The Kansas City Chiefs will have an excellent opportunity to revamp their roster during the 2026 NFL Draft, starting with the No. 9 pick in the Annual Selection Meeting’s first round.
It has been nearly a decade since Kansas City has picked in the top-10, and with plenty of needs to fill in the coming offseason, Chiefs general manager Brett Veach will need to be judicious with his selections to get his team back into the playoffs.
Take a look at this seven-round mock draft, which projects that Kansas City’s front office will target offensive skill positions before addressing its defensive needs:
Round 1, Pick No. 9: Ohio State Buckeyes WR Carnell Tate
The Chiefs waste no time finding an exciting playmaker to help Patrick Mahomes. Tate will be one of the first pass-catchers off the board, and could be exactly the kind of dynamic route-runner that Kansas City needs to reinvent its air attack.
Round 2, Pick No. 40: Nebraska Cornhuskers RB Emmett Johnson
Johnson would immediately be able to take over as the Chiefs’ leading rusher to bring some ‘juice’ to the ground game that Kansas City has sorely missed in the past few seasons.
Round 3, Pick No. 74: Iowa State Cyclones DT Domonique Orange
This might not be the most exciting pick, but Orange — nicknamed ‘Big Citrus’ — is exactly the kind of run-stuffer that the Chiefs need in the middle of their defensive line.
Round 4, Pick No. 109: California Golden Bears DB Hezekiah Masses
Kansas City selected Nohl Williams out of Cal last year, and takes Masses here in the fourth round to add another former Golden Bear ball-hawk on Day 3.
Round 5, Pick No. 148: Penn State Nittany Lions QB Drew Allar
Given that the Chiefs ended the season with their third-string quarterback under center, it seems logical that Kansas City might decide to invest a pick at the position this year. Allar was once considered one of the most exciting quarterback prospects in college football, and joins the Chiefs in Round 5 to become Patrick Mahomes’ long-term understudy.
Round 5, Pick No. 176: Wyoming Cowboys TE John Michael Gyllenborg
After addressing wide receiver and running back early, Kansas City targets Gyllenborg to round out its selections of offensive skill position players.
Round 7, Pick No. 223: Southern Miss Golden Eagles DE J’Mond Tapp
Tapp tallied 12 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks in 2025 and joins the Chiefs as a developmental prospect who could potentially help bolster the edges of Kansas City’s defensive line.
This article originally appeared on Chiefs Wire: 2026 NFL Draft: Chiefs take WR, RB early in this seven round mock
