Five things that stand out about the Chiefs’ 2026 NFL Draft class
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Chiefs used seven picks in the 2026 draft, with five defensive selections.
- Chiefs prioritized speed in top-40 defensive picks, including Delane, Woods and Thomas.
- Chiefs left receiver depth as a primary remaining team need after the draft.
The Chiefs’ draft class began with a surprise trade.
It concluded with a surprise position.
The Chiefs made seven picks over three days in the 2026 NFL Draft, including the highest draft selection they’ve had in more than a decade.
The class:
• No. 6 overall: Mansoor Delane, cornerback, LSU
• No. 29: Peter Woods, defensive tackle, Clemson
• No. 40: R Mason Thomas, edge, Oklahoma
• No. 109: Jadon Canady, cornerback, Oregon
• No. 161: Emmett Johnson, running back, Nebraska
• No. 176: Cyrus Allen, wide receiver, Cincinnati
• No. 249: Garrett Nussmeier, quarterback, LSU
And here are five takeaways from this year’s draft haul:
1. The defensive theme
The Chiefs had two picks on Thursday. Defense. Defense.
They had one pick on Friday. Defense.
They opened Saturday, the final day, with defense again.
It’s the theme of their draft class, and it leaves questions — or maybe clues, even — about what they plan to do on offense. Do they really have enough at wide receiver, for example?
But I will offer some context that seems to be missing from this conversation.
The Chiefs lost a collection of defensive players who snagged a combined $254 million in free agent contracts with other teams this offseason. (That number will fluctuate based on future guarantees, cuts or adjustments, but still.)
The highest-paid offensive free agent to leave the Chiefs this offseason: the backup quarterback.
So why would the Chiefs prioritize defense? They had plenty more to replace there.
They didn’t just target quantity. They were intentional in targeting a specific quality in those picks: speed, even at the expense of prioritizing their usual traits.
Delane, Woods and Thomas — all taken in the top 40 — play with speed.
2. The offensive (lack of) theme
There is a notable and obvious consequence of putting so many resources into the defense:
The offense.
The Chiefs haven’t exactly operated like a well-oiled machine for the past few years, and Patrick Mahomes is in the midst of the most taxing offseason of his career as he rehabs from a season-ending knee surgery — an injury that puts his Week 1 status into at least some doubt.
Yet the Chiefs didn’t provide Mahomes much help in a draft in which they had significant draft capital. They waited until the fifth round to add their first offensive player — which is when they selected Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson at No. 161 and Cincinnati wide receiver Cyrus Allen at No. 176.
Neither projects as an immediate starter, which means the Chiefs’ offensive depth chart will look a lot like it did in a season they considered frustrating.
With one exception.
The best way the Chiefs could take something off the shoulders of Mahomes is to take something off his plate. They could ask a run game led by Kenneth Walker to occupy a larger share of the load — or at least add another dimension — than they have asked of past iterations of the backfield.
Speaking of which...
3. The backfield question
The Chiefs’ backfield will look quite different in 2026 than it did in 2025. Brashard Smith is the lone carryover, with Walker (free agent), Johnson (fifth-round pick) and Emari Demercado (free agent) all newcomers.
Johnson is intriguing — he finished fourth in the nation in rushing, fifth in explosive rushes and sixth in missed tackles. He also caught 85 passes over the past two seasons.
But that backfield combination still leaves a question: What about short yardage?
The Chiefs were the best short-yardage team in the NFL last year, converting 65.9% of third- or fourth-and-short plays.
But there’s a major reason for that: Kareem Hunt. He converted 34 of 40 short-yardage attempts, twice as many conversions as any other running back. Hunt remains a free agent, and there’s not exactly a lot of space for him in Kansas City.
Walker converted zero short yardage rushing attempts a year ago. Really. He didn’t even attempt one. The Seahawks took him off the field on third downs. Smith converted zero. Demercado converted one.
So, yeah, how the Chiefs will operate in short yardage remains a question.
4. The wait for a receiver
For a couple of months, we’ve analyzed the Chiefs’ biggest needs heading into the draft.
Their biggest need after the draft?
Wide receiver.
For the present. And the future.
Hollywood Brown actually led the Chiefs receivers in yards and tied for the team lead in touchdowns. He’s in Philadelphia now.
The only addition the Chiefs have made this offseason came in the fifth round Saturday: Cincinnati wide receiver Cyrus Allen, who projects as an option in the slot.
Rashee Rice has played only 12 of the past 37 games, including the playoffs. He’s still the Chiefs’ best receiver, but he’s often been unavailable — and he’s entering the final year of his contract.
Xavier Worthy had a less productive second year than his rookie year in the league.
Jalen Royals didn’t catch his first career pass until Week 18.
Even if the Chiefs plan to run the ball more, they leave the draft in need of help at receiver.
5. Other needs
When you go 6-11, there is typically more than one area of concern to address.
The Chiefs addressed a few this offseason, and this week in particular.
Some are still outstanding.
• Wide receiver, as mentioned. We don’t need to delve into any more detail here.
• Linebacker. The Chiefs have Nick Bolton and Drue Tranquill back, but it’s a bit thin behind them — Jeffrey Bassa, who couldn’t get on the field even when the Chiefs were eliminated from playoff contention; Cooper McDonald and Jack Cochrane. As of now, one of those would be starting in the base defense.
• Edge. The Chiefs selected R Mason Thomas in the second round, but they lost two rotational pieces last year, even if neither was particularly productive. After George Karlaftis, the rest of the depth chart features Thomas, Ashton Gillotte and Felix Anudike-Uzomah, a former first-round pick who has three sacks in three seasons.
It’s telling, by the way, that even after a defensive draft, if you were forced to list the top five remaining needs for this team, maybe four of the positions would be on defense.