For the first time in what feels like ages, the Kansas City Chiefs are picking in the top ten in the NFL draft. After missing the postseason for the first time in the Patrick Mahomes era, Kansas City got the ninth pick in the 2026 NFL draft. It's a welcome consolation prize: the 2025 season showed that the Chiefs aren't as invincible as they once were.
Now, the Chiefs have a good way of addressing their key weaknesses. The draft is always the best place for contending teams that are also strapped for cash to fix their roster. With Kansas City projected to have the least cap space heading into the offseason, getting their pick right is highly important. Let's look at who the experts believe the Chiefs should take in their mock drafts.
Chiefs' biggest needs: offense, offense, offense
It's crazy to think that the Chiefs, of all teams, need to fix their offense. And yet, the eye test and the statistics showed that that's exactly what this team needs to get back into title contention. Kansas City's offense has been held together by a thread, and that thread's name is Patrick Mahomes. There have been signs that the team's offense is slowing down, and that was on full display in the 2025 season.
Most areas of the Chiefs' offense outside of the quarterback position have been an issue. The wide receiver room outside of Rashee Rice is a bit lackluster: Xavier Worthy hasn't lived up to expectations, and their veteran pickups haven't performed well. The offensive line has been less than impressive both in pass protection and run blocking. Their tight end room has also not performed well, with Travis Kelce getting up in age and Noah Gray having a down year.
The biggest issue that the Chiefs had last season, though, was their run game. The Chiefs have always leaned into their passing attack more than most teams. Even in their limited touches, though, KC's running backs struggled to consistently create space for the offense. With both running backs heading into free agency, Kansas City might look towards the draft for an upgrade.
Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
Tim Crean, ClutchPoints; Field Yates, ESPN, Nate Tice & Charles McDonald, Yahoo! Sports, Garrett Podell, CBS Sports
With their running back woes in mind, it's no surprise that many mock drafts have the Chiefs selecting the best running back in the 2026 class: Jeremiyah Love. The Notre Dame running back is an explosive back who's capable of ripping off big runs at a moment's notice. Love had 1,372 yards (8th in the nation) and 19 touchdowns (tied for third).
With Mahomes coming off an ACL tear, there's pressure on the Chiefs to generate offense out of the quarterback's hands. Having a reliable running back like Love, who can get positive yardage consistently and is good for a few big plays, will be helpful to the team. Love will also be coached by returning Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy, who is credited heavily for Chicago Bears RB D'Andre Swift's resurgence last season.
Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State
Brent Sobleski, Bleacher Report
Love is going to be a highly contested pick, though. The New Orleans Saints could feasibly take him at eight, and even the Washington Commanders are a contender to pick the Notre Dame RB. The Chiefs could also decide to find an RB in the later rounds. Should they use their first-rounder on a WR, though, Jordyn Tyson is an excellent choice.
Tyson's route-running and short-area quickness will be a big boost to a Chiefs offense that's been more focused on quick passes. Especially with Mahomes likely being limited for a few weeks, Kansas City will need someone who can generate something quick for the offense.
Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama
Speaking of Mahomes' injury, it will be in the Chiefs' best interest to protect their star quarterback. Kansas City's offensive line had Mahomes running for his life last season before his injury. In particular, their left tackle position has been a problem, as they've struggled to find a replacement for Orlando Brown Jr.
Pegged as a “younger, more nimble version” of Brown, Proctor should help solve the Chiefs' blindside tackle woes. He's a big man at 6-foot-7 and 366 pounds, yet his athleticism is still through the charts. He should be an upgrade over Jawaan Taylor, who has declined steadily in his time in Kansas City.
Reuben Bain Jr, EDGE, Miami
We've been talking about offense for the most part, but it's also important to highlight the Chiefs' biggest weakness on the other end. Kansas City's pass-rush last season has been lackluster, struggling to generate pressure against opposing quarterbacks. George Karlaftis and Chris Jones has done most of the heavy lifting, but KC needs more help on that end.
Bain Jr should be an excellent choice for the Chiefs if they decide to go defense in the first round of the Draft. The Miami pass-rusher finished the 2025 season with 9.5 sacks and helped lead Miami to the CFP Final. He recorded a sack and eight tackles in the Final against Indiana.
