Kansas City Chiefs 2026 NFL Draft Needs, Picks & Depth Chart

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No matter how well they did in free agency, all 32 NFL teams head into the 2026 NFL Draft with holes to fill on the roster.

Leading into the draft, we will identify the top needs for every team and break down the depth chart position by position.

What are the Chiefs' top positions of need heading into the 2026 NFL draft?

Kansas City Chiefs Needs: Top Positions of Need in 2026

1. Edge Rusher
2. Cornerback
3. Wide Receiver

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Kansas City Chiefs 2026 Draft Capital

The Chiefs have the 5th-most draft capital according to our Sharp Football Draft Value.

Our Sharp Football Draft Value is a valuation of draft capital based on a combination of average performance delivered and average dollars earned on second contracts.

Kansas City Chiefs Mock Draft Predictions

Find out who our top-rated experts expect the Chiefs to draft:

• Brendan Donahue's 2026 NFL Mock Draft – Complete first round breakdown from the #2 most accurate mock drafter over the last five seasons.
• Ryan McCrystal's 2026 NFL Mock Draft – Complete first round breakdown from the #20 most accurate mock drafter over the last five seasons.

Kansas City Chiefs Offense: Depth Chart, Analysis & Draft Needs

Rich Hribar breaks down the offensive depth chart by position for the Kansas City Chiefs, identifying areas where the team could improve in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft.

Quarterback

1. Patrick Mahomes
2. Justin Fields
3. Chris Oladokun
4. Jake Haener

Patrick Mahomes is coming off another season in which he was mortal, with the Chiefs suffering their first losing record (6-8) with him as their starting quarterback.

Mahomes completed a career-low 62.7% of his passes (24th in the league among those who qualified for the league’s passer rating) for 7.1 yards per pass attempt (15th), a career-low 4.4% touchdown rate (24th), and a 2.2% interception rate (21st).

The drop in completion percentage was partly by design.

Entering last season, the Chiefs openly talked about their desire to push the ball downfield again.

And they tried.

22.1% of Mahomes’ throws were 15 or more yards downfield.

That was 10th in the league and his highest rate in a season since 2019.

13.1% of his throws were 20 or more yards downfield, 11th in the league and his highest rate since 2019.

The problem with that approach was the Chiefs no longer have apex Tyreek Hill or a replacement receiver who wins that department.

As a result, Mahomes only completed 39.6% of his throws 15-plus yards downfield (19th) and 31.8% of his passes 20-plus yards downfield (23rd).

Mahomes set the bar so high in his early career that we have overlooked some of the issues this passing game has had in recent seasons.

Over the past three seasons, Mahomes is 17th in completion rate (66.3%), 23rd in yards per pass attempt (7.0), 20th in touchdown rate (4.5%), and 20th in interception rate (2%).

The Chiefs also went to two Super Bowls in that span, so apply as many grains of salt as needed to those numbers.

I do believe much of the gaudy statistical divide has a lot to do with his early career overlapping the apex arcs of Hill and Travis Kelce, and less to do with Mahomes and his play actually declining.

It was a perfect storm.

The Chiefs have not been able to recreate Hill’s explosiveness since he left, while Kelce is just running low on tread at this stage.

Pair that with a lackluster running game over the past few seasons (see below), and this is how we arrived at this point.

Mahomes will be back working with Eric Bieniemy under Andy Reid this season, and the Chiefs are expected to run the ball better, if not more, after adding Kenneth Walker.

Mahomes is also coming off a torn ACL to close last year.

Early indications that Mahomes is on schedule in his recovery.

Mahomes had his surgery on December 15th, putting Week 1 right at nine months for his recovery.

Kansas City went 0-3 without Mahomes last season and is 2-6 without him since he took over as their starting quarterback.

If the Chiefs do play things cautiously to open the season, they acquired Justin Fields from the Jets.

Fields is on his fourth team in as many seasons.

Last year with the Jets, Fields completed 62.7% of his passes for 6.2 yards per pass attempt, throwing 7 touchdowns to 1 interception.

