Chiefs received great grades for NFL Draft and even Skip Bayless gave a thumbs-up
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- Chiefs received A grades from several national outlets but also some B and B-plus grades.
- Kansas City traded up to select Mansoor Delane, projected as an immediate starter.
- Kansas City added edge rusher R Mason Thomas and defensive tackle Peter Woods.
Here’s a reminder to not read too much into NFL Draft grades. As you may recall, the Chiefs were roasted by some football “experts” for selecting quarterback Patrick Mahomes with the 10th overall pick in the 2017 draft.
Having said that ... the Chiefs got really fantastic grades for their picks in the draft, which wrapped up Saturday.
The Chiefs added LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane, Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods, Oklahoma defensive end R Mason Thomas, Oregon cornerback Jadon Canady, Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson, Cincinnati wide receiver Cyrus Allen and LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier.
Thomas was the Chiefs’ second-round pick, and noted Cowboys fan Skip Bayless praised KC in an all-caps message on X.
“WELL, THE KANSAS CITY CHIEFS JUST STOLE THE PASS RUSHER I WANTED THE COWBOYS TO TAKE AT 23 - R MASON THOMAS,” Bayless wrote. “KC GOT THE BEST CORNER (DELANE) AND NOW THE 2ND BEST EDGE. R MASON IS A BAD YOU-KNOW-WHAT. YOU’LL SEE.”
Bayless, the former Fox Sports talk-show host, wasn’t the only one impressed with the Chiefs. Here are the grades the Chiefs received from national NFL media members.
The Chiefs got an A from Fox Sports’ Ron Rang.
Here is an excerpt from his story: “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.”
CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco said the Chiefs’ draft class is his favorite.
The Chiefs received an A from Sports Illustrated’s Matt Verderame and Gilberto Manzano.
They wrote in part: “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.”
After the Chiefs drafted Oklahoma defensive end R Mason Thomas, Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd praised KC general manager Brett Veach.
It was a B-plus grade from Yahoo Sports’ Nate Tice and Charles McDonald.
This is an excerpt of their story: “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.”
The NFL Network’s Chad Reuter gave the Chiefs an A-minus. This is a snippet from his story: “Kansas City sent a fourth-round pick this year to the Patriots last April to select cornerback Nohl Williams and used another fourth on an underappreciated nickel in Canady. Like Isiah Pacheco, Johnson could be another Day 3 steal for the Chiefs because of his combination of quickness, power and vision. Allen’s speed in the open field fits Kansas City perfectly, too.”
The Chiefs also got a B from Pro Football Focus, as well as ESPN’s Mel Kiper.
This story was originally published April 27, 2026 at 8:52 AM.
