The Kansas City Chiefs desperately need help at defensive end. Their outside pass rush had already been subpar for the last several seasons, and now the Chiefs find themselves with an incredibly thin edge depth chart and very little cap space to make a meaningful signing. Elite NFL pass rushers demand top dollar, and the Chiefs don't have that kind of space available, even after releasing veteran Mike Danna earlier this week.
So, with very little depth at defensive end on the roster and minimal cap space to spend on the position, the Chiefs really need to land a starting-caliber edge player in the 2026 NFL Draft. The only problem is that even with the 9th overall pick, they could easily miss out on the true difference-makers at the position if they don't trade up even higher in the top ten.
While draft "experts" rarely agree on rankings, there is a clear consensus this year that there are three edge players worthy of a top-ten draft pick in this class. Those three players are Arvell Reese from Ohio State, David Bailey from Texas Tech, and Rueben Bain Jr. from Miami. Chiefs fans could debate the scheme fit for KC with guys like Reese and maybe even Bailey, but what isn't up for debate is that those three are the consensus top-ten edge players.
There are other defensive ends that are widely considered first-round prospects, but they would all currently be viewed as a fairly sizable reach at pick No. 9 overall. So if the Chiefs miss out on the top three edge players, they would either have to pass on more talented prospects to draft for positional need in the top ten or trade back to take the next tier of edge players at a spot that offered better value. Either way, KC is losing the chance to add an actual top-ten draft talent with what is hopefully a rare opportunity to pick that high.
Even the average mock draft suggests the Chiefs may have to trade up from No. 9 to secure one of the class’s top edge rushers.
While the Chiefs could sit at pick No. 9 and hope one of the top three edge players makes it to them, that is a big gamble at this point. When I looked at eight recent mock drafts from major sports outlets and where Reese, Bailey, and Bain went in those mocks, these were the average draft slots for each of the three top edge players:
- Arvell Reese - 3.25
- David Bailey - 4.25
- Rueben Bain Jr. - 6.75
So the average mock draft slot for all three top edge players is within the top seven picks. That's not great news when you have the number nine pick and desperately need a difference-maker at defensive end. Yes, in three of the eight mock drafts, Rueben Bain Jr. was still available when the Chiefs picked, but three other mocks had him going in the top four picks. The bottom line here is that the only way the Chiefs can ensure that they get one of these top edge prospects is to trade up from pick No. 9.
The next logical questions are how high would they have to go? Which teams might be willing to move back? What would it cost for KC to move up three to four picks to ensure they get one of these players or even a specific player they might like best? These are really hard questions to answer.
Teams like the Tennessee Titans, New York Giants, and Cleveland Browns, who pick in the 4–6 spots, all have lots of holes to fill and might be willing to move back to add more picks. But if they want KC's early second-round pick or a future first, that might be more than KC is willing to part with. You can make the math work using NFL trade charts and a number of less valuable picks, but history will tell you that teams don't usually move top-ten picks if they aren't getting something really valuable in return.
If the Chiefs truly believe they will be back to picking at the end of the first round next year, maybe they would gamble by dealing their first-rounder next year. It would obviously put a lot of pressure on both the Chiefs and the player they pick to make sure it pays off, but if they end up with an elite pass rusher, it might be worth it, especially if KC got something else to help offset the future first. For example, KC could move from No. 9 up to pick No. 5, give up their first next year, and get a fourth-round pick next year in return.
The Chiefs can't afford to go cheap at defensive end this offseason. George Karlaftis, Ashton Gillotte, and Felix Anudike-Uzomah are just not nearly enough outside pass rush to be taken seriously. The Chiefs need a starting-caliber defensive end added to this roster, and they may not have the cap space to sign a good one in free agency. That only leaves the draft, and if the true difference-makers are off the board by pick No. 9, then Brett Veach may have to make a move and go get his guy.