Chiefs’ 2026 NFL Draft picture: This is where they could pick in first round
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- NFL shortened first-round clock to 8 minutes, affecting team pick timing.
- Chiefs project to pick around 13 or 14 in 2026 draft per odds sites.
- Chiefs retain slim chance at top-10 pick; winning last three games ends odds.
The NFL announced earlier this month that the time between picks in the first round of the draft would be reduced to 8 minutes, shaving 120 seconds off each selection.
The change comes a few years too late for Chiefs fans, who have become accustomed to staying up late to see their team select late in the opening round.
That won’t be the case this year. The Chiefs’ first-round pick will be made earlier than anytime since 2017. That year, they traded up to No. 10 and selected quarterback Patrick Mahomes, a franchise-altering pick.
The Chiefs, 6-8, currently have the No. 13 pick for next year’s draft in Pittsburgh. That’s according to the NFL.
With three games remaining in the regular season and Mahomes sidelined because of a knee injury, some fans are hoping the team will purposely tank to help its draft position.
But according to the website Playoff Status, the Chiefs have a slim (less than 1%) chance of ending up as high as No. 4 in the draft order. That’s the longest of long shots, as the site also gives the Chiefs less than a 1% chance of ending up in slots 5 through 8.
There is a 2% shot of the Chiefs getting the No. 9 pick, and a 6% chance they end up with the 10th pick. The most likely draft spot for the Chiefs right now? Playoff Status calculated a 17% chance for both the No. 13 and No. 14 picks.
The Athletic gives the Chiefs a 19% chance of having the No. 13 pick in the draft. There is a 16% shot they pick 12th or 14th in those calculations. The Chiefs have a 10% chance of getting a top-10 pick, according to the Athletic.
On the other end of the spectrum, should the Chiefs win their final three games, they will finish with a 9-8 record. There are currently 10 teams with nine or more losses this season, so the Chiefs would have no chance at a top-10 pick
This story was originally published December 19, 2025 at 11:44 AM.
