Chiefs select Cincinnati Bearcats wide receiver in 2026 NFL Draft’s fifth round
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Chiefs selected Cincinnati wide receiver Cyrus Allen with the No. 176 pick in 2026.
- Allen had 51 catches, 674 yards and 13 touchdowns for Cincinnati in 2025.
- Scouts project Allen to contribute as a slot receiver and on special teams for KC.
In what started as a defense-heavy weekend, the Kansas City Chiefs made their second consecutive offensive pick of the 2026 NFL Draft on Saturday.
With the No. 176 overall pick in the fifth round of the three-day selection process, the Chiefs took Cincinnati wide receiver Cyrus Allen. One pick earlier, also in Round 5, the Chiefs selected Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson.
Allen, 23, is a 5-foot-11, 180-pound wideout who began his college career at Louisiana Tech (2022-23) before transferring to Texas A&M (2024) and then Cincinnati (2025).
Two years of production at Louisiana Tech (1,278 yards and eight touchdowns) didn’t translate to Texas A&M of the SEC, where he struggled in part due to an arm injury.
“I think he was still getting acclimated in that offense and trying to get himself underneath them, and then he had the injury,” Chiefs Northeast area scout Cassidy Kaminsky said. “Once that injury happened for him, it just put a different mindset in that kid’s head in the way of, like, he knew (2025) was his last year.
“And he came out, and every single thing he did was attention to detail, and I thought you saw that translate to the field.”
At Cincinnati, the ultra-competitive Allen spent the majority of his time in the slot, rebounding from his stint at A&M with 51 catches for 674 yards and 13 touchdowns for the Bearcats.
“Man, I appreciate them,” Allen said during a Zoom call with local Chiefs media. “They gave me a chance to just be the player that I am today, and I respect that organization. I respect (wide receivers) coach (Vijay) Stingley and (head) coach (Scott) Satterfield for helping me become that player that I used to be again.”
Finding his love for the game again helped lead Allen to Kansas City. The positional fit is expected to mirror his usage in Cincinnati.
“He’s a guy that probably more predominantly lines up inside for us and more of a slot-type receiver,” Kaminsky said. “(He) does have the ability to win at the line of scrimmage on the outside.
“So I think he comes in and provides some of that ability, the slot guy right away with some of those traits that possibly translate outside.”
Despite his reported 4.47 time in the 40-yard dash, Allen is known as a separator. As he works his way into the offense, he could also help out the Chiefs on special teams. At Louisiana Tech, he had 12 kick returns for 247 yards — an average of 20.6 yards per return. “He definitely has an opportunity to do some of the kick-return stuff because he did that at Louisiana Tech,” Kaminsky said. “But he also has the ability to get down the field and be competitive. So I think you could potentially try him out at gunner if you wanted to, in that regard, because he has that type of mentality and he has the long speed to do it. So I definitely think there’s a chance for him there.”
Allen continued to prove his value by exceeding expectations in college showcase settings.
“He was a guy that started out at the American Bowl and got elevated,” Kaminsky said. “Everyone that was there spoke fairly highly about how he’s rung people up, how he’s creating great separation.
“He got to the Senior Bowl and he built off that against better competition. Then I actually had the opportunity to sit down with him in an interview, and it was one of the best interviews that I had.”
Kaminsky remembered Allen coming off as genuine and passionate, comparing his personality to that of former Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco.
“Man, I feel like (football) just puts me in a different headspace,” Allen said. “I feel like this is my superpower, and when I put on my helmet, I feel like that’s just my super suit and all my gear.
“And it blocks me away from everything that I go through in my real life. So when I’m on a football field, I just don’t have any worries.”
Last year’s Cincinnati–Nebraska game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium proved to be another showcase for future Chiefs, with Cincinnati’s Allen squaring off against Nebraska running back (and fellow fifth-round pick) Emmett Johnson.
Allen had a team-leading five receptions for 41 yards, adding two carries for 18 yards.
“It was good to play there,” Allen said. “I felt like I was in my groove that game, I made a lot of plays that game, and when it came down (to it), I just felt comfortable in that stadium. So I’m excited to be there.”
Now Allen turns his sights to staying in that groove at Arrowhead as a pro.
