TCU Tight End Jared Wiley signals for a first down after catching a pass against Oklahoma State in Fort Worth, Texas, Saturday , Oct. 15 2022 (AP Photo/Sam Hodde)

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Chiefs fans have been clamoring for Brett Veach to seriously look into a replacement for Travis Kelce for years now. With Kelce signing an extension to stay in KC for two more years, it’s signaling that the end of the road is near for the future Hall of Famer. It looks like the Chiefs may be grooming Jared Wiley to be the next in line as one of Patrick Mahomes go-to guys. Naturally, he will be compared to Kelce because of their similar size and their similar football backgrounds. Both Kelce and Wiley played quarterback in high school highlighting their unique abilities to be playmakers, not just big bodies.

Wiley was a 3-Star recruit coming out of Temple High School and started his collegiate career at Texas. He finished his career at TCU where he broke out for 46 receptions 547 yards and led FBS Tight Ends with 8 touchdown catches in his senior season. He was a main outlet for TCU’s offense especially after November. He had games of 4-64 and 6-65 against Texas Tech and Texas, before exploding for 7-178 and two touchdowns against Baylor. He ended his senior season with 8-38 with two more touchdowns.

There’s a lot to like from the prospect out of TCU. Wiley is an imposing athlete standing at 6”6’ and 250 lbs, he has prototypical size for the position. He ran an official 4.62 40-yard dash and possess a 37 inch vertical. He uses every bit of his size to muscle through defenders and high point footballs with ease. He’s flashed the ability to line up in the slot or as an in-line Tight End. Per Ron Kopp of Arrowhead Pride To take advantage of it, TCU did not use Wiley only as a traditional inline tight end. He was flexed out in the slot (or as a wide receiver) on over 45% of his 2023 receiving snaps.

The one skill that I look for in a receiver like this not if he can catch the football but how he catches the football. Wiley is a consistent “hands catcher” rarely letting the ball get into his body. He will snatch the ball out of the air and shield defenders away using his big frame. Oh and he can absolutely shred you in the open field if he’s left unchecked. He’s a long athlete with long strides that allow him to bust open seams and across hashes on intermediate routes. He’s a fluid mover with the ball in his hands which bodes well for his ability to produce in Andy Reid’s offense.

Wiley needs to add more strength in his lower half and needs to become more dedicated with his in-line blocking. He has a tendency to sit and wait for the ball instead of coming back to the throw. He shows physicality at the catch but needs to show more aggression as a blocker if he wants to take over Kelce’s job when he’s finished. KC is the perfect place for a prospect like Wiley who could benefit from a couple years being brought on slowly. He won’t be forc

Wiley excites me the most out of all the draft picks the Chiefs made in 2024. It might be premature but he really does remind me of Kelce when he first broke into the league. His RAC ability and soft hands to go along with his elite frame make him a tantalizing future TE1 for the Kansas City Chiefs. He has the perfect guy to learn from in Travis Kelce. Wiley should be at his Travis’ house every morning with bagels and orange juice just to get a chance to pick his brain and learn everything Kelce knows.