The Kansas City Chiefs have two first-round picks, and ESPN's Field Yates had them choosing two secondary pieces in his final mock draft.
The Kansas City Chiefs enter the 2026 NFL Draft with two selections in the first round.
The Chiefs have their own pick at No. 9, and they acquired the Los Angeles Rams choice at No. 29 in the deal that sent Pro Bowl cornerback Trent McDuffie to LA.
So, the Chiefs have a lot of areas to address, and some common options are wide receiver, edge rusher and cornerback.
ESPN's Field Yates had a new mock draft released on the morning of the first round, and in it, he had a big surprise at No. 9: Ohio State safety Caleb Downs.
Downs has been an interesting case study, and while some regard him as the best overall player in this class, safety isn't a premium position, so teams might not feel great about spending a top-10 pick on a safety.
But, Yates has Downs going to KC at No. 9.
"Cornerback, wide receiver and pass rusher are logical positions to consider for the Chiefs. But Downs is too good to pass up, as the impactful, tone-setting safety from Ohio State can help reshape a secondary that saw Bryan Cook depart to the Bengals," Yates wrote.
Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo would absolutely love Downs in the secondary, and if he is still there, it will be very hard for KC to pass on selecting the Buckeyes standout.
Some traction has been gaining recently that the Chiefs could move up from No. 29, but in this mock, Yates has them staying at No. 29 and selecting Tennessee Volunteers cornerback Colton Hood.
The cornerback position needs to be address at some point in the first two rounds, and LSU's Mansoor Delane is a name also linked to KC in Round 1.
However, Hood is a star who lands right into the Chiefs' laps in this scenario.
"A double dip at defensive back for the Chiefs lands them with Hood, an explosive, confident cornerback who has a competitive streak that shows up on tape. The Chiefs must replenish the cornerback spot after trading Trent McDuffie and seeing Jaylen Watson depart as a free agent," Yates wrote.
Hood has been rising up draft boards during the past couple of months, and all signs point to him going in Round 1 on Thursday night in Pittsburgh.
Yes, the Chiefs need to address edge and wide receiver, but they can select one of those at No. 40 and then get another player in Round 3 or Round 4, so there are options.
But, walking out of Day 1 with Hood and Downs would be a massive boost to the secondary after a flurry of departures this offseason.