Rams' McVay Lauds Oregon HC for Producing Chiefs' Newest Linebacker

Sean McVay knows a few things about the tight end position, and the Los Angeles Rams head coach said Thursday that his second-round draft pick reminds him of another Day 2 selection.

“I have tremendous appreciation for Travis Kelce,” McVay said Thursday on the Jim Rome Show, comparing Oregon tight end Terrance Ferguson to the future Hall of Famer. “There's some similar mannerisms in terms of what he looks like after the ball is in his hands. This guy's mentally and physically tough.”

McVay cut his teeth as an NFL assistant by coaching tight ends in Washington under Mike Shanahan from 2011-13, so he surely scouted Kelce before the Chiefs chose the Cincinnati standout early in the third round of the 2013 draft. Later in the third round of that draft, 22 picks after Kelce went 63rd overall, Washington took tight end Jordan Reid out of Florida.

But McVay also added Thursday something that will interest the Chiefs. His new tight end comes from the same Ducks program that produced Kansas City’s fifth-round selection, linebacker Jeffrey Bassa.

“I'm a huge Dan Lanning fan,” McVay said, referring to Oregon’s successful head coach. “You know he's running that program the right way.”

The proof of that is in the numbers. Bassa was part of an Oregon program-record 10 NFL draft selections last week. Only Ohio State (14), Georgia (13) and Texas (12) produced more 2025 selections. And before the 2025 draft, Lanning had coached 21 future draft choices during stops at Georgia, Memphis, Alabama and Arizona State.

Bassa said fans will see a lot of Lanning in his play for the Chiefs, who’ve had their eyes on him for a long time. The linebacker said he appreciates that Kansas City’s national scout, Jonathan Howard, has followed him closely since his early days at Oregon.

“You see all the scouts on the sideline, and you really don't know what they're writing down or what specific things they're looking for,” Bassa told reporters after the Chiefs selected him Saturday. “You never really sit down and have a conversation with them one-on-one until it comes to the Senior Bowl or throughout the pre-draft process.

“So, for me to have that opportunity for him recruiting me all the way up until now, with them putting full trust and belief in me to finally put my name on the card and be an addition to this great organization, means a lot, and I'm so blessed and so grateful.”

Be sure to follow us on X (Twitter) @KCChiefsOnSI and @Domminchella to never miss another breaking news story again.

Click here to let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE