The Kansas City Chiefs must address significant voids, especially at cornerback, in the 2026 NFL Draft after some changes in free agency.
The Kansas City Chiefs have an important few days coming up when the 2026 NFL Draft begins.
The Chiefs roster looks much different after free agency, with big names such as Jaylen Watson, Leo Chenal, Bryan Cook, Hollywood Brown, Isiah Pacheco and even backup quarterback Gardner Minshew leaving town.
Cornerback Trent McDuffie was traded to the Los Angeles Rams as well, so there are a lot of changes and holes in Kansas City going into the draft month.
The good news is that the Chiefs pick No. 9 and No. 29 overall, with the latter pick coming due to the McDuffie trade.
Nick Shook of NFL.com named the biggest goal in the draft for each team, and the one for the Chiefs is pretty obvious: The cornerback position.
McDuffie and Watson are both gone, leaving some holes in that side of the field.
"Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson left for Los Angeles in March, leaving a void the Chiefs attempted to address by adding slot corner Kader Kohou. They shouldn't stop there. No offense to Nohl Williams, but if the Chiefs are going to return to prominence in 2026, they're going to need more playmakers at the position."
Shook adds that the next area to address for Kansas City is offensive line, and adding some protection for Patrick Mahomes is always a good idea.
But, none is more pressing than the cornerback position.
LSU Tigers star CB Mansoor Delane is a name moving up draft boards, and he could be a home run pick for Kansas City at No. 9.
Tennessee CB Jermod McCoy is another option, and even though he missed 2025 due to a torn ACL, he is in the best CB conversation for this class alongside Delane.
Now, the Chiefs could wait and grab a CB at No. 29, and guys such as Colton Hood (also from Tennessee) and Avieon Terrell, from Clemson, are logical options with that choice.
There is also a scenario where the Chiefs address edge, offensive line or wide receiver with the first-round picks, and then address the CB position in Round 2, but there is a drop off if that were the case.
No matter what happens, the Chiefs should find a way to add a cornerback, or even two, in this draft, and addressing it in Day 1 of the draft would be a smart move in the long run after the way things went down in free agency this time around.