New York Jets Draft Profile: Travis Kelce

Dec 1, 2012; East Hartford, CT, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats tight end Travis Kelce (18) celebrates his touchdown against the Connecticut Huskies during the second half at Rentschler Field. The Bearcats defeated UConn, 34-17. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

The Jets most definitely have a need at tight end, and it is a need that the Jets have yet to address so far. It is seemingly obvious that the team is going to address the position via their “lifeline”, otherwise known as the NFL draft. As such, we begin to look at the prospects that the Jets may consider for the position, in order to determine which might be the best fit for the team.

Yesterday, we took a look at Stanford prospect Zach Ertz.  He was included in a two round mock by Todd McShay, so he inspired some debate amongst the fan base.  This morning, I am going to take a look at a tight end prospect that has been on the opposite end of that debate, and one that some prefer instead of Ertz.  Today’s spotlight is on Cincinnati Bearcat prospect, Travis Kelce.

MEASURABLES

Kelce comes in at 6’6″, 260 pounds, which is quite the ideal frame for an NFL tight end.  He did not attend the NFL Combine (coming off sports hernia surgery), therefore, we go to his NFL Draft Scout profile and see that he runs a 4.68 forty yard dash.

Career Stats

Take a look at his profile from our friends at NFL Mocks by clicking here.

Here are his video highlights, courtesy of You Tube:

PROS: As stated before, Travis has the perfect frame for an NFL tight end. His 6’6″, 260 pound frame proves useful in this footage, as he can lower his shoulder with the football in his hands to get extra yardage. He also is quick enough to make people miss in space, a vital quality for a receiving tight end, especially in a West Coast style offense. His route running is stellar, and he has a reputation as an excellent blocker as well.

CONS: If you look, you see he doesn’t have a lot of play under his belt, in part due to injury.  He was also suspended for an entire season for violation of team rules, so his character could potentially be an issue.  Some of the time, he appears to make the catch with his hands into his body rather than taking it in with his hands, then pulling it in.  Not on every pass, just some.

To me, Travis Kelce is more the complete tight end than Zach Ertz.