2026 NFL Draft Grades: Kansas City Chiefs

Here's something you don't see every year. The Chiefs had a top-10 pick for the first time since they took Patrick Mahomes in 2017. Of course, they traded up to do so, so you'd have to go back to 2013 for the last time the Chiefs were in the top 10 by way of their record (they took OT Eric Fisher at No. 1 that year).

After losing Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson in March via a trade and free agency, respectively, the cornerback room was in rough shape Thursday morning. By Thursday night, things looked a lot better. The Chiefs traded a third- and fifth-round pick to move up to No. 6 overall to land Mansoor Delane, the clear CB1 in this class. Was the trade-up necessary? I'm not sure Delane would have made it to No. 9, but he was 14th on my board. No other cornerback went in the top 20.

Delane is an instinctive, technically sound cover man who creates turnovers (eight interceptions over four years) and limits production (3.3 yards allowed per attempt, fourth in the FBS). He starts at one spot for the K.C. defense, while Nohl Williams likely takes the other and free agent addition Kader Kohou takes over the slot. Kansas City has now maximized a few CBs on rookie deals in McDuffie and L'Jarius Sneed before moving on before contract No. 2 and drafting their replacements. Can Delane be the next standout in line -- and will he make it to a second deal in Kansas City?

The R Mason Thomas pick made sense, too. Kansas City was tied for 22nd in sacks last season with 35, and George Karlaftis (six) was the only edge rusher to have at least four. That was Karlaftis' lowest total since he was a rookie in 2022. Thomas had 15.5 sacks over the past two years, showing good bend and hand usage. He can get offensive tackles leaning, and then he can beat them with either speed or power. If Felix Anudike-Uzomah comes back healthy from his hamstring injury, Chris Jones turns more pressures into sacks on the interior and Thomas hits, this could be a solid pass rush.

That scenario gets even better if Peter Woods finds a way to translate his potential into production. He's a disruptive 3-technique but managed just two sacks last season. If Steve Spagnuolo can unlock his upside, look out.

I'll also call out the Emmett Johnson pick. Mahomes is coming off a torn ACL and needs more playmakers. While Kansas City didn't address WR until No. 176 with Cyrus Allen, it did add an impact pass-catching back in Johnson. He ran for 1,451 yards last season, but he's going to factor in on third down, too. Johnson caught 85 passes over 2024-25.

We've seen this movie before — four years ago, when K.C. surrendered a known commodity (WR Tyreek Hill) in order to get younger and address multiple positions through a draft youth movement. Ironically, CB Trent McDuffie, the first player the Chiefs chose in 2022 and later a key component of the dynasty, was spun off to the Rams this year for a second slot in Round 1. Also noteworthy, GM Brett Veach and HC Andy Reid did little in the draft to directly help QB Patrick Mahomes, who ended last season on injured reserve with a shredded knee after spending most of 2025 running for his life. Nevertheless, this year's top four selections were all invested defensively, Mansoor Delane (6th overall) widely viewed as the draft's top corner and an immediate replacement for McDuffie. Peter Woods (Round 1), R Mason Thomas (Round 2) and Jadon Canady (Round 4) add further juice and depth to the defense ... though it remains to be seen if that means an immediate Lombardi Trophy, which McDuffie, George Karlaftis and others helped to deliver instantly in 2022.

Best Pick: Second-round EDGE R Mason Thomas will add a speed element to a defense that needed it. He is one of my favorite players in this draft.

Worst Pick: It's hard for me to find one with their group, so I will go with a strategy decision. Why wait until the fifth round to take a receiver? That's nitpicking a bit, but then again, I loved this draft.

The Skinny: The Chiefs killed this draft. They traded up to land the top corner in Mansoor Delane, then landed defensive tackle Peter Woods later in the first, and followed up with Thomas. It was a great first two rounds.

Needing to replace three starters in their secondary, I loved the aggression the Chiefs showed in trading up to get the top cornerback in the draft in Mansoor Delane, who is equal parts athlete and technician, projecting as an immediate starter with high-end potential.

