Aggressive trades and a defensive overhaul earned Brett Veach’s Kansas City Chiefs team a high grade in the NFL Draft rankings.
The Kansas City Chiefs entered the 2026 NFL Draft with a lot of pressure and two first-round picks.
In the end, the Chiefs walked out with one of the best draft hauls in the NFL this time around, and that's a positive step in the right direction for Brett Veach and company.
The Chiefs had pick No. 9, which was their own after they failed to make the playoffs. They then acquired No. 29 in a deal that sent Pro Bowl cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams, so finding a suitable replacement for McDuffie was a top priority.
Gennaro Filice of NFL.com had grades for every team's draft class, and the Chiefs had an A- along with six other teams.
The Chiefs began the draft by moving up to No. 6 to select LSU star cornerback Mansoor Delane, and while he might've been on the board at No. 9, the Chiefs simply didn't want to take any chances.
Here is the entire draft class for KC.
- Round 1 (No. 6): CB Mansoor Delane, LSU
- Round 1 (No. 29): DT Peter Woods, Clemson
- Round 2 (No. 40): Edge R Mason Thomas, Oklahoma
- Round 4 (No. 109): CB Jadon Canady, Oregon
- Round 5 (No. 161): RB Emmett Johnson, Nebraska
- Round 5 (No. 176): WR Cyrus Allen, Cincinnati
- Round 7 (No. 249): QB Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
It's no surprise that Kansas used its first four picks on the defense, and while wide receiver was a need as well, filling holes on defense was a more pressing need than landing another WR.
Peter Woods and Delane are Day 1 contributors, and R Mason Thomas is much-needed insurance for the edge room, not to mention double-dipping by landing Canady.
The Chiefs' selection of Emmett Johnson is a fun one, even with Kenneth Walker III coming to town.
And, Cyrus Allen is another player who could be fun to watch in the Eric Bieniemy offense in Kansas City.
Thomas was Filice's favorite pick, but Johnson was his sleeper pick, and the Nebraska RB could see a lot of touches, especially with Isiah Pacheco leaving in free agency and signing with the Detroit Lions.
LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier shockingly fell to the seventh round, and although the Chiefs acquired Justin Fields, grabbing Nussmeier was simply too much value to pass up.
The Chiefs had to have a home run draft, and it's safe to say this class was exactly that.