The Kansas City Chiefs have two first-round picks following the trade of All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams. Kansas City has the 9th and 29th overall picks in the 2026 NFL draft.
No. 29 is a spot Chiefs fans are used to picking at for the past decade, but at No. 9, it feels weird to see a team like them picking so high. It’ll be a different year for Kansas City, with quarterback Patrick Mahomes coming off a torn ACL last season, the team will have different pathways to attack this draft.
Depending on the health of Mahomes, they could stock up on high upside players for the 2027 season, building for the back half of Mahomes’ career, or if they feel he’s ready to be 100% this next season, the team could target more pro-ready draft prospects who can make immediate impacts next season.
Let’s rank the potential prospects the Chiefs can target at picks 9 and 29.
Pick No. 9
1. Caleb Downs – Ohio State, SAF
A corner is a big need for this team, no doubt, but just looking at the roster, they have bodies. The team drafted Nohl Williams last year out of call, still has Kristian Fulton, and signed Kader Hohou, who will likely compete for the nickelback position.
Safety is a major need; the team signed Alohi Gilman from the Baltimore Ravens, who can play more in the backend as a free safety, but Downs can play near the line of scrimmage in a strong safety role, where he thrived in college.
Downs isn’t the biggest player or the fattest, but his eyes and IQ set him apart from others in this class. He was a major contributor to why the Ohio State defense was lights out against the run last year, recording 35 run stops.
2. Kenyon Sadiq – Oregon, TE
As we slowly get closer to the draft, Sadiq just makes more sense in my brain. He’s more of an explosive athlete than Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland and Indianapolis Colts tight end Tyler Warren, who both went top 15 last year.
Ninth overall is a perfect spot for Sadiq, who set an NFL combine record for tight ends in the 40-yard dash, running a 4.39 40. He’s a mismatch for defense, specifically in the red zone, and showcased his elite ball-tracking skills and contested-catch ability in college.
With tight end Travis Kelce getting up there in age, Sadiq makes perfect sense for the Chiefs to target to give Mahomes a solidified weapon for the back half of his career.
3. Francis Mauigoa – Miami, OT
The Chiefs have leaned on the running game more and more throughout the years, and it doesn’t look like that’s stopping after the signing of running back Kenneth Walker. There is talk that Mauigoa will move inside in the NFL, but I believe he can stick at that right tackle spot.
There’s a reason the Miami Hurricanes ran towards the right side a ton in their college football playoff run, and it’s because Mauigoa led the way. He’s a powerful tackle who thrives on moving people out of the way. I thought he showed good hands for a tackle; he just needs a little work on his footwork when dropping into pass sets.
Kansas City can go into next year with Jaylon Moore starting at right tackle, but I just don’t think that’s a route the team wants to go.
4. Mansoor Delane – LSU, CB
I fully believe Delane won’t be available at No. 9 come draft time, but if he is, he’s a real target for Kansas City. I mentioned above that I don’t think corner is as pressing a need as people make it out to be, because realistically, if there’s one team I believe can develop corners, it’s Kansas City.
Still, if Delane is here, he deserves to be in consideration for this pick. A true top-10 talent in this class, and he answered any remaining questions people had about his top speed with a 4.38 40 at LSU’s pro day.
Delane would come into the building and immediately cement himself as the best cornerback on this team.
5. Reuben Bain Jr. – Miami, Edge
Bain is another prospect where I feel he won’t be there at No. 9 when the Chiefs pick, but if I’m Kansas City, I’m sprinting this card in. Bain is my No. 1 edge in this class, even with the shorter arms. The power and problem-solving skills he has are just mind-blowing.
This Chiefs team needs help rushing the passer, and that’s what Bain specializes in. Much like Mauigoa, Bain is a big reason why the Hurricanes made a run in the playoffs.
Pick No. 29
1. Max Iheanachor – Arizona State, OT
This would be more of a thinking-ahead pick for the Chiefs, but the more I watch Iheanachor, the more I believe he can be a top-10 tackle in this league. His story is interesting: he hadn’t played football until he got to East Los Angeles College.
Iheanachor played basketball and soccer growing up – you can tell by the sheer athleticism he shows at tackle. He has a lot of refinement to be done, but the base of his game and how he looks on tape, I think, are better than those of other tackle prospects like Clemson’s Blake Miller and Georgia’s Monroe Freeling.
2. Omar Cooper Jr. – Indiana, WR
I hate to keep listing players that may not be there for the Chiefs when they pick, but the NFL draft is hard to predict. We have no clue who will fall or who’ll be available when teams are on the clock to pick.
Wide receiver is a real need for the Chiefs at some point in this draft, and with Cooper, if he falls to 29, I could imagine the excitement on general manager Brett Veach’s face.
Cooper ran a 4.42 40 at the NFL Combine, which raised his stock quite a bit, and his YAC ability is among the best in this class. Very good speed while pushing vertical, and is crafty with his releases off the line, he could fit in perfectly along slide Rashee Rice.
3. Colton Hood – Tennessee, CB
Hood answers the cornerback needs the Chiefs have, but much later in the first round. Very confident players who can trigger down on routes the second he sees it. Elite eyes in the backend make him more of a zone corner at the next level, meaning he could thrive in the Steve Spagnuolo defense.
4. Denzel Boston – Washington, WR
The Chiefs have selected smaller, faster wide receivers in recent drafts, including Xavier Worthy and Skyy Moore. Boston is the exact opposite at 6-foot-4, 212 pounds. Even with the size, he’s a versatile receiver who can line up anywhere and do damage.
Doesn’t need to be in jump-ball scenarios and can win with his savviness as a route runner. He isn’t the most agile receiver, but he is smart and knows how to use his body.
5. Aveion Terrell – Clemson, CB
Terrell would be a perfect fit for the Chiefs. With the loss of a player like McDuffie, the Chiefs can use the pick they got back for him to draft his replacement. Terrell can play inside or out, with his smaller frame. Even with the smaller frame, he doesn’t play like it; he is a very strong tackler and takes on contact well from bigger players.
Had very fluid hips in pass coverage and again feels like he’d be better in a zone scheme at the NFL level.
