KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs had six selections in the 2021 NFL Draft. And on Saturday, the team traded picks with the New York Jets to move up 13 spots in the fifth round to select Noah Gray, a tight end out of Duke University, with the 162nd overall pick.
Gray is the first tight end to be drafted by the Chiefs since James O’Shaughnessy was selected in the fifth round out of Illinois State.
Chiefs General Manager Brett Veach spoke about Gray’s abilities in a Monday media conference.
“We took a liking to Noah Gray and just saw him as a really unique inside slot receiver, h-back, fullback,” Veach said.
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Veach said while he doesn't want to compare anyone to Travis Kelce, Gray has a similar skill set. Once the Chiefs secured Joshua Kaindoh, they set their sights on Gray.
“Once the Jets got on the clock, they said they would be interested, but we were really identifying that trade probably about 20 picks ahead, we were just waiting,” Veach said.
On Saturday, Gray spoke about how excited he was to join the team.
“It’s not every day that you get to learn from one of the best tight ends in the league. It’s truly an honor,” Gray said. “I’m excited to get there and kind of just be a sponge and just try to gather as much information, watch him as much as possible, see everything that he does on the field, but even off the field.”
Gray was the third player, and only offensive player, from Duke to be selected in the Draft.
