Quincy Rhodes Jr. was one of the more talked-about names who never actually entered the 2026 NFL Draft. The Arkansas pass rusher had a breakout junior season that placed him squarely in the conversation for potential first-round consideration, but he decided to spurn the NFL's advances for one more year, leaving teams like the Kansas City Chiefs searching elsewhere for answeres on the edge.
That doesn't change the enthusiasm for him, however, and the 2027 NFL Draft is just around the corner. Rhodes is such an obvious player for the Chiefs to pursue, which is why ESPN analyst Jordan Reid has K.C. taking him in his 2027 mock draft.
Rhodes checks in as a 6-6, 276-pound edge rusher. He was the consensus No. 2 player in the state and chose to stay near home, with the Razorbacks, over Oklahoma and others. His first two seasons in Fayetteville were quiet, with only 93 snaps as a freshman in 2023 and rotational duties for the vast majority of his sophomore season—he didn't make his first career start until a Liberty Bowl matchup against Texas Tech.
After waiting for Landon Jackson to leave for the NFL in the 2025 NFL Draft (to the Buffalo Bills), Rhodes stepped into a starting role and produced immediately. Through the 2025 regular season he finished with 43 tackles, 16 tackles for loss (second in the SEC), and 8 sacks (tied for fifth). In a game against Mississippi State, Rhodes had 4.5 tackles for loss on his own, the most in any game in 20 seasons for Arkansas.
By December, Rhodes was appearing as the No. 16 overall pick in a CBS Sports mock draft and No. 31 on USA Today's board. The Athletic had him at No. 40 on its prospect rankings. He chose to return for his senior season, citing his relationship with incoming head coach Ryan Silverfield, who had actually offered him a scholarship in high school when coaching at Memphis.
Rhodes' decision to return to Arkansas was a loss for the Class of 2026, which Chiefs general manager Brett Veach even referred to when he said that the team moved as many as 25 players from their draft board when they decided to return to school. It's very possible Rhodes was one of those prospects, since Jordan Reid notes in his mock: "Many evaluators thought he would declare for this past draft, as he received Day 2 grades from multiple scouts."
Given his proven production, size, and power, Rhodes is a natural fit for what the Chiefs have typically pursued on the edges. Steve Spagnuolo has a type, and Rhodes' stature would certainly qualify him as a prospect to watch for K.C. going forward. This year, the Chiefs threw a curveball when they selected Oklahoma's R Mason Thomas in the second round, but it remains to be seen how they will ingratiate him into the defense.
Every NFL team is always going to pursue further pass rushing help given the constant need for depth and premium nature of the position. The Chiefs' depth chart is currently thin and even with Ashton Gillotte, George Karlaftis, and Thomas returning in 2027, Rhodes would certaintly be a welcome addition next spring.
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