What are the Chiefs thinking as NFL Draft 2026 approaches? Here’s what to know
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- The Chiefs enter the 2026 NFL Draft with first-round picks at Nos. 9 and 29.
- Kansas City traded a 1st-round pick in 7 of last 10 drafts, with mostly strong results.
- Wide receiver, edge rusher and cornerback rank as the Chiefs' primary positional needs.
The Kansas City Chiefs enter the 2026 NFL Draft with their first top-10 pick since 2013 and nine total selections over three days.
The draft begins Thursday in Pittsburgh, and the Chiefs hold picks at Nos. 9 and 29 in the first round.
Here are key takeaways ahead of this year’s draft, which continues through Saturday:
• The Chiefs have a strong track record of first-round trades. Kansas City has made a trade involving a first-round pick in seven of the last 10 drafts, with mostly strong results — including the 2017 deal that landed Patrick Mahomes.
• The No. 29 pick came from trading cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Rams in March. That deal also netted a fifth-round pick, a sixth-round pick and a 2027 third-round pick.
• Wide receiver could be the pick at No. 9. With Hollywood Brown now in Philadelphia and Rashee Rice entering a contract season, the position checks the boxes of team need, positional value and available talent — with Makai Lemon, Carnell Tate and Jordyn Tyson potentially on the board.
• Edge rusher and cornerback are also major needs. Free agency departures including McDuffie, Jaylen Watson and Mike Danna created holes. Many mock drafts project top edge rushers off the board before No. 9, which could push that position to No. 29.
• GM Brett Veach says there’s no blueprint for trade strategy. “I think it’s just exhausting all the information with each player, identifying your team needs (and) working with the coaching staff,” Veach said.
• A slight defensive lean in the draft makes sense. Veach’s most successful recent draft was in 2022, when seven of 10 picks were defensive players — a class that produced five key contributors and played on two Super Bowl-winning teams.
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.
This story was originally published April 21, 2026 at 7:07 PM.
