Travis Kelce Thrilled About Chiefs' Second-Round Pick

The Kansas City Chiefs are hoping to bounce back after a disappointing NFL season in 2025, which saw the typically-dominant franchise fail to make the playoffs for the first time since 2014.

The Chiefs have a wealth of rookie talent joining the team through the 2026 NFL draft. The organization added two players in the first round: LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane (No. 6 overall) and Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods (No. 29 overall).

But, it appears Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is most excited to see what’s in store for second-round draft pick Mason Thomas - a talented edge rusher out of Oklahoma.

Kelce talked about his expectations for Thomas during the most recent episode of the “New Heights” podcast with his brother, Jason.

"The guy is a [expletive] freak of nature in terms of athleticism and explosiveness," Kelce said. "I can't wait to see how this guy gets after the quarterback, man. It's been kinda something that the Chiefs have been looking at to get better at. That's getting after the QB and really putting quarterbacks under duress. Obviously, we've always had Chris Jones there, and George [Karlaftis] is a [expletive] workhorse. … I think this is going to be a game-changer at the edge position."

Thomas appeared in 42 games over his four-year collegiate career with Oklahoma, recording 17 sacks, 25 tackles for loss and four forced fumbles. The 6-foot-2 edge rusher returned a 71-yard fumble recovery touchdown during the Sooners’ win over the Tennessee Volunteers in November.

The Chiefs recorded 35 sacks through the 2025 NFL season. Jones led the way with seven, followed by Karlaftis with six.

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This story was originally published April 30, 2026 at 1:41 PM.