The Kansas City Chiefs' draft class was very defensive-minded and highly scrutinized. Did the franchise make the right selections?
The Kansas City Chiefs draft was certainly polarizing.
Both Golden J and popular mock drafts got the Chiefs' first-round wrong, as the team surprised the world with their trade up to No. 6, and the selection of LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane.
Ahead of the Chiefs' first selection, the Las Vegas Raiders unsurprisingly drafted Indiana's quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the New York Jets picked Texas Tech's edge David Bailey, the Arizona Cardinals chose Notre Dame's running back Jeremiyah Love, the Tennessee Titans drafted Ohio State's wide receiver Carnell Tate and the New York Jets selected Ohio State's linebacker Arvell Reese.
There was a belief among many that the Chiefs traded up to No. 6 in an effort to land Reese, but the team has not spoken on that speculation.
Overall, the selection of Delane was highly criticized, and many believed it could have been a panic move with Reese off the board, as mentioned above.
Following the NFL Draft, Kansas City's general manager Brett Veach explained that the reason Delane was not expected to go to the Chiefs was in an effort to hide their interest in the cornerback. Golden J explains that the strategy was deployed to give other teams no reason to draft Delane, and the Chiefs were hoping he'd fall to the No. 9 pick.
Golden J reviews the remaining selections between the Chiefs' two first-round picks, then dissects No. 29, which turned into Clemson's defensive tackle Peter Woods.
At No. 40 overall the Chiefs selected Oklahoma's edge R Mason Thomas and at No. 109 Kansas City drafted Oregon's safety Jadon Canady.
Through the first four rounds this was an incredibly defensive-heavy draft class for the Chiefs, having not selected an offensive player until pick No. 161 where Nebraska RB Emmett Johnson was taken.
Golden J looks into the later-round picks and gives some NFL-like comparisons, then makes some guesses as to what each draft pick could offer to the Chiefs -- and even predicts who could take over for current players.
For a full analysis on not just the Chiefs' draftees, but many picks across the league, be sure to listen to this week's full episode and leave a comment with your thoughts on the 2026 NFL Draft.
Lastly, join Roundtable's Chiefs site to ensure you don't miss any updates with newly acquired rookies and the team itself as Kansas City navigates the rest of the offseason and as we get closer to summer camp.