OVERVIEW
In high school, Kelce was a three sport star, but his best sport was always football. He was a three-year letter winner at quarterback, and earned All-Lake Erie League honors after totaling 2,539 yards of total offense and 31 total touchdowns as a senior. Kelce’s uncle Don Blalock played football at Purdue and grandfather Don Blalock played football at Ohio. Travis is the younger brother of former Cincinnati Bearcats and current Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce.
In his first year on campus, Travis redshirted. In his redshirt freshman year, Kelce participated in 11 games as the tight end. He caught one pass for three yards. Kelce also played some quarterback, strictly in a Wildcat role. He logged eight carries for 47 yards and two touchdowns. Kelce did not play in 2010, as he was suspended for a violation of team rules. Upon his return in 2011, Kelce caught 13 passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns. In his senior season, Kelce put himself on the NFL prospect map, as he caught 45 passes for 722 yards and eight touchdowns. He was selected to the All-Big East first team for his play.
ANALYSIS
STRENGTHS Kelce has an ideal tight end frame. Athletic for his size, with great strength, and the ability to stretch the field vertically. Very physical run blocker, generates power from the lower half, and will move defenders off the ball. Plays with leverage. Wide catching radius, can adjust and make the difficult catch. Tough to bring down after the catch. Light feet, and has lined up in numerous different positions.
WEAKNESSES Suspended for an entire season for violating team rules. Only one season of production. Doesn't have blazing speed. Not a tremendously explosive athlete. Doesn't come out of his breaks all that well.
NFL COMPARISON Rob Gronkowski
BOTTOM LINE Kelce has been a tremendous run blocker throughout his career for the Bearcats, but really elevated his game as a receiver in his senior season. He isn't a tremendous athlete, but he does a lot of things very well. It's a deep tight end class, but Kelce's play suggests that he should be highly sought after. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Mecca:
Moeaki is ****ed, Fasano, Kelce and he'll have to battle with the potential of the basketball player while already having a bad perception with the new coaching staff already.
It seems like Reid and Dorsey want their players to be nasty maulers. Winston was a finesse tackle. And Moeaki was a pretty technically sound guy, but he just lacks the toughness you want. He is most definitely getting phased out.
I get wood, by the way, thinking of how tight ends will be used in this new offense. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Mecca:
Moeaki is fucked, Fasano, Kelce and he'll have to battle with the potential of the basketball player while already having a bad perception with the new coaching staff already.
you should come around more often. Good to see you back.
I SWEAR I saw you in independence center. almost said "Mecca" just to see if you would look around Posted via Mobile Device [Reply]
It's possible he was the best player on their board, this draft more than any other I recall was very hard to predict everyone was all over the place. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Ponderception:
I don't discount that.
I just don't think he was BPA at 3.1. Doesn't mean he's not a fine pick, even at the slot selected.
But for Dorsey to continually go on about this mantra of BPA with the selections they made makes me laugh.
Well as Billick has said, sometimes it's a combination of BPA and need thus you can do both with one pick. He was the last decent TE available and Reid/Dorsey still did not feel comfortable with our TE situation as it was and saw an opportunity. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Chiefshrink:
Well as Billick has said, sometimes it's a combination of BPA and need thus you can do both with one pick. He was the last decent TE available and Reid/Dorsey still did not feel comfortable with our TE situation as it was and saw an opportunity.
That's what it was.
The teams that literally stick to BPA or need don't exist anymore. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Mecca:
It's possible he was the best player on their board, this draft more than any other I recall was very hard to predict everyone was all over the place.
It really was. I have no idea why Okafor dropped as far as he did as an example. [Reply]