The Kansas City Chiefs' 2026 regular season is almost here! It'll be the first time that their seven drafted rookies get a taste of NFL action (well, most of them), and fans will be eagerly watching to see what these guys bring to the table.
As a quick recap, the Chiefs spent their seven draft picks on Mansoor Delane, Peter Woods, R Mason Thomas, Jadon Canady, Emmett Johnson, Cyrus Allen, and Garrett Nussmeier. All seven of those guys made the active roster, and while they'll have differing levels of contributions this year, there are still best-case scenarios for all of them as they enter the first year of their professional careers.
What might those best-case scenarios be? Let's discuss.
Mansoor Delane shows signs of being a shutdown corner
The Chiefs not only spent their top-10 pick on LSU's Mansoor Delane, but they traded up three spots to do so. It was a move that Brett Veach felt the team needed to make after trading away Trent McDuffie and losing Jaylen Watson (both to the Rams), and we'll see if he was correct.
While it'd be amazing if Delane stepped in and immediately became a lockdown cornerback for the Chiefs, it's not realistic to expect a rookie to do that, at least not right away. The hope for Delane as he gets his feet wet in the NFL is that he shows signs that he can eventually be that guy for Kansas City.
The Chiefs are a team that doesn't pay its cornerbacks past their rookie deals. Can Delane be the first guy the Chiefs buck that trend for? Let's see what Delane can learn from Steve Spagnuolo as a rookie and whether he was worthy of being the sixth overall pick in the draft.
Peter Woods and R Mason Thomas give reasons to believe in pass rush
The Chiefs clearly knew that their pass rush left something to be desired, as they spent not one but two early draft picks on players who could help with that. Up first was Peter Woods, a defensive lineman out of Clemson. His sack numbers for the Tigers weren't exactly eye-popping, but the Chiefs see something in Woods and hope that he can help out a weak department for the team.
Not long after Woods' name was called, the Chiefs spent another selection on R Mason Thomas out of Oklahoma. He had 15.5 sacks over his final two years with the Sooners, and he's given the fans a lot of optimism with a very strong performance this summer.
Thomas was a recent addition to the Chiefs' injury report, which is never something a fan wants to hear about their second-round rookie, so hopefully that ends up being minor. If Woods and Thomas can stay healthy and bolster this pass rush, the results will be felt in how much more free Chris Jones and George Karlaftis will be to do what they do best.
Jadon Canady becomes versatile piece in secondary
The secondary is an area of concern for the Chiefs, and that might be putting it gently. As mentioned earlier, McDuffie and Watson are gone, as is Bryan Cook. The Chiefs had to put in the work to replace key pieces in their secondary, and the draft was a place for them to do that. Fourth-rounder Jadon Canady is a piece that the team is looking forward to seeing on the field, and it makes sense why.
Canady displayed the versatility to play all over the secondary through his three collegiate stops, but the Chiefs have asked him to stick at nickel corner, where he excelled last season at Oregon. Chris Roland-Wallace might hold down the fort for now, but Canady already leaped over Kader Kohou for an active rostre spot and earning the role long-term would be the ideal scenario.
Emmett Johnson tears it up behind Kenneth Walker III
The Chiefs added two offensive players in Round 5 of the draft, with the first being Emmett Johnson, a running back out of Nebraska. Johnson was one of the Cornhuskers' best players last year, rushing for 1,451 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Kansas City would be thrilled to get that kind of production from Johnson during his rookie year, but let's pump the brakes on that. Johnson is going to be the backup behind Kenneth Walker, the Chiefs' big free-agent signing this spring, and that's a great spot for the rookie to be in.
Not only can Johnson learn from the reigning Super Bowl champion, but he'll get plenty of carries. He beat out Emari Demercado for the backup job, and Chiefs fans hope he shows why early in the season. If Johnson can become a solid RB2, this will go down as a huge draft steal.
Cyrus Allen ends up as the best receiver in KC
The other fifth-round pick for the Chiefs was Cyrus Allen, a wide receiver out of Cincinnati. Recently, Nate Taylor, Chiefs beat reporter for ESPN, revealed that he thinks Allen could end up being Kansas City's best receiver this year. That would be an absolute dream if things played out that way.
It's not unfathomable to think that Taylor's prediction could pan out, either. The Chiefs' receivers did not perform well a season ago, and with the starting trio consisting of Rashee Rice, Tyquan Thornton, and Xavier Worthy, would it really be crazy if Allen came in and stole the show?
Allen tallied 13 touchdowns for the Bearcats last year and had some juice this summer for his new team. If he and Patrick Mahomes form a strong connection and ride that chemistry throughout the year, there could absolutely be a new sheriff in town at wide receiver.
Garrett Nussmeier only plays in finale after Chiefs lock up playoff spot
Last, but most certainly not least, we have Garrett Nussmeier, whom Kansas City snatched up in the seventh and final round of the draft. It was a bit of a surprising pick considering that the Chiefs have Mahomes as their starter and traded for Justin Fields as the backup. But Veach clearly saw something in Nussmeier, and now he's donning the red and gold.
Nussmeier was once considered to be a top quarterback prospect, but an injury tanked his draft stock, and he slipped all the way to the seventh round. When the Chiefs selected him, most figured that he'd be the QB3 and spend his rookie season on the practice squad, but he impressed during the preseason and earned a roster spot.
The only time Chiefs fans want to see Nussmeier on the field during his rookie year is in Week 18, when this team already has a playoff spot locked up. Even then, it'd be in a backup role to Fields, but hey, maybe K.C. could treat it like it did in 2017, when Mahomes and Tyler Bray both got playing time in the season finale.
Either way, Nussmeier's best-case scenario is to sit and learn on the sidelines from one of the best in the biz and then work his way into the QB2 job next year.
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