Three members of the Kansas City Chiefs draft class were selected for the 2026 NFL Players Association Rookie Premiere, an annual event that provides some of the more marquee first-year players coming into the league to get a taste of the business side of things. This year's event is scheduled for May 13-17.
It's not unusual for the Chiefs to send at least one player to the Premiere, but this year, three of Kansas City's draft picks have been invited: first-round cornerback Mansoor Delane, fifth-round running back Emmett Johnson, and seventh-round quarterback Garrett Nussmeier.
To bring you up to speed, the NFLPA Rookie Premiere is an annual three-day event in L.A. at which recent draftees get photos taken for their first trading cards, have their official jerseys unveiled, sign autographs, and find potential marketing opportunities with some of the most prominent brands around, like EA Sports, Fanatics, and Nike.
Kansas City is sending far more prospects than usual to this year's Rookie Premiere.
The NFLPA's Rookie Premiere is essentially where the biggest names of the league's freshman class are introduced to the world for the first time off the field. It's alos a tell from the NFL's perspective on who it considers most marketable.
For the Chiefs, the fact that the Rookie Premiere is highlighting three such selections should indicate strong fan appeal in terms of merch and overall attention. Delane is the headliner, selected sixth overall out of LSU after posting two interceptions and 11 pass breakups in 2025 while allowing just 14 catches on 357 coverage snaps. He was the consensus top cornerback in the class, and he's got an opportunity to earn instant fame with myriad primetime opportunities as a new defensive catalyst in K.C.
Johnson is an intriguing addition here, because he's not expected to step into a major role with the Chiefs. The backfield now belongs to Kenneth Walker III, who signed a three-year deal in free agency, so while the Chiefs are excited to add Johnson's talents, the truth is that he's playing second fiddle in the ground game of a team known to lean on the air attack. That said, Johnson was a beast last season for Nebraska as he led the Big Ten in rushing with 1,451 yards and 15 total touchdowns. He also caught 46 passes out of the backfield.
Nussmeier, a seventh-round pick out of LSU, is a developmental quarterback, but the buzz was immediate when the Chiefs submitted his name on a draft card—even at No. 249 overall. K.C. hasn't selected a quarterback in the draft since Patrick Mahomes, so any young investment there working with Andy Reid is going to be a notable moment. Nussmeier's pro projections before 2025 had a much higher trajectory, so it's possible some previous buzz is also helping Nussmeier earn such a moment now.
Last year, the Chiefs sent one player to the event: wide receiver Jalen Royals. Before that, Kansas City didn't send a player to the Premiere in '24, and wide receiver Rashee Rice went in '23. Previous weekends have included WR Skyy Moore ('22), WR Cornell Powell ('21), RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire ('20), and WR Mecole Hardman ('19).
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