When the Kansas City Chiefs signed Kenneth Walker in free agency, the writing was on the wall for their draft plans this year and what they plan -- or rather, don't plan -- to do with the ninth overall pick. With Walker now in K.C., the chances of the Chiefs taking Notre Dame star Jeremiyah Love at pick nine plummet. They don't have a need for him anymore and, chances are, he'll be gone long before then anyway.
Before the Chiefs had signed Walker, the majority of mock drafts were linking them to the Notre Dame product so now that's obviously going to change. Who do mock drafts think Kansas City will take now that Love is not in the cards?
Chiefs mock drafts going in totally different direction now that Jeremiyah Love isn't an option
USA Today: Makai Lemon, WR (USC)
Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz of USA Today did contemplate linking the Chiefs to a cornerback here after they traded away Trent McDuffie but thought that Makai Lemon here would be too hard for Brett Veach to ignore. Wide receiver is a big need for Kansas City this offseason as well and Lemon would be hard to pass up with the ninth overall pick for sure.
"Already an advanced and accomplished entity out of the slot, Lemon can immediately differentiate himself from the Chiefs' other receivers with his easy sense for separation and competitiveness at the catch point," Middlehurst-Schwartz wrote.
Lemon is coming off a monster year with the Trojans, tallying 79 receptions for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns in 12 games. The Chiefs need to find receiver help after the trio of Hollywood Brown, Rashee Rice, and Xavier Worthy failed to live up to expectations last year and Lemon could hopefully be the big weapon that Patrick Mahomes needs on offense .
CBS Sports: Sonny Styles, LB (Ohio State)
Garrett Podell of CBS Sports had the Chiefs addressing needs on the other side of the ball and connected them to Ohio State's Sonny Styles. While linebacker isn't as big of a need as other positions (like the ones we've already touched on), the Chiefs did lose Leo Chenal to the Commanders and might like what Styles can add to their defense.
"The Chiefs saw linebacker Leo Chenal walk in free agency, and even though Kansas City has a glaring need at cornerback, general manager Brett Veach drafts the best player available," Podell wrote.
During the Buckeyes' National Championship season in 2024, Styles was on fire. He racked up 100 tackles and also had 6.0 sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss under his belt in 16 games. Styles' numbers dipped a bit in 2025 but his production was still impressive (82 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, and 1.0 sack in 14 games). He'd be a great piece for Steve Spagnuolo's defense for sure even if linebacker isn't the biggest need for this team.
ESPN: Francis Mauigoa, OT (Miami)
Field Yates of ESPN only mocked the first 10 picks of the draft and went in a completely different direction than most people have for the Chiefs. Yates mocked an offensive tackle, in this case, Miami's Francis Mauigoa, to Kansas City in a move that might surprise some people.
"The three-year starter at right tackle is one of the steadiest players in the class, showing great balance, nimble footwork and overall body control at Miami. He's a force in the running game, which would be important to get new Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker III going next season. And protecting Patrick Mahomes is always a major priority; the fact that he is returning from an ACL tear only underscores that importance," Yates wrote.
Yates isn't wrong with anything he said here. The "issue", if you can even call it that, is that the Chiefs are likely going to have Josh Simmons and Jaylon Moore as their bookends on the offensive line. Moore will get promoted now that Jawaan Taylor is a free agent and the Chiefs will hope that he balls out in a contract year and Mahomes goes nearly untouched all season long.
That being said, would people be mad if the Chiefs spent the ninth overall pick on their right tackle of the future? Honestly, probably not. It might be a surprising pick but not necessarily a bad one.