Mahomes' protection needs a jolt. See which dominant offensive lineman a top mock draft sends to Kansas City, solidifying their future front line.
The Kansas City Chiefs' impressive playoff streak is over. Their run of three straight Super Bowl trips was fun to watch.
The never-ending Patrick Mahomes-Travis Kelce combo was also fun to see.
In Week 15, a lot changed as the Los Angeles Chargers defeated the Chiefs, 16-13. The Chiefs are now out of the playoffs, and superstar QB Patrick Mahomes suffered a crushing torn ACL injury that will sideline him for quite some time.
For the first time in a decade, Chiefs fans won't see their team in the playoffs, but instead ponder about what the future holds.
Well, some mock drafts could be worth tracking, at least for now. The order can and will change over the next few weeks, but at least for now, it gives an idea of the ballpark range.
With the No. 12 overall pick, Mike Renner of CBS Sports had the Chiefs selecting Miami Hurricanes OL Francis Mauigoa.
Here's what Renner wrote.
"Given how this season ended for the Chiefs, the front office may very well want to make sure Patrick Mahomes is never in the firing line behind a UDFA offensive tackle again. Mauigoa would pair with Trey Smith on the right side to create one brutish double-team combo."
Mauigoa is a dominant force up front, and for what it's worth, Field Yates of ESPN has Mauigoa going at No. 5 overall to the New Orleans Saints.
So, there is plenty of buzz around the Hurricanes star, and after the ongoing injuries to the Kansas City offensive line, this move makes sense.
There are a number of directions the Chiefs can go in with this pick, and selecting this high in the draft is not something they are used to, at least not as of late.
Mauigoa and the Hurricanes made the College Football Playoff, and he did a great job blocking for Georgia transfer Carson Beck during the season.
As stated before, the offseason for Kansas City has too many questions to answer, with the biggest one being the future of tight end Travis Kelce. On top of that, Mahomes' recovery will be worth monitoring, and there's a chance he is not ready for the first month of the 2026 NFL season.
Despite all that, landing a top OL such as Mauigoa is a smart, sensible move by the front office, especially with Mahomes still playing at a high-level prior to suffering the injury.