Jordyn Tyson's medical history was always the downside of his NFL draft stock. As teams evaluated the potential of taking him in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, they each had to weigh the risks associated with drafting the talented wide receiver—knowing that his profile included both the ceiling to be an elite separator and a history of being unavailable.
Tyson didn't quite make it to Week 1 of his rookie campaign before learning he was going to miss considerable time for the New Orleans Saints. NFL reporter Ian Rapoport broke the news that Tyson's expected to be out for "roughly two months" with a hamstring injury.
The Saints selected Tyson at No. 8 overall in the draft, right in the range where the Kansas City Chiefs were originally slated to pick (No. 9), which lent credibility to the oft-shared idea that general manager Brett Veach might be interested in Tyson as his first of two scheduled first-round picks. The Chiefs, of course, decided to trade up over the Saints, but decided on LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane instead of Tyson or Miami pass rusher Rueben Bain.
The red flags were there for the Saints at No. 8 overall but they took Jordyn Tyson anyway.
Tyson and Bain, however, were the favorite choices for the Chiefs for months on end in a long offseason filled with mock drafts. After watching an efficient-yet-uninspired offense for the last few seasons in K.C., it made sense that Veach might want to invest the highest draft pick available to him in his tenure on a catalytic presence for the offense. That led to conversations around Tyson or Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate as potential targets.
From torn ligaments in his left knee that sidelined him from the end of the '22 season through most of the '23 campaign to a broken collarbone to a hamstring injury last season, Tyson's medical records feature a long list of ailments that kept him out for one reason or another. A hamstring was also to blame for limitations during the pre-draft evaluation process. In the end, he played in only 33 games at Colorado and Arizona State over four years.
The Chiefs didn't end up taking a receiver until the fifth round, when they selected Cincinnati's Cyrus Allen at No. 176 overall, and so far that choice looks like a steal for Veach. But for those who dreamed of Tyson atop the first round instead of a high-ceiling corner, Tyson's injury history has now extended into his professional career, making it clear that the red flags were a signal of the very real risk of drafting him.
No one ever doubted that Tyson is talented. The Saints can only hope that the hamstring will heal sooner than later and that his overall fortunes will change. For the Chiefs, the news is a reminder of how things might have played out if they'd decided to go offense first earlier this spring. Perhaps Tyson will look like a wise pick down the road, but the Chiefs' risk-averse approach there is looking like the right play.
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