There's no getting around the fact that the Kansas City Chiefs haven't had the strongest offseason thus far.
After trading two-time All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams, who then made him the highest-paid player at his position in NFL history, they then watched fellow cornerback Jaylen Watson follow McDuffie to the Rams. Safety Bryan Cook also left, heading back to his hometown to join the Cincinnati Bengals, and linebacker Leo Chenal headed east to sign with the Washington Commanders. And those are just the big departures on defense, as running back Isiah Pacheco signed with the Detroit Lions, while wideout Hollywood Brown joined the Philadelphia Eagles.
Now, it's not as if the Chiefs didn't make any moves the other way, as they made a big splash in signing Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III, also adding some defensive help with nose tackle Khyiris Tonga and safety Alohi Gilman. Kansas City also brought back superstar tight end Travis Kelce and speedy wide receiver Tyquan Thornton.
While those additions are helpful, of course, Kansas City certainly has to nail the nine selections it currently owns in the 2026 NFL Draft, particularly their two first-rounders at Nos. 9 and 29 overall, the second of which they received from the Rams in the McDuffie deal. The Chiefs certainly have plenty of needs to address, and as we take a look at some recent mock drafts, you'll see that analysts have no idea what they're going to do in the opening round.
Three different mock drafts have the Chiefs taking six different players in Round 1
That headline pretty much says it all, as we took a look at three different mocks, and there was no overlap whatsoever.
CBS Sports
We'll start with Josh Edwards of CBS Sports, who has the Chiefs taking Utah offensive tackle Spencer Fano at No. 9.
"Kansas City takes offensive tackles in back-to-back drafts as Spencer Fano is tabbed as Jawaan Taylor's replacement. The Chiefs are not often in a position to add a premium talent in the top 10 overall. It is not a flashy addition, but they are filling in potholes on the roster with another pick in the round."
It's certainly not a sexy pick, but the 6-foot-6, 311-pounder, whose 84.0 overall PFF grade ranked 12th among 632 qualifying OTs this past year, would undoubtedly be a solid addition on the O-line.
From there, Edwards has Kansas City attacking its secondary issues by selecting Clemson cornerback Aveion Terrell at No. 29.
"Nohl Williams showed a lot of promise during his rookie season and Kristian Fulton, Kader Kohou have been serviceable when healthy. If everything goes as planned, the Chiefs may already be able to absorb the losses of Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson. It would not be a surprise if they brought back L'Jarius Sneed either. Avieon Terrell gives them some positional flexibility as well as insurance in the event not everything DOES go as planned."
I don't fully agree with his assessment about the Chiefs being "able to absorb" losing both McDuffie and Watson, but I do at least like this pick. Terrell is solid in coverage, although there's certainly room for improvement, but he's fantastic against the run and is arguably one of the top blitzing corners in this entire draft.
ESPN
Next up, we've got Field Yates of ESPN, who sees the Chiefs going with a wide receiver at No. 9, selecting Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson.
"The Chiefs are in desperate need of more big-play receivers, as Xavier Worthy hasn't been a consistent spark plug for them the past two seasons. Tyson is the most explosive wide receiver in the draft and neck and neck with Carnell Tate for WR1 in my rankings. He has very good size, acceleration, unique run-after-catch skills and field-stretching ability.
"Tyson dealt with a hamstring injury in 2025 and previously suffered a broken collarbone and ACL tear, but he changes an offense when healthy. He had 50 catches, 732 yards and six touchdowns in the final six games of the 2024 season."
It's probably safe to say that most fans would be on board with this pick, as Tyson would bring an extra layer of explosiveness to the Kansas City offense. And some may not realize how strong he is, as he was one repetition away from tying the WR record for bench press with 26 reps of 225 pounds at the combine.
At No. 29, Yates also has Kansas City taking an edge rusher in Texas A&M's Cashius Howell.
"The Chiefs haven't had two first-round picks since 2022, when they drafted cornerback Trent McDuffie and edge rusher George Karlaftis. While the former was traded this offseason (to land this pick), the latter needs some help on the edge.
"Howell was the SEC Defensive Player of the Year after racking up 11.5 sacks in 2025, displaying an excellent first step, ability to bend the edge and closing speed. He lacks the optimal length for an edge rusher with just 30¼-inch arms, but that is offset by his ability to get underneath and around offensive tackles."
Do you know how difficult it is to win Defensive Player of the Year in the SEC with all the pro-level talent in that conference? But that's what the Chiefs would get in Howell, who's more than just a strong pass rusher. Yates mentioned his 11.5 sacks for the Aggies this past year, but he didn't mention the additional 14 tackles for loss.
NFL.com
Lastly, we've got Charles Davis of NFL.com, who went the popular route by predicting the Chiefs to take Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. at No. 9.
"Grit, resolve and physicality are baked into Bain’s DNA."
Yeah, Davis didn't offer up much analysis on any of his picks, but that doesn't make his short assessment any less true. Bain has been the most popular pick among pundits over the last couple of months, and the Chiefs would be fortunate to get the Ted Hendricks Award winner, as Bain's 92.5 overall PFF grade ranked third among 852 eligible edge defenders, with his 91.8 pass-rush grade ranking 12th, and his 87.5 run-defense mark ranking ninth.
At No. 29, Davis also had Kansas City taking a cornerback, only his choice was Tennessee's Colton Hood.
"Hood fills a need, adding toughness and coverage ability. Defensive backs coach Dave Merritt is one of the best in the game."
Hood shut down some of the top receivers in college football this past season with Tennessee, and his 2024 campaign with Colorado certainly played into that, as he was able to practice alongside and against Travis Hunter, which undoubtedly helped his confidence. This is another move that I don't think anyone would be upset with.
So, there you have it. Three mocks and six different picks. It'll certainly be interesting to see which way the Chiefs go when the 2026 NFL Draft kicks off from Pittsburgh on Thursday, April 23.