in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
In four seasons at Duke, Gray posted relatively modest numbers overall with 105 receptions for 948 yards and eight touchdowns. He averaged 9.0 yards per reception and showed extremely well at his pro day leading up to the 2021 NFL Draft.
Noah Gray was drafted with pick 162 of round 5 in the 2021 draft class. He scored a 6.98 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 282 out of 929 TE from 1987 to 2021. https://t.co/7Q7fIqtKPL #RAS #Chiefs pic.twitter.com/QBN1VtKew6
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) May 1, 2021
Although undersized for the tight end position, Gray is a phenomenal athlete which is basically a prerequisite for Andy Reid’s offense. He has excellent speed, explosiveness, and agility for the position and the Chiefs have been impressed with what they have seen from the rookie so far in his offseason work.
Oh…and watch out for rookie 5th rd TE Noah Gray from Duke. They like him. A lot.
— Louis Riddick (@LRiddickESPN) June 17, 2021
Kansas City Chiefs: Noah Gray not a Travis Kelce replacement
Travis Kelce is in no danger of losing his starting job. Kelce has established himself as arguably the best tight end in the NFL right now and really over the last few decades, there are few who can compare to his production.
Entering his age 32 season, Kelce is not ancient by any means and has shown no signs of slowing down, but having someone like Gray step up and become a threat alongside Kelce, for the time being, is a luxury the Kansas City Chiefs have not really had at the tight end position.
That’s not to say the Chiefs haven’t had good tight ends besides Kelce, but perhaps Gray with his combination of athletic talent, route-running ability, and strong hands can be a big-bodied threat with speed that can complement the other talented skill players in Kansas City.
The Kansas City Chiefs have been to the Super Bowl in consecutive years and with the roster they’ve assembled heading into the 2021 season, it’s hard to say anyone else should be considered the favorites to emerge in the AFC.
With significant contributions from guys like Gray, the Chiefs would go from being borderline unstoppable to just flat-out unfair.