Kansas City Chiefs Upcoming 2026 Draft Picks (7)
The Chiefs traded up three spots for a player they easily could have taken at No. 9. Wow. Mansoor Delane is considered the top cornerback in this class, but only because Jermod McCoy isn’t healthy. McCoy is a better corner, making this a very strange pick. It’s not like the Chiefs didn’t have any other needs.
I didn’t like that the Chiefs traded up for Mansoor Delane, but I like this pick much more. Peter Woods is a talented, disruptive interior defensive lineman who easily could have gone in the 18-22 range. In fact, he would have made more sense at the 18th pick than Caleb Banks. The Chiefs are getting great value with Woods, who will be the successor for Chris Jones. We’ll have to see if Woods finally lives up to his potential, but there’s a ton of upside with this pick.
I’d say the Chiefs needed an edge rusher, but that would be unnecessary because they need almost everything. They struggled to get to the quarterback last year, so an edge rusher in the top two rounds makes sense. R Mason Thomas is a speedy edge rusher with good potential, so this is a solid pick.
Another cornerback for the Chiefs makes sense because they lost their entire secondary this offseason. However, there were better options. Jadon Canady is great in coverage, but is frail and struggles to tackle. I had him in the fifth.
Emmett Johnson is a very agile running back with great vision. Pass protection is a concern, however. The Chiefs needed depth behind Kenneth Walker because Walker isn't known as someone who can handle a full workload. I had Johnson in the third round, so I love this value.
Cyrus Allen is a terrific route runner with quality hands who can make plays after the catch. There are some durability concerns, however. Given how poor the Chiefs' receiver group is, there's a chance that Allen plays plenty of snaps sooner rather than later.
Garrett Nussmeier has great arm talent, but really struggled last year. He was wincing in pain after almost every throw. It turns out that he has a dire injury issue, but there's a chance he can overcome it, and if he does, the Chiefs might be able to develop him and eventually trade him to a team that needs a starter.
Walt's Mock Selections as of 4/23/2026 - View Current Mock Draft
Round: 1
The Chiefs need to address a lot. One thing is their poor receiver group. Rashee Rice may be suspended or imprisoned based on his latest off-the-field transgressions. Kansas City will have nothing at receiver if Rice is gone, save for Xavier Worthy, who regressed last year. The offensive line can also be addressed. Jawaan Taylor is gone, and so the Chiefs need a new right tackle and also some interior help. And then there's the pass rush; Kansas City really struggled to get to the quarterback last year. This mock draft will have the Chiefs find help with the latter. Rueben Bain was very productive as a freshman and has a ton of upside. There are suddenly off-the-field issues with Bain, but Andy Reid isn't one to shy away from talented players who have done bad things outside of football. *** OTHER 2026 NFL DRAFT POSSIBILITIES: *** 1. Caleb Downs, S - This seems like Downs' floor even though the Chiefs value positional value. This is not the type of draft class to worry about that though. 2. Carnell Tate/Makai Lemon/Jordyn Tyson, WRs - The top three receivers are all in play for the Chiefs, who have to be worried about Rashee Rice's ability to stay out of trouble.
Round: 1
The Chiefs acquired this selection by trading Trent McDuffie to the Rams, so it would make sense to obtain a younger and cheaper replacement. Kansas City could also target a safety because it lost its top player at the position. Chris Johnson received some mid-round grades early on, but has become a late riser. *** OTHER 2026 NFL DRAFT POSSIBILITIES: *** 1. Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S - Kansas City lost its entire secondary, so it could use this pick to take a safety. 2. Max Iheanachor/Monroe Freeling/Caleb Lomu, OTs - The Chiefs have some major blocking issues, so they could select a tackle here if they don't at No. 9.
Round: 2
The Chiefs need as much defensive line help as possible. . Caleb Banks is a big interior defender who has quality pass-rush ability for his size.
Round: 3
Travis Kelce is returning for another year, opting to play football instead of preparing for his sham wedding. A younger tight end is needed to replace Kelce soon. Justin Joly is a great athlete with outstanding hands, but he's undersized and doesn't block well.
Round: 4
The Chiefs need as much help as possible at receiver, especially with Rashee Rice being in trouble again. Ted Hurst has good size and length for taking on NFL cornerbacks.