Running Back

1. Kenneth Walker
2. Brashard Smith
3. Emari Demercado
4. ShunDerrick Powell

As alluded to above, the Chiefs have been one of the league’s worst rushing offenses in recent years.

Finally reaching the tipping point, Kansas City aggressively went out and added Kenneth Walker in free agency.

Joining Kansas City with a huge payday, Walker should be thrust into one of the largest workloads of his career.

Walker showcased his upside when given the keys to the backfield to close out last season, reeling off 417 yards from scrimmage and 5 touchdowns on his way to a Super Bowl MVP award over the three postseason games.

Since Walker entered the NFL in 2022, he has rushed for 10 or more yards on 12.1% of his rushes.

The only running back with a higher rate on as many rushes over that same span is James Cook (12.5%).

In 2025, Walker ran for 10 or more yards on 14.9% of his runs, which was third in the NFL behind De’Von Achane (16.8%) and Blake Corum (15.9%).

Since Walker entered the league, Kansas City running backs have been last in the NFL in the rate of runs for 10 or more yards (6.8%).

Walker has 32 runs of 20 or more yards for his career (4th) with 7 touchdowns on those longer gains.

Kansas City running backs have 17 runs of 20-plus yards (2 touchdowns) over that stretch, which is 31st in the league.

Walker’s insertion into the Kansas City ecosystem should create the most advantageous layout he has worked with for creating explosives, as well.

Since Walker entered the league, he has faced a light box (six or fewer defenders) on just 23.9% of his career runs (46th) and loaded boxes (eight or more defenders) on 43.2% (13th).

Walker had a 17.2% light box rate (38th) last season and faced a heavy box on 49.3% of his runs (11th).

Facing all those heavy boxes has contributed to Walker forcing the third-most missed tackles since entering the league (82), behind Derrick Henry (114) and Josh Jacobs (101).

Walker has forced a missed tackle once every 11.0 rushes for his career.

Kansas City is last in the league in forced missed tackles over that span (66) in the running game, forcing a missed tackle once every 26.0 rushes (31st).

In the Mahomes era, Kansas City running backs have the league’s best light box rate (35.9%) and the lowest heavy box rate (29.2%).

That setup should help Walker transition from one of the run-heaviest offenses to the Chiefs' pass-heavy climate.

Last season, the Seahawks were last in the NFL in dropback rate (51.3%) while the Chiefs were third (64.8%).

The Chiefs have been first in dropback rate (65.1%) since Mahomes entered the league.

I do believe we will see Kansas City run more with the addition of Walker, paired with the possibility that Mahomes could return slowly from his torn ACL.

If there are any nits to pick with Walker, it is with him in the passing game.

Walker only ran a pass route on 37.4% of the dropbacks in his games played last season.

His career rate is 40.9%, with a career high of 49% in 2024.

Pass protection has been a thorn in his side.

In 2025, he ranked 51st in run-blocking grade per Pro Football Focus.

Walker was even coming off the field for George Holani in pass spots after Zach Charbonnet’s injury in the playoffs last season.

The Chiefs also made a low-leverage signing this season by bringing in Emari Demercado, who can aid the offense in those situations.

Demercado has averaged 6.5 yards per touch over his three seasons with Arizona.

Brashard Smith will also enter his second season in the NFL with the ability to play in passing situations.

Smith only rushed for 3.4 YPC as a rookie, but he did catch 25 passes, which led the backfield in 2025.

Wide Receiver

1. Rashee Rice
2. Xavier Worthy
3. Tyquan Thornton
4. Jalen Royals
5. Jason Brownlee
6. Nikko Remigio
7. Andrew Armstrong

The Chiefs are in an interesting spot at wide receiver.

For as much as the Chiefs have thrown at wide receiver in recent years, not much has stuck in terms of getting a full-field asset.

Rashee Rice has been one of the best receivers in the league when it comes to counting production when he has been available.

From Week 7 to Week 15, when he returned to the field, Rice averaged 6.6 receptions for 71.4 yards per game.

That was good for fifth and 13th in the league among wide receivers over that span.

He also scored 6 touchdowns in those eight games.

Over the past two seasons, Rice has been targeted on 30.4% of his routes.

Only Puka Nacua (36.8%) has a higher rate.

