Kansas City Chiefs fans have gotten accustomed over the last several years to the thought process that the NFL season doesn't really begin until January, and that the NFL Draft doesn't really begin until around pick 30. That's where the team's success in this dynastic run has landed the squad more often than not, playing into February and picking toward the end, if not at the very end, of the first round of the NFL Draft as a result. Well, this season and this draft are obviously a little different.
As you all know by now, the Chiefs hold the number 9 and number 29 picks in Thursday's draft, which will be held in Pittsburgh. The ninth pick stems from the team's disappointing 6–11 2025 campaign. The 29th comes from the team's trade of cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams in March. For a team that hasn't picked higher than 21 since 2017 (the year they traded up to the 10th pick in the draft to select a project quarterback out of Texas Tech named Patrick Mahomes), this is what seems like a once-in-a-dynasty opportunity.
So what will the Chiefs do with these two picks? That's the million-dollar question that has taken over local sports talk, infiltrated national sports talk speculation, and dominated local water cooler chit-chat, as the Kansas City Royals likely are somehow giving up more ninth-inning runs as you read this—even if it's 5 a.m. There have been waves of speculation that have evolved with various offseason moves for the Chiefs. I'll do my best to relate my personal emotional roller coaster with the likely influxes of butterflies you all have experienced as you have pondered various draft crushes over the last three months.
First came the thought of a darling young do-it-all running back to bolster an offense that has increasingly become a recurring Patrick Mahomes piggyback ride. Jeremiyah Love was our promised prince that would deliver us from stale game-planning (along with Eric Bieniemy 2.0) and 3-yard carries from running backs who either run 4.9 40-yard dashes or refuse to look up while they're running the ball. Not to name names, because I don't want to be mean, but you know who I'm talking about.
This dream was dashed, and for good reason, when the Chiefs acquired Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker on the opening day of NFL free agency. This move not only made the Chiefs the only team in the NFL with multiple Super Bowl MVPs (not to brag) on the roster, it instantly made a running back room that has been a persistent weakness over the course of the last 3–4 seasons an instant strength. The later addition of Emari Demercado further bolstered a suddenly explosive group.
Running back dreams fade as new priorities emerge
So, on to the next one. Who else could the Chiefs take that would elate the fanbase and bring renewed vigor to the outlook for a hopefully resurgent 2026 campaign? Well, there's obviously an elephant in the room: Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice seems to have issues abiding by several crucial laws that various levels of law enforcement deem important and "punishable." Why not take a wide receiver to add some insurance to a room that all of a sudden seems a little thin after the exit of Hollywood Brown to the Eagles?
Carnell Tate and Jordyn Tyson would be great fits in the Chiefs offense! But the defense needs help as well, right? Chris Jones can't do it all on his own. And how many times can we watch opponents convert 4th-down opportunities after the defense seemingly holds without completely coming unglued mentally? The Chiefs defense has had an obvious problem pressuring opposing quarterbacks. Kansas City was 24th in the NFL in sacks in 2025 despite being 10th in the league in pressure rate. What does that mean? Always a bridesmaid, never the bride.
It would make way too much sense for the Chiefs to go after a blue-chip edge like Rueben Bain at pick number 9, right? OR...if the team went wide receiver at 9, maybe a guy like Akheem Mesidor is there at 29 for the taking. Perhaps a cornerback like Colton Hood or Avieon Terrell is there to help replace Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson, and Joshua Williams. That could also help bolster the Chiefs pass rush—extended coverage on the back end helps the big guys up front get those extra seconds to get home, right?
All of this sounds wonderful. All of these things would be exciting. You know what wouldn't be?
Why offensive tackle fears loom over draft night
Drafting an offensive tackle that has either a herniated disc in his back, or that many scouts project to be a guard in the NFL long term. But with the news leaking out this week that head coach Andy Reid "is hell-bent on figuring out the offensive line," it seems that may be our reality. And who can blame him? The logic is not flawed—you have the best quarterback in the NFL, why not invest heavily in protecting him?
Well, if there was a surefire tackle prospect to snag, go snag him. Get another wardaddy. But to this blogger, and to many other much more qualified ball knowers than me, Spencer Fano and Francis Mauigoa may not be those wardaddies. Particularly if one projects to slide inside to guard, a position in which the Chiefs currently employ a highly drafted offensive tackle who slid inside from a school in the state of Utah opposite the league's highest-paid guard, whom Kansas City drafted in the sixth round. There's developing talent after selecting well, and there's reaching for talent that may not be there. Let's hope the Chiefs don't check both of those boxes after Thursday.
It would be a thrilling evening if Kansas City walked away with a shiny new wideout and a nasty edge rusher on Thursday. Hell, it would be unbelievable if they got real gutsy and traded up to take one of the thoroughbred edge rushers in David Bailey or Arvell Reese. But the more likely outcome might be Veach listening to the wise old owl in Reid, and that may not be a bad thing long term. But it would certainly be a lackluster end to the roller coaster of emotions we've been on with a gamut of draft crushes in the process. Oh, and the 29th pick? Why not just trade back? That seems like it may be the move as well.Â
Add us as a preferred source on Google