Arrowhead Pride
The former Princeton tackle could be a viable Round 3 option in Kansas City’s draft.
Given what we’ve seen from Round 2 draft pick Kingsley Suamataia and Round 3 selection Wanya Morris, Kansas City Chiefs’ fans might not be interested in taking a tackle after the NFL Draft’s first round.
While picks after the first round are likelier to be dart throws, both Suamataia and Morris were physically talented tackles with traits worth developing. That’s why it’s still a good idea for the Chiefs to take some swings at the position until they get it right.
In the 2025 draft, there are six tackles worth a pick in Round 1. There’s a good chance that all of them will be gone by the time Kansas City goes on the clock for the 31st pick.
Unfortunately, I don’t love most of the tackles who will probably be available on Day 2. But there is one guy I have enjoyed watching: Iowa State’s Jalen Travis.
A cousin of Ross Travis — who played for the Chiefs in 2016 and 2017 — Jalen came out of De La Salle High School in Minneapolis as a rather unknown three-star recruit with offers from only two Power 4 schools: Iowa State and Minnesota. But he was also getting interest from FCS and Ivy League programs, so he chose Princeton.
During the coronavirus pandemic, Princeton didn’t play — but in 2021, Travis was a rotational tackle who appeared in seven games. He became the starting right tackle in 2022, making second-team All-Ivy League. He moved to the left side in 2023, playing in only six games before being injured — but still made the second-team All-Ivy League squad.
After transferring to Iowa State in 2023, Travis appeared in 12 games — starting 11 — at left tackle, making the honorable All-Big 12 team as he allowed just one sack over 475 pass attempts.
At the NFL Scouting Combine, Travis came in at just under 6 feet 8 and 339 pounds, with 34 7/8-inch arms and 10 1/2-inch hands. He showed great athleticism for his very large frame, running a 5.14-second 40-yard dash with a 1.80-second 10-yard split. His 35-inch vertical jump and 9 feet 4 broad jump are incredible for his size, showing elite explosiveness.
Travis did some agility drills at his Pro Day, too — but they didn’t go well. After I watched his film, I wasn’t surprised.
Travis’ massive frame jumps out on film; by far, it’s his biggest strength. He leverages it well, using his length to keep edge rushers off his chest. In the Big 12, he almost never lost to a bull rush because defenders couldn’t get close to his frame. Travis also has strong, powerful hands that defenders struggle to chop down.
Travis doesn’t gain a lot of depth in his pass sets. Instead, he uses flatter (or shorter) vertical sets. While some players can’t get away with this approach, Travis’ length allows him to...