Rice’s 2.44 yards per route run average over that span is sixth in the league among receivers.

While he has stacked receptions, the question is how much more still needs to be set up for him, and whether that's actually a good thing for the passing game or a necessity given what's been available?

He is the Deebo Samuel-type piece for the offense, but is he a true WR1?

When Rice returned last season, he averaged 4.3 air yards per target.

The only wide receivers last year with a lower depth of target were Khalil Shakir (3.7). Isaiah Williams (3.4) and Greg Dortch (1.8).

Since entering the league, Rice has seen 26.5%, 31%, and 35.9% of his targets come at or behind the line of scrimmage.

Rice struggled to win against man coverage last season.

He was targeted on 21.1% of his routes against man coverage compared to 32.1% against zone coverage, averaging 0.72 yards per route against man coverage compared to 3.01 yards per route against zone.

Kansas City has been boxed in a bit on offense because they lack receivers who can consistently win in isolated situations.

Rice’s camp is surely going to cite his on-field production in his upcoming contract negotiations, while the Chiefs will likely posture on Rice’s off-field concerns.

Rice was recently cleared during an offseason investigation of abuse.

Still, the early-career pattern of off-field activity stemming from a stint when they had a similar relationship with Tyreek Hill will be part of the process of navigating any potential extension.

Kansas City does have the option of using the franchise tag as a short-term solution after 2026 in an effort to kick the can and reveal more truths for Rice on and off the field.

Not only are the Chiefs still diagnosing what they have with Rice, but they are also doing the same with Xavier Worthy.

Worthy only caught 42 of 73 targets for 532 yards and 1 touchdown in his second season.

Things got off to a brutal start for Worthy.

Just three plays into the season, he suffered a torn labrum colliding with Travis Kelce.

Worthy returned in Week 4 but played the remainder of the year with a harness.

He had surgery in January to repair that shoulder.

Worthy also dealt with an ongoing ankle injury.

Those injuries give Worthy a bit of a hall pass for the down season, but he is now entering his third season with three games reaching 80 yards receiving over 34 appearances.

The cupboard is bare behind Rice and Worthy.

Tyquan Thornton was retained after serving as the vertical target earner in the offense in 2025.

Thornton caught 19 passes for 438 yards and 3 touchdowns.

He averaged a robust 23.1 yards per catch while leading the league in air yards per target (26.9).

62.2% of Thornton’s targets were 20 or more yards downfield, while the next closest player (Tutu Atwell) was at 46.7%.

Jalen Royals could be asked to take on a larger role after being selected in the fourth round last spring.

Royals only played 86 snaps as a rookie, catching 2 passes for 4 yards.

Given Rice’s pending contract situation, Worthy still being a question mark, and the lack of depth, the Chiefs are still in the market to insulate and upgrade their wide receiver room.

They have already used visits on Makai Lemon and Carnell Tate, who could be in play at No. 9 overall, while also using visits on Ted Hurst and Malik Benson so far if they go wide receiver later in the draft.

Tight End

1. Travis Kelce
2. Noah Gray
3. Jared Wiley
4. Jake Briningstool
5. Tre Watson

Travis Kelce is returning for at least one more season in 2026.

Turning 37 this October, Kelce is coming off a season in which he caught 76 of 108 targets for 851 yards and 5 touchdowns.

The Chiefs have been biding their time with Kelce, but eventually, the sun is setting.

Kelce was targeted on a career-low 18.8% of his routes, his first season below the 20% mark.

He has been below 1.5 yards per route in each of the past two seasons after posting at least 1.8 yards per route every season prior.

Noah Gray is also scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent after 2026, so the Chiefs could take a swing at adding some contractual depth this spring.

They have used visits on Oscar Delp and Justin Joly to this point.

Offensive Line

LT: Josh Simmons, Esa Pole, Ethan Driskell
LG: Kingsley Suamataia, C.J. Hanson
C: Creed Humphrey, Hunter Nourzad
RG: Trey Smith, Mike Caliendo
RT: Jaylon Moore, Wanya Morris, Chukwuebuka Godrick, Matt Waletzko

Kansas City fought through another injury-filled campaign up front in 2025.

