Chiefs 5-round mock draft: How NFL Combine sparks K.C.'s strategy

Another Combine is in the books in Indianapolis. While the burn of St. Elmo's horseradish sauce still lingers, the league presses on. The 2026 NFL Draft is approximately seven weeks away, and the more information teams get about these players, the more the overthinking sets in. With all eyes on the draft for a week, we start to worry about how players answer questions at the podium, arms that are one inch too small, and who chooses to compete in which drills.

Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach can't afford to fall into this trap after a six-win season. For Veach, the strategy should stay simple: draft good players. If you can find productive picks and block out all the noise of positional value, level of competition, traits, and the like, Kansas City will come out of the draft more successful than not. For K.C., drafting those players who can also provide a high floor is even more important.

A reminder that my mock drafts are predictive, not what I would do. This is based on reading the tea leaves of what the team tells us, their positional needs, and knowing their thresholds when it comes to draft history.

To learn more about the 2026 draft class, check out our 100 Prospects in 100 Days project, complete with an 800+ word scouting report on each player and a film cut-up. It's specifically tailored to a Chiefs perspective.

Round 1, Pick 9 : Carnell Tate, Wide Receiver, Ohio State

Carnell Tate might be an example of the league overthinking things too much when it comes to the draft. Tate measured in at the combine and ran the 40-yard dash. His 4.53 40 time, paired with a 1.61 10-yard split at 6-2 and 192 pounds, might have caught some teams off guard. Tate appears much faster on film and was a big field stretcher for the Buckeyes. Between the long-speed questions and some of the other names rising in the draft, there's a chance Tate is still available at 9. Most have him in the mix as the top receiver in the class.

Tate's fit in Kansas City is ideal for what the Chiefs have. He's a true X receiver who can actually separate down the field and is strong at the catch point as well. He'd be the Chiefs' best blocking wide receiver, too. His ability to stretch the field vertically and win in the middle of the field would really open up Rashee Rice and Travis Kelce underneath and also free up Xavier Worthy to be more of the gadget role he's best in.

Shades of: George Pickens

Round 2, Pick 40: Gabe Jacas, Edge, Illinois

After writing over 55 scouting reports on the 2026 class, something I keep coming back to is the depth at the edge position. This feels like a great chance for the Chiefs to wait to address edge rusher with their second-round pick. There are plenty of questions to be answered for guys like Rueben Bain, Keldric Faulk, and TJ Parker, but that's all based around being a top-10 pick. At pick 40, that's a much different role for an edge prospect.

Gabe Jacas is climbing up draft boards, and it's easy to see why. He logged 27 sacks and 35.5 tackles for a loss in his four years of school. He was a two-time state champion wrestler in high school and was featured on "Feldman's Freaks" for being under 12% body fat at 260 pounds. He clocked over 20 mph on GPS tracking while putting up 30 reps on the bench press. He would be a nice blend of speed and power for the Chiefs opposite George Karlaftis. He can hold up against the run but still win with speed.

Shades of: Tuli Tuipulotu

Round 3, Pick 74: Chandler Rivers, Slot Corner, Duke

The Chiefs seem to be leaning toward Trent McDuffie remaining in Kansas City. The question is whether that will be on his fifth-year option or on an extension. Regardless, adding corner depth is important with the wave of the 2022 draft class hitting free agency. McDuffie continues to be elite in the slot and good on the outside, which allows the Chiefs to possibly add a slot corner who can mix and match with McDuffie, Kristian Fulton, or Nohl Williams depending on what is needed.

Chandler Rivers is a dog in the slot. He's smaller than McDuffie at 5-9 and 185 pounds, but he brings lots of similar traits. He plays bigger than his size at the line of scrimmage in both press coverage and as a tackler. He's got great change of direction and is sticky in man coverage. With 29 3/8-inch arms, there are length concerns, which might limit him to the slot.

Shades of: Kenny Moore II

Round 4, Pick 109: Nick Singleton, Running Back, Penn State

If you had to put your mortgage on the Chiefs drafting a single position in the 2026 Draft, running back feels like the safest play. The entire organization has made it clear they know the need to improve the ground game, and they won't ignore the position in the draft or free agency. While Chiefs fans might want to dream of Jeremiyah Love, hoping and praying he falls to pick 9 is a risky game.

Nick Singleton is exactly what the Chiefs will want from their running backs: dynamic speed, passing-game work, and zone-scheme experience. He broke Saquon Barkley's numbers on the field and in the weight room at Penn State. He was the No. 1 running back recruit in the country as a five-star and is 19th on Feldman's Freaks. A foot injury at the Senior Bowl and a frustrating 2025 season—just like Penn State's program—have Singleton slipping to Day 3.

Shades of: Sean Tucker

Round 5, Pick 146: Zxavian Harris, Interior Defensive Line, Ole Miss

The reality is the Chiefs have too many needs right now before free agency to address everything as early as you'd like in the draft. Waiting this late for a defensive tackle isn't ideal, but hopefully the Chiefs can add a name in free agency to help turn over the interior defensive line.

Zxavian Harris is a rare combination of size and power. At 6-8 and 330 pounds, he has rare tools on the interior that make him hard to move on double teams. His length makes him versatile in where he can align, and his long arms help him bat passes and kicks (six career kick blocks). Paired next to Chris Jones on early downs, the Chiefs could have some serious length and power on the inside.

Shades of: Deone Walker

Round 5, Pick 176: Robert Spears-Jennings, Safety, Oklahoma

The safety class put on quite a show at the combine. Robert Spears-Jennings has been an underrated part of a talented Oklahoma defense. With ideal NFL size at 6-2 and 206 pounds, he posted an impressive 4.32 40-yard dash and an elite 9.78 relative athletic score. He displays a strong downhill trigger as a tackler and solid coverage skills, though he is limited as a deep safety.

With the uncertainty surrounding Bryan Cook's market in free agency, the Chiefs might have a need at safety. The puzzling case of Jaden Hicks makes things hard to predict. Will they trust him to be an every-down player? Or will it look like 2025, when he couldn't find the field often enough to be an impact player?

Shades of: Cole Bishop

What the Chiefs 2026 draft class could look like?