6 – Travis Kelce
Travis Kelce did everything to earn his contract extension he signed this January for five years and $46 million. After a 2014 Kansas City Chiefs team saw no wide receiver catch a single touchdown pass, the 862 yards and five touchdowns from Kelce were the majority of the offense outside of Jamaal Charles‘ ridiculous year.
2015 was not the same, as the arrival of Jeremy Maclin seemed to change a lot of the Chiefs’ misfortunes in the passing game. Kelce still managed to put up 875 yards on 72 catches and hauled in five more touchdowns.
Drafted out of the University of Cincinnati in the 2013 NFL Draft in the third round by the Chiefs, where he missed the majority of the season due to injury and had some worries about his conduct after being suspended for a season for violating team rules.
He has been more than a pleasant surprise as he has managed to steer clear of trouble, aside from his obscene gesture directed at Von Miller, and become a leader on the team.
One of Alex Smith’s favorite targets, an offense full of weapons, and a defense that can keep other team’s offenses off the field means that Kelce should continue to watch his numbers stay amongst the top of the tight end ranks.
I would like to see his touchdown numbers go up a bit, but with a team who didn’t have a WR catch a single touchdown two seasons ago, you can’t be too mad about the tight end catching five in each of his first two full seasons.
I look for the touchdown numbers to surpass five this season and Kelce to finally slip into the 1,000 yards receiving area.
Prediction: 80 Receptions – 1,045 Yards – 8 Touchdowns