Their most frequently used combination on the offensive line was together on 35.7% of snaps (18th).

Every starter missed multiple games, with the exceptions of Creed Humphrey and Kingsley Suamataia.

Trey Smith missed five games, while 2026 first-round pick Josh Simmons missed 10 games.

Humphrey and Smith are locked in front-end players at their position, but the rest of this unit is filled with question marks.

They were forced to use three different players at left tackle for over 250 snaps.

Three players took over 100 snaps at right tackle.

Simmons played the most snaps at left tackle as a rookie, with better results in pass protection than as a run blocker.

He allowed a 4.9% pressure rate (26th among tackles last season) with only 2 sacks.

After starting only two games as a rookie in 2024, Suamataia was thrown into the fire last season, taking over for Joe Thuney.

Suamataia allowed 35 pressures (75th among guards) and ranked 42nd at his position in run blocking grade at Pro Football Focus.

With two years remaining on his rookie contract, the Chiefs will be looking for growth in year three following his first season as a starter.

Right tackle is semi-open right now following the release of Jawaan Taylor.

Kansas City can move Jaylon Moore into that spot.

Moore has been a career swing tackle, starting 18 games over five seasons in the NFL.

He made six starts for the Chiefs last year, playing 283 snaps at left tackle and 132 snaps at right tackle in 2025.

Moore allowed a team-high 10.5% pressure rate on his snaps.

Kansas City Chiefs Defense: Depth Chart, Analysis & Draft Needs

Raymond Summerlin breaks down the defensive depth chart by position for the Kansas City Chiefs, identifying areas where the team could improve in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft.

Defensive Line

1. Chris Jones
2. Khyiris Tonga
3. Omarr Norman-Lott
4. Zacch Pickens
5. Marcus Harris

The Chiefs did a solid job stopping running backs, allowing 4.0 yards per carry to the position and ranking seventh in explosive run plays allowed to backs.

Chris Jones remained a high-end pass rusher in 2025, logging 7 sacks and a 13.6% pressure rate, but he did not make as big an impact in the running game.

Jones had some rough moments alongside the rest of the Chiefs in 2025, but he remains a cornerstone of this defensive line.

Khyiris Tonga was a big offseason addition from the Patriots, signing a three-year, $21 million contract.

Tonga’s individual stats did not stand out, but the Patriots allowed nearly a half-yard more per running back carry with Tonga off the field last season.

A second-round pick last year, Omarr Norman-Lott suffered a torn ACL in October that could limit his start to this season.

That injury highlights the need for depth at defensive tackle, but the Chiefs have a solid starting duo.

Edge Defenders

1. George Karlaftis
2. Ashton Gillotte
3. Felix Anudike-Uzomah
4. Ethan Downs
5. Tyreke Smith

Kansas City ranked 10th in pressure rate in 2025 but finished 22nd with just 35 sacks.

George Karlaftis had a productive season, even though he only finished with 6 sacks.

Karlaftis ranked 15th among qualified pass rushers with a 15.2% pressure rate.

The problem for the Chiefs was they did not have anyone else besides Karlaftis and Jones consistently pressuring the quarterback.

A third-round pick last year, Ashton Gillotte held up well against the run, but he finished with 1.5 sacks on a 9.6% pressure rate.

Felix Anudike-Uzomah missed all of last season with a hamstring injury, and the former first-round pick has not shown anything to suggest he is a long-term building block.

Even if the Chiefs get more out of Gillotte in year two, they at the very least need to add some bodies to the edge group.

More than that, though, they probably need to add a starting-quality pass rusher.

Linebacker

1. Nick Bolton
2. Drue Tranquill
3. Cooper McDonald
4. Jeffrey Bassa
5. Jack Cochrane
6. Cole Christiansen
7. Kam Arnold
8. Brandon George

Linebacker continues to be a solid spot on the Chiefs roster, though the departure of Leo Chenal is a concern when looking at the depth.

At the top, Nick Bolton and Drue Tranquill make up one of the better starting duos in the league.

Bolton finished in the top 10 among qualified linebackers in run stuffs, run stuff rate, and tackle rate on running