Chiefs Excited to Add 'Combo Tight End' Jared Wiley to Position Plans

With Kansas City finding good TE value on Day 3 of the draft, GM Brett Veach is a big fan of how the room has rounded out.

Dec 31, 2022; Glendale, Arizona, USA; TCU Horned Frogs tight end Jared Wiley (19) against the Michigan Wolverines during the 2022 Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Even before the 2024 NFL Draft, the Kansas City Chiefs had a formidable trio of tight ends on the roster. Leading the way was future Hall of Fame man Travis Kelce, with 2021 fifth-round pick Noah Gray and offseason free agent signing Irv Smith Jr. serving as complementary pieces.

There's another cook in the kitchen now, and he might be the most intriguing of the non-Kelce bunch.

TCU product Jared Wiley, Kansas City's first fourth-round selection of the year, came off the board at 131st overall. The 23-year-old was described over the weekend as boasting an "under the radar" profile by a team scout, which says something considering he spent five years in college. All five campaigns were played in the Big 12: three at Texas and two at TCU.

After Wiley's senior-year breakout and a nice pre-draft process, the Chiefs took a swing on him. What endeared him to his eventual first NFL team? General manager Brett Veach implied a mix of everything.

“Every now and then, especially with where we pick in the draft, the tight ends, it just seems to me the last few years it’s harder to find tight ends in the draft than it had been in the past," Veach said. "I think you do get a chance — depending on where you pick — to select a receiving tight end or a blocking tight end, but these combo tight ends are hard to find. I think the thing that intrigued us about Wiley is the fact that he is a big kid, a former quarterback, is athletic, can run, a guy that can certainly hold up inline and will get better as a blocker, can block, will block and then that receiving skillset he has.

He also doubled down on Wiley being a jack of all trades.

"I think it’s unique to add a true combo tight end on this roster, so [we're] certainly excited about that prospect there. We had guys in the past like Blake Bell and some other guys down the line. I just think Travis is the best at what he does, and Noah Gray has done some really outstanding stuff for us the last few years. Noah plays a ton of reps on special teams. Having another big body to be interchangeable with those two players is really important for us.”

The application seems legitimate in theory. Standing 6-foot-6 and running a 4.62-second 40-yard dash with an excellent vertical jump, Wiley is a good linear athlete. As a receiver, he moves well and can factor into the red zone more than someone like Gray. He also handled an increased 2023 workload well en route to an eight-touchdown season. His pass-catching upside, considering the blend of athletic traits, is impressive.

Blocking is a bit more of a question mark both now and later. Among 172 FBS tight ends to log at least 200 blocking snaps last season, Wiley ranked 26th in overall blocking grade per Pro Football Focus. That looks tremendous on the surface, especially when accompanied by a No. 32 ranking in pass blocking grade. Factoring in his 134th overall ranking in run blocking grade, however, paints a much different picture. His meal ticket early may require thorough blocking consistency, so that's something to monitor.

Where does the truth reside? Likely somewhere in the middle. Veach is right in assessing Wiley as someone capable of presenting a "unique" situation. At some point, he may be able to handle a more diverse receiving portfolio than someone like Gray or Smith. It may come with a trade-off in blocking relative to someone like the departed Blake Bell, though.

And that's okay. With Kelce under contract for two more seasons, Wiley doesn't have to excel coming out of the gate. If he does, it's icing on the cake for Kansas City. Veach is excited that he got a chance to bank on a developmental piece with distinct impact traits, which is wise. For a Day 3 draft selection, a club can't ask for much more than a good fit and intrigue for the future.

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