The 2026 NFL Draft is so close. With the home stretch of the pre-draft process taking shape, some bolder takes are coming out about certain players. This appears to be heavily the case when looking at the top of the wide receiver board. As a result, this could directly impact the Kansas City Chiefs.
If the Chiefs opt to go wide receiver with their first selection, it feels even more up in the air who they would choose now than it did earlier. Among Carnell Tate, Jordyn Tyson, and Makai Lemon, Tate was a natural pairing by prognosticators in mock drafts. Lemon had been thrust there at times, though not as often as Tate. Recently, however, Tyson has begun to be paired with K.C. at a more frequent rate.
Of course, there could always be a wide receiver go off the board before the Chiefs' first selection. But in the event of a weaker top of the wide receiver class than most years recently, the opinions and draft ranges on the top three wide receivers vary heavily as the draft gets near.
Jordyn Tyson opinions shift back to starting point
Tyson saw his placement in mock drafts drop for a while. No. 16 overall to the New York Jets became a common landing spot. Some were even waiting to have him come off the board until the 20s due to his well-documented injury history.
But as many things in draft circles usually do, the main takeaways about Tyson are coming back full circle. For some evaluators, the Arizona State product is the most talented of this year's wide receiver class. How much can you rely on him to stay on the field? Either way, he is back to being above Lemon and/or Tate in certain rundowns now by some national analysts.
Specifically, Peter Schrager of ESPN and The Schrager Hour had Tyson to the Chiefs at nine overall in his first mock draft. With his ties to Kansas City general manager Brett Veach, that is noteworthy. Schrager dropped some additional interesting hints on Tyson from his intel with general managers around the league.
Will Tate see slight slide in Round 1?
Tate seemed to be the first wide receiver off the board in mock drafts for a good while. He could still go before Kansas City's pick, and it would not be shocking. Yet lately, some mock drafts by national analysts have sprinkled in the idea of him dropping after the Chiefs' selection. The Miami Dolphins at 11 are an example that pops up from time to time lately. Tate's size would be a nice bonus to have to diversify Kansas City's room. Will his lack of elite athleticism hurt him from going earlier?
What makes the recent buzz about Tate intriguing is Daniel Jeremiah's comments. In an episode of The Schrager Hour, Jeremiah mentions that if Tate were perhaps slightly bigger or faster, him being in play for the Jets at two overall would not be crazy. Tate still appears locked into a top-15 pick. Is that range truly wider than imagined?
Is Lemon for sure one of the first three off the board?
As for Lemon, opinions from some place him in a spot where he could go in the top 10 before Kansas City picks at nine. There is a world where others do not believe he is taken until the late teens. Depending on which person you ask, Indiana's Omar Cooper Jr. is ranked higher than Lemon. That creates a wacky wrench in how the wide receivers may come off the board in the middle of the first round. Even if the Chiefs pass on a wide receiver at nine, does Cooper Jr. create a ripple effect for how K.C. approaches their other first-round pick?
Chiefs have to assess the opinions intently
Kansas City could end up having its pick of the litter at wide receiver when on the clock at nine. On the other hand, it feels entirely plausible that two of those three top names are gone before then. Does that force the Chiefs' hand even further if they stick at the ninth draft slot?
The Chiefs could entirely avoid wide receiver in Round 1. In a wide-ranging set of opinions and in a weaker wide receiver class at the top, it would still be foolish not to address that need in the top 40. Kansas City cannot afford to let these differing opinions sway them too far one way.