Instant-Reaction: Chiefs Trade Up to Select Tight End Noah Gray At No. 162 Overall in the 2021 NFL Draft
With the 162nd pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Kansas City Chiefs traded up and selected Duke tight end Noah Gray. The Arrowhead Report Roundtable gives their instant reactions on the Chiefs' first selection in this year's draft.
Tucker Franklin: Brett Veach finally admitted that the Chiefs needed to address the second-string tight end for the first time earlier this offseason, and they've done some significant work at making it better. Kansas City signed Blake Bell to a one-year contract and the pick of Gray hopefully solidifies that for the long term. Gray is undersized but a good athlete. He also seems to catch everything. Having a reliable second target that can also be a plus blocker is an important upgrade at TE2.
Jordan Foote: Noah Gray is undersized, but he projects as a nice move TE for the Chiefs and certainly served as upgraded depth for the position. This is about where the Chiefs should be taking a tight end, and this investment is a solid one.
Conner Christopherson: Noah Gray is the H-back/move tight end that the Chiefs have seemingly wanted for a while. Gray is a very good athlete that could line up at many different positions on the offense and contribute. Gray can also be a special teamer from day one. While this is bad news for Nick Keizer, the Chiefs tight end room with Kelce/Bell/Gray could be the strongest they have fielded in a long, long time.
Mark Van Sickle: Noah Gray is a smaller-sized tight end but has good speed and a nice vertical to jump up and make contested catches. He can slot in as the TE2 for this roster but could also be used in the H-Back role that we see Kelce slotted in from time to time. An NFL comp to Trey Burton, this pick makes a lot of sense for an Andy Reid-led offense. He may not have Tommy Tremble upside for the long haul, but he is a similar style player. Another fun piece for Reid to move around in this offense and I think Chiefs fans will enjoy seeing him on the field over Nick Keizer.
Sam Hays: Noah Gray should be this team’s second tight end for the next few years. He is a smaller guy more focused on receiving and he brings a greater receiving threat than either Blake Bell or Nick Keizer. Gray has a solid foundation with his route running and he flat out does not drop the ball, having a career 2.8% drop rate at Duke. Solid pick and a potential nice contributor to the receiving game.
