Field Yates' mock draft lands Kansas City Chiefs an explosive receiver in Jordyn Tyson and a pass-rushing edge rusher, addressing key offensive and defensive needs.
It is still strange to see the Kansas City Chiefs holding a top-10 draft pick, but that's the reality this time around.
The Chiefs have picks No. 9 and No. 29 overall in the first round, with the latter coming via the trade that sent cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams.
Before free agency, Notre Dame star running back Jeremiyah Love was a very common pick to go to the Chiefs at No. 9. But, the signing of Kenneth Walker III has changed that.
The Chiefs still need a wide receiver, and that is exactly what Field Yates did in his latest two-round mock draft on ESPN.
While Ohio State's Carnell Tate was an option previously, Yates has Tate going to the Cleveland Browns at No. 6, so he has the Chiefs selecting Arizona State WR Jordyn Tyson at No. 9.
"Tyson is the most explosive wide receiver in the draft and neck and neck with Carnell Tate for WR1 in my rankings. He has very good size, acceleration, unique run-after-catch skills and field-stretching ability," Yates wrote.
Tyson began his career at Colorado, then he transferred to Arizona State and had 75 catches for 1,101 yards with 10 touchdowns in 2024.
Tyson has dealt with injuries, but when healthy, he is as explosive as they come.
With the No. 29 pick, Yates has the Chiefs selecting Texas A&M edge Cashius Howell.
Howell is somebody who can immediately slot in as a rotational player, especially with Kansas City needing some help on the edge.
Cornerback is a big need for Kansas City, but this draft has a lot of corners available in the later rounds, and the value of Howell here might be tough for the Chiefs to pass on.
And, the Chiefs double down with another defensive player in the second round with pick No. 40.
Yates has Kansas City selecting Cincinnati Bearcats linebacker Jake Golday.
"He's instinctive and rangy, and he could provide legit pass-rush juice for coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. He registered 12 pressures on just 68 pass-rush snaps in 2025," Yates wrote.
Leo Chenal left in free agency and signed with the Washington Commanders, so Golday is Chenal's replacement in the second round.
And, let's not forget that Travis Kelce played for the Cincinnati Bearcats, so why not take a chance on another Cincinnati player?
In this scenario, the Chiefs fill some big needs, and giving Patrick Mahomes a top WR target such as Tyson is a very smart move, especially with Hollywood Brown leaving and signing with the Philadelphia Eagles.