After a tough 6-11 season, the Kansas City Chiefs are looking to fix their offense in the 2026 NFL Draft. Holding the No. 9 pick, general manager Brett Veach seems focused on a new star to help quarterback Patrick Mahomes get back to the playoffs. 

While some fans are looking at Carnell Tate as a top wide receiver option, USC’s Makai Lemon is emerging as the perfect fit. Lemon won the Biletnikoff Award as the best receiver in college football, hauling in nearly 1,200 yards and 11 touchdowns. General Manager Brett Veach is already a huge fan of Lemon’s playing style. He shared his honest opinion on him this week:

“Makai Lemon is just so dang productive inside. He’s such a savvy route runner, and I know there are a lot of Egbuka and JSN comps, and we’ve seen how successful those guys have been in the NFL.”

This situation is very similar to that of the 2023 draft when the team wanted to bring in Jaxon Smith-Njigba, a star wide receiver from Ohio State. Although he missed time with a hamstring injury in 2022, his incredible performance in 2021 proved he was one of the best prospects in the country. Many experts believed that without those injuries, he would have been the first receiver chosen. However, the Chiefs didn’t get him. The Seattle Seahawks snapped him up with the 20th overall pick, well before the Chiefs had their turn at number 31.

However, since then, Jaxon Smith-Njigba has yielded great results for the Seattle Seahawks. In the 2025 season, he caught 119 passes for 1,793 yards and scored 10 touchdowns. He even became the main leader of the team’s offense, and now he is a top-tier star. This amazing performance led him to win the 2025 AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year during “NFL Honors.”

He is great at football because he gets open very quickly. Even when defenders are crowded around him, he still finds a way to catch the ball and run for more yards. He doesn’t rely on being the biggest or fastest player. Instead, he wins by being smart, having great timing, and always being someone the quarterback can trust.

Now, people are starting to compare him to Makai Lemon from USC. Lemon just had a great college season with 79 catches, 1,156 yards, and 11 touchdowns. Just like JSN, Lemon is an expert at running perfect routes and has very strong hands.

Experts believe that Makai can be considered as a long-term option to play in place of Travis Kelce once he retires. Instead of trying to find another tight end exactly like Kelce, the Chiefs can replace his impact by drafting a player like Makai Lemon, who excels at winning in the middle of the field from the slot position. 

Makai Lemon is a perfect fit because he is a quick-twitch athlete who understands how to get open fast. By adding him to a group that already has Xavier Worthy to stretch the field deep and Rashee Rice to gain extra yards after the catch, the Chiefs would have a weapon for every level of the defense.

Lemon would be the primary target for Patrick Mahomes on those crucial short and intermediate throws. If the Chiefs draft him at No. 9 or choose in their top 10 pick, Lemon might offer the specific skill set the Chiefs need right now. 

Drafting him isn’t just about adding a new player; it’s about ensuring the Chiefs’ offense remains the most dangerous and efficient unit in the NFL for years to come. But then the question is, why draft a new WR when the team already has Xavier Worthy?

Kansas City could move from its 2025 WR 

It is no secret to Kansas City Chiefs fans that the team needs more help at wide receiver. The front office is already showing its hand by meeting with five top-rated prospects before the upcoming draft. Because these players are expected to be picked very early, it is clear that the team feels a lot of pressure to fix this position right away. 

The team’s current roster explains why they are so worried. While Rashee Rice is their best player at the position, he has dealt with injuries, a suspension, and off-the-field issues that make him hard to rely on. This leaves a big hole in the offense that the team hasn’t been able to fill. 

The situation with Xavier Worthy has also been disappointing. After two years on his rookie contract, he has struggled with injuries and hasn’t played as well as many hoped. In fantasy football, he was expected to be a high-level starter but ended up ranking very low. Entering 2026, he is seen more as a backup than a star, which puts the Chiefs in a tough spot. There are even talks that a trade for Xavier would be an ideal thing for the team to consider.

The rest of the depth chart is just as thin. Tyquan Thornton is currently the third option, but he has only had one good season in his entire four-year career. With so many question marks surrounding their current players, it is almost certain that Kansas City will use one of its first few draft picks to bring in a new, high-end receiver. 

 

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