For Texas Tech TE Jalin Conyers, his best football may yet lie ahead

Last week, Justin Melo of The Draft Network reported that Texas Tech tight end Jalin Conyers was “drawing interest” from the Kansas City Chiefs, among other teams.

Here is what to know about Conyers.

Background

Hailing from the tiny Texas panhandle town of Gruver, Conyers committed to Oklahoma as a four-star recruit in 2020, but never appeared in a Sooners game. He entered the transfer portal twice, attending Arizona State from 2021 to 2023 before landing at Texas Tech last season.

When I spoke to Conyers at this year’s East-West Shrine Bowl, he was proud of his small-town roots. He described Gruver as a “put your hand in the dirt, get dirty and go make plays” football program.

At the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, Conyers recorded excellent numbers in both jumping categories, along with the shuttle and three-cone drills. While his 4.74 40-yard dash time wasn’t eye-popping, it represented more than sufficient game speed for Conyers’ 260-pound frame. Measured at just under 6 feet 4, Conyers’ height is a minor concern, given that being a reliable end-zone target will have much to do with his chance to succeed in the NFL.

Conyers also shined during the Combine’s on-field workouts.

Film evaluation

At the Shrine Bowl, Conyers said he was a well-rounded player.

“I just want to show my diversity,” he said, “and show my IQ as a football player — that I can play all three levels, whether it’s in the backfield, inline, or split out.”

His college film shows highlights in all three areas.

But most importantly for the Chiefs’ offense, this play shows Conyers is perfectly capable of working as a big slot target and catching on the move.

While moving, Conyers is simply difficult to bring down.

In this Arizona State play from 2023, Conyers runs right through a tackle by cornerback Cam Lampkin (now with the Los Angeles Rams ) to stretch the play for another 10 yards.

While Conyers falls a bit short of the desired height for the position, his vertical ability shows on high throws; he routinely outjumps defenders for big catches. This should create a realistic path to make a 53-man roster as a red zone target in multiple tight end sets.

Under head coach Andy Reid, Conyers’ trick-play ability would be fun to watch. While the Chiefs regularly experiment with Wildcat formations in which tight ends take direct snaps, players like Blake Bell haven’t represented nearly the threat that Conyers would bring.

Nor is he just a running threat.

On this play against Baylor, Conyers takes a handoff out of the backfield. But halfway to the line of scrimmage, he comes to a sudden stop — and the former high school quarterback throws a 20-yard touchdown pass to stun the Bear defense.

Conyers also shows potential as a bulldozing run blocker. Texas Tech teammate Tahj Brooks is likely to hear his name called earlier on draft weekend, but many of the running back’s highlights show Conyers opening up running lanes.

Here, Conyers essentially uses Iowa State cornerback Darien Porter (an expected top-100 selection you can learn about here) as a blocking sled as Brooks takes a direct snap and easily finds the end zone.

The downside to Conyers is that while his highlights shine, his long college career has lacked volume. Even when playing full seasons over the last four years, he never reached 40 catches — and exceeded 400 receiving yards just once. By itself, this inability to carve out a bigger role is concerning — especially from a player with so much mismatch potential. Conyers will also turn 24 during his first training camp.

While drops were not a major issue in his somewhat limited action, Conyers’ inability to bring in this wide-open touchdown against West Virginia last season has raised some concern due to his bad hand placement. If scouts frequently see this clapping motion as Conyers brings in passes, the potential for a bigger drop issue will be on the table.

The bottom line

Although the Chiefs have boasted Hall of Fame tight end play for all but five seasons dating back to 1997, “Who is going to replace Travis Kelce?” is not a good question to ask. Soon, the Chiefs will need to take a more normal approach to the position — which generally means building a room of high-floor contributors, rather than one unstoppable player.

Kansas City would be wise to continue using Day 3 selections on athletic tight ends. Yes… the team drafted Jared Wiley — a tight end similar to Conyers — last year. But unfortunately, Wiley’s return timeline after a midseason ACL tear will probably remain unknown as the Chiefs enter draft weekend.

Conyers would be a good candidate to come on in three tight end sets — just like Wiley before he was hurt. Conyers’ athleticism would give him a chance to build on that limited role for future seasons.

With his ability for trick plays (and possible usage as a short-yardage quarterback), he would be a fun player to add on Day 3. If he can build on his game — carving out a bigger role than he saw in college — Conyers could eventually be seen as a late-round steal.