I would have liked to see the Chiefs continue to make their secondary the top priority, but instead the club pivoted to applying pressure on opposing quarterbacks, nabbing one of the few penetrating defensive tackles of this class in Peter Woods and a quick-twitch edge rusher in R Mason Thomas, two players who fit well in Steve Spagnuolo's scheme. Kansas City went back to cornerback with its fourth-round pick of Jadon Canady, who makes up for a lack of ideal size with great quickness and lateral agility, projecting best at nickel in the NFL.

This draft was almost all about the Chiefs' defense, but I have to mention one of my favorite prospects in this class — former Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson, whose elusiveness and soft hands will quickly make him a favorite of both Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes and a steal in the fifth round.

And, speaking of the offense, while he won't be overtaking Mahomes as the Chiefs' starter, don't be surprised if late-round pick Garrett Nussmeier winds up spending a decade in the NFL as a backup — or gets a shot to start a few games and winds up earning a big second contract, elsewhere.

The Chiefs feel like they are entering the second version of the Patrick Mahomes era as this was a critical draft to change the roster.

Overall, I'm a really big fan. Delane is an outside corner that can even travel with the opposition's best. They wisely doubled down in the secondary with slot cornerback Jadon Canady, who's a gnat around receivers despite being undersized.

I'm not sure Peter Woods will regain his dominant 2024 form, but he's a better player than what he showed in 2025. R Mason Thomas gives them a flexible speed rusher off the edge that they really don't have.

I was much higher than most on Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson because of his ability in the pass game. He ran a pretty big route tree, tracks the ball down the field and makes defenders miss in space.

Staying in the skill player group, Cyrus Allen was my biggest combine snub. He generates easy separation, especially in the red zone (he caught 13 touchdowns in 2025 for Cincinnati). Garrett Nussmeier's slide seemed extreme, but Kansas City is the perfect place for him to develop as a backup. Would anyone be shocked if after a few standout preseasons, he brings back better value in a trade than the 7th-rounder it cost to select him?

Here's why: Trading up for Mansoor Delane was a shocker, but the Chiefs desperately needed to add a legitimate talent at that position after losing Jaylen Watson and Trent McDuffie this offseason. They made a great calculated risk by taking über-talented Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods, who has a chance to develop into an impact player next to Chris Jones. Getting R Mason Thomas as a hustle/dirty work pass rusher was a nice move too to continue adding depth to the defensive line.

Most interesting pick: Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU

Nussmeier easily could've gone on Day 2 of the draft, so to get him with just a few picks before the draft was over is incredible value for Kansas City. He was dinged up for a good chunk of last season and it hurt his performance, but at his best he's a potential starter in the league. He'll never unseat Patrick Mahomes, but in 2027 and beyond he has a chance to entrench himself as a long-term backup.

The Chiefs put together one of the most exciting hauls of any team this weekend, adding a handful of potential future stars. They kicked things off on Thursday night by making a small trade up with the Browns to secure a day-one starter in cornerback Mansoor Delane. My clearcut no. 1 cornerback, Delane fills an obvious position of need for Kansas City. The Chiefs then turned around and used the pick they acquired from the Rams in the Trent McDuffie deal to add a disruptive interior defender in Peter Woods. The former Clemson standout wasn't as productive as expected in 2025, but possesses scintillating movement skills and rare agility for a man his size. He brings potential to create chaos and collapse pockets for the Chiefs, especially when he's lining up next to Chris Jones. The same could be said for the team's second-rounder, Oklahoma edge rusher R Mason Thomas. Thomas is an explosive but undersized pass rusher who brings top-tier agility and excellent hand use to the edge. I thought the selection of Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson was an intriguing pick, as well. Johnson is excellent in the passing game and perfectly complements Kenneth Walker III, giving Kansas City another elusive back capable of carrying a heavy load. Add in the seventh-round selection of Garrett Nussmeier, who fell much further than expected but could be developed as a long-term backup to Patrick Mahomes, and it feels like Kansas City had a very productive three days.

Analysis: The Chiefs needed to nail this draft after a 6—11 season and did exactly that. Delane and Woods have strong arguments to be the draft's best players at their respective positions. Thomas is a smaller speed rusher who produced 15.5 sacks over the past two years and should start across from George Karlaftis. Johnson, a Day 3 pick, should be a nice change-of-pace back behind Kenneth Walker III, and he had 85 catches over the past two years.