Round: 5
The Chiefs signed Kenneth Walker, but Walker isn't an every-down back, so Kansas City will need to find another running back. J'Mari Taylor doesn't have great burst for a smaller back, but he has great vision and can pass protect well.
Round: 5
Chris Jones won't be around forever, so the Chiefs need to add a defensive tackle. Rayshaun Benny is a great run defender, but needs to develop some pass-rushing moves.
Round: 5
The Chiefs don't have much at receiver, save for Rashee Rice, who can't stand out of trouble. Ja'Kobi Lane is a big receiver and an end zone threat. Pick change; previously Marlin Klein, TE
Round: 6
The Chiefs lost their entire secondary, so they need plenty of replacements. Will Lee has great length and size.
Past Grades and Selections
2025 NFL Draft Selections and Grades
A- This is a scary pick. Josh Simmons tore his patella tendon, an injury that has ended many NFL careers. Reports indicate that Simmons is doing well medically, but it’s difficult to know if that’s legit. However, the Chiefs needed to take a risk to fix Patrick Mahomes’ pass protection with so many offensive linemen off the board. If Simmons is healthy, he’ll be amazing for the Chiefs. He would have been a top-10 lock if he didn’t have any medical issues.
B+ The Chiefs need offensive line more than anything, but they also had to find a defensive tackle to play next to Chris Jones. Omar Norman-Lott could be a quality starter. He’s a smaller defensive tackle, but gets good pressure on the quarterback. He makes sense at the bottom of Round 2.
C Ashton Gillotte was very productive at Louisville, but I don’t know if he’ll translate to the NFL. He has height and length issues, so the upside may not be there. Still, he improved each year in college, so perhaps he’ll defy the odds.
B+ Nohl Williams is a tough cornerback with nice size. He received lots of interest late in the pre-draft process, so I’m not surprised to see him go in the third round. The Chiefs needed a cornerback, so this pick makes sense.
A+ I love this pick for multiple reasons. Jalen Royals was someone I projected in the third round, so I really like the value. This also fills a big need, as the Chiefs have either injury-prone or troubled receivers. This is a great selection.
A There are a number of great value picks being made in Round 5, and this is one of them. I had Jeffery Bassa in Rounds 3-4, so it's great that the Chiefs were able to get him in the middle of the fifth frame. Bassa is a quick and instinctive linebacker who has a decent chance of becoming a starter down the road.
B+ The Chiefs traded into this pick to draft some needed running back depth. Brashard Smith is a solid pick here, as he has positive receiving ability.
2024 NFL Draft Selections and Grades
C+ No one should be surprised that the Chiefs selected a receiver. It was already a need before Rashee Rice got into trouble. However, I don't see why the Chiefs needed to trade up for Worthy. There are so many solid receivers still available, and almost all of them would have been available at No. 32, so a trade like this doesn't seem very necessary.
A+ This is terrific value. I thought the Chiefs would consider Kingsley Suamataia with the 32nd-overall pick, yet they got him at No. 63! With receiver addressed, tackle became the team's great need, and Suamataia could be a big upgrade.
B A future replacement for Travis Kelce? Jared Wiley was a very productive and greatly sized player from TCU. Dr. Wiley makes sense late in the fourth round, so this is a decent pick all around.
A+ What a great value here for the Chiefs at the end of the fourth round. Jaden Hicks is a play-making safety prospect who easily could have gone in the second round. Adding more talent to the secondary makes sense, given all the great passing offenses in the AFC.
B I like Hunter Nourzad as a fourth-round prospect going in the fifth. The Chiefs have a terrific center, but they lost a key backup this offseason, so they needed an insurance policy. This is a good one.
C- Another running back doesn't make much sense, especially if it's not a great value. Isaiah Davis handled a big workload at South Dakota State, but the Jets should have been drafting wide receivers and tight ends for Aaron Rodgers.
2023 NFL Draft Selections and Grades
B- No one should be shocked that the Chiefs selected a pass rusher in the first round. With Joe Burrow and Josh Allen present in the AFC, the Chiefs need to make sure they get as much pressure on the quarterback as possible, and Felix Anudike-Uzomah is a talented player. I had him in the second frame, but I don't think this is too much of a reach. That said, re-signing him and Geroge Karlaftis is going to be a headache in the future.
C I don't understand why these teams are trading up for receivers right now when there are so many talented players at the position still available. Marvin Mims isn't Jalin Hyatt, but he's super fast. This could mean that one of Courtland Sutton or Jerry Jeudy will be traded.
C+ Jordan Battle is an average prospect who didn't make too many splash plays at Alabama. However, he's a smart safety who could fight for a starting job in the near future. I would have taken him a bit later.
B The Vikings have a poor secondary, so they needed to add numerous defensive backs to help their woeful pass defense. Jay Ward moved from cornerback to safety at LSU, which proved to be a smooth transition. He's a sound tackler, and I think he should have gone in this range.
B- Adding to the pass rush makes sense, given the high-octane passing attacks in the AFC. B.J. Thompson was a highly productive pass rusher at Stephen F. Austin, but we'll have to see if he can perform better against far superior competition.
B
B The Bengals needed a punter, so they got one in the sixth round, which is fine. It was nice that they waited this long.
A- Moro Ojomo is a good prospect, but happens to be a tweener. I thought he would go earlier than this, as I had him in the fifth round, so this is solid value in the seventh round.
2022 NFL Draft Selections and Grades
A Grade
I imagine the Chiefs were shocked that Trent McDuffie was available. They didn't need to leap the Packers necessarily, but going ahead of Baltimore was essential. I love this pick, as Kansas City had to fill a huge hole at cornerback, and McDuffie is arguably the best player available after Jermaine Johnson. The Chiefs moved up to get McDuffie, but with 12 picks, they almost had to do so.
A Grade
I'm mad about the Bengals not getting George Karlaftis, but the Chiefs are making a great value pick. Karlaftis has the talent to be a top-15 pick. I'm not sure why he fell - the upside isn't huge, I suppose - but the Chiefs won't complain. He'll fill a huge need for Kansas City's poor edge rush.
A Grade
I saw that some had Skyy Moore in the first round. That was a bit rich to me, save for one update when I was stuck on Tennessee's pick, but Moore seemed destined to go in the top half of the second round. This is good value for him, and he obviously fills a need vacated by Tyreek Hill in the trade with Miami. I love this pick, especially because the Chiefs traded down to take Moore.
C Grade
I'm not a huge fan of this pick. Bryan Cook is an instinctive safety, so he should be able to play right away and fill in for Tyrann Mathieu, but I think this is a bit rich for him. I had him late three/early four. This isn't a huge reach, but the Chiefs could have done better.
B Grade
Leo Chenal makes sense at the end of the third round. He's a two-down run defender who will struggle in coverage, but the Chiefs won't have to put him in that situation. Kansas City's run defense should improve with Chenal No. 3 on the field.
A Grade
I'm a big fan of this pick for the Chiefs. They really needed to shore up their ailing secondary, so another defensive back pick makes sense. Joshua Williams is someone I had mocked in the third round on some occasions, so I love this value.
A+ Grade
Two A+ grades to begin Round 5! Darian Kinnard has good athleticism for a big offensive lineman, so I thought he'd go in the third round. This is great value, though it's worth noting that there are injury concerns. Still, there's barely any risk in Round 5.
B Grade
The Packers were looking for a monstrous nose tackle to help them stop the run, and Jonathan Ford will definitely help in that regard. He makes sense at this selection in the seventh frame.
2021 NFL Draft Selections and Grades
B Grade
Nick Bolton is an instinctive linebacker, but has some limitations in coverage. Still, this is a fine pick, as I've had Bolton slated around this area for most of the pre-draft process. He could fill a huge need in Kansas City's poor linebacking corps.
A Grade
Patrick Mahomes is the best quarterback in the NFL, yet he couldn't win behind his dreadful offensive line last year. The Chiefs needed to make wholesale changes up front. They added talent at tackle and guard, but center remained a weakness - until now. I had Creed Humphrey a bit earlier than this spot, so I love this pick.
B Grade
The Chiefs lost Sammy Watkins in free agency, so they'll need a receiver to compete with the disappointing Mecole Hardman. Cornell Powell is someone who bounced around Day 3 of my mock draft updates, so the value is fine.
B+ Grade
Jonathan Marshall is an explosive athlete for a player at his position. The Jets needed some defensive tackle depth, and they're getting a high-upside player in Round 6, which is par for the course of Joe Douglas' drafting.
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