The Kansas City Chiefs played arguably their worst game of the season on the cusp of history, losing Super Bowl 59 — and a shot at an unprecedented three-peat — 40-22 to the Philadelphia Eagles. As a result, some significant changes might be in store for a team still hoping to capitalize on Patrick Mahomes’ prime.
When healthy, the Kansas City defense still functions like a premium unit, so the focus will instead turn to offense. Last season, injuries ravaged the unit, and Kansas City couldn’t showcase its true potential. However, it became clear that more help was necessary, and one analyst believes it is arriving in the form of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Kansas City Chiefs Must Prioritize Offensive Line and Playmakers
The first order of business for Kansas City will be upgrading the offensive line. In Super Bowl 59, the Eagles’ defensive front ransacked the line, and it became obvious that change was necessary.
But beyond that, the focus of the front office will almost assuredly be on an offense that, even after a late-season boom, finished just 12th in PFSN’s Offense+ metric.
Hollywood Brown, Rashee Rice, and Isiah Pacheco’s injuries contributed to their offensive decline. But even after their return, the team needed more juice to help Mahomes return to top form. Joe DeLeone of PFSN believes that the Chiefs will focus on adding these offensive weapons after tightening up their offensive line with their first-round pick.
With the No. 63 and No. 66 pick, DeLeone has Kansas City selecting Stanford wide receiver Elic Ayomanor and Miami tight end Elijah Arroyo.
For Ayomanor, the justification from DeLeone is simple.
“Xavier Worthy had a quality rookie season, but it became clear that the Chiefs needed additional reliable pass catchers. Eric Ayomanor has the hands to make difficult catches look easy, and the route running to get open consistently on the boundary.”
The case for a tight end is more complex. The last great third-round tight end the Chiefs drafted became arguably the greatest of all time at the position. But, at 36, Travis Kelce’s production, even in the playoffs, isn’t what it used to be.
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He had his second-straight year of under 1,000 receiving yards — not even crossing 850 on the year — after eclipsing the threshold in each of the previous seven seasons. Even in the playoffs, he had his lowest production since Mahomes became his quarterback, tallying just 175 yards in three games.
As a result, grooming a new name to take over his role in the near future has to be a priority. And DeLeone believes Arroyo could develop into that player.
“This selection should be nightmare fuel for the NFL. Travis Kelce isn’t the athlete he once was, and Kansas City needs to start looking now for their future at tight end. Elijah Arroyo is a fluid athlete with the long speed to stress defenses up the middle and over the top.”
With two new pass catchers, along with a returning Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy, Mahomes could have an elite group of pass catchers if this prediction comes true.
The offense might once again be elite, and even if the three-peat dreams are crushed, the dynasty could be far from over.
