Here are the Kansas City Chiefs’ three weakest positions after free agency
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Cornerback is listed as the Chiefs' top weakness after Watson, McDuffie exits
- Offensive tackle ranks third; depth thin behind Simmons and Moore
- Safety and linebacker need depth; Chiefs may add help in draft
In mid-January, I compiled a list of the Kansas City Chiefs’ most glaring weaknesses entering free agency, assuming all of their own pending free agents were off the roster.
At least to some extent, the Chiefs agreed.
My top four weaknesses were 1) safety, 2) running back, 3) tight end (at the time, Travis Kelce was a free agent who had yet to make an official decision) and 4) defensive tackle.
Kelce returned, and the Chiefs addressed the other three most glaring needs by signing safety Alohi Gilman, running backs Ken Walker and Emari Demercado and defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga.
With the signings of Walker and Demercado, running back is off the list entirely, and Kansas City is rightly no longer being connected to Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love. While the Chiefs could still use depth, I also dropped defensive tackle from the rankings after Tonga’s add and the possibility that second-year lineman Omarr Norman-Lott could be back for training camp (considering the timeline of suffering an injury midseason).
The other weaknesses have fallen down the list.
Before the update, I want to reiterate what I said the first time around. Just because a position — like defensive end — isn’t ranked as my top weakness doesn’t mean the Chiefs wouldn’t (or shouldn’t) take one at No. 9 in the NFL Draft. Addressing a secondary need at a premium position may make more sense at No. 9 than going straight after what I now believe is the team’s greatest weakness.
With that, here’s the update:
Honorable mentions: 7) tight end 6) safety, 5) wide receiver, 4) linebacker
TE: Kelce is back — and judging from how his contract is structured, it looks like 2026 will be his final final season. With his return, the Chiefs kicked the need for a new offensive weapon at tight end down the road another year. Kelce bounced back with 851 yards in 2025, and he would have had a legitimate shot at 1,000 had Patrick Mahomes not gone down with an injury.
S: Safety was my top weakness for the Chiefs heading into free agency. Ohio native Bryan Cook departed Kansas City to play for the Cincinnati Bengals, and the Chiefs quickly replaced him with Gilman. Gilman lined up with near-identical usage percentages to Cook in Baltimore last season. Unlike running back and defensive tackle, I still think Kansas City could use depth behind Gilman, Chamarri Conner and Jaden Hicks, so safety stays on the list at No. 6.
WR: Hollywood Brown has left for Philadelphia, leaving Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy and Tyquan Thornton as the Chiefs’ top receivers. Even with receiver listed at No. 5, I could see Kansas City addressing this positional need with the No. 9 overall pick. Rice is entering a contract year and, given his off-field matters, the question of whether to re-sign him will be interesting, to say the least. Great receivers are difficult to come by, and the Chiefs may very well go in that direction if someone they love falls to them in the top 10.
LB: Leo Chenal is no longer a Chief after signing with the Washington Commanders. Nick Bolton and Drue Tranquill remain after Tranquill agreed to a revised contract to stay in Kansas City. Chenal played 441 defensive snaps last year. The linebackers beyond Bolton and Tranquill — Jack Cochrane, Cooper McDonald and Jeff Bassa — combined for 157 defensive snaps. Kansas City will have to add to this position group at some point in the NFL Draft while hoping one of their current players takes a real step forward.
3) Offensive tackle
There has been some smoke among draft analysts that the Chiefs may be in the mix for a tackle. After seeing the Chiefs release Jawaan Taylor without adding a tackle in free agency, I’ve added this to the weakness list at No. 3.
As it stands today, Kansas City has two capable tackles in Josh Simmons on the left side and Jaylon Moore on the right. But pro experience thins out quickly behind them, with Esa Pole, Chu Godrick and Ethan Driskell.
General manager Brett Veach has spoken about premium position value in the first round, and it’s not out of the realm of possibility the Chiefs go with a tackle at No. 9. Meat and potatoes are delicious, but sometimes the right move is to eat your vegetables.
2) Defensive end
The Chiefs released Mike Danna and Charles Omenihu joined Chenal in Washington, leaving George Karlaftis and Ashton Gillotte as the top of the room. Behind Karlaftis and Gillotte are Felix Anudike-Uzomah (entering the final season of his rookie contract) and Ethan Downs, who only saw snaps in Week 18 last year. Thus, Kansas City needs help at what many consider the game’s most important non-quarterback position. Texas Tech’s David Bailey and Ohio State’s Arvell Reese are expected to go early, and it remains to be seen whether Steve Spagnuolo will grit his teeth and select the short-armed Rueben Bain Jr. from Miami, if he’s on the board.
I think the Chiefs go elsewhere at No. 9 and take an edge rusher with measurables they like at either No. 29 or via a trade-up into the early 20s.
1) Cornerback
Like offensive tackle, cornerback didn’t make the list the first time around. Now both are in the top three — with cornerback at No. 1.
When he got the opportunity in 2025, Nohl Williams flashed, which likely made the Chiefs comfortable trading Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for draft capital. But losing Jaylen Watson to the Rams, too, was a dagger to the position, in my eyes.
If Kansas City had to play tomorrow, the starting cornerbacks project to be Williams and Kristian Fulton, who struggled to stay in the lineup in 2025 due to injury. Fulton was even a healthy scratch at times once he returned.
The Chiefs added Kader Kohou in free agency and Kevin Knowles is still around, but it’s simply not enough. I see Veach throwing numbers at the secondary in this draft, similar to his approach in 2022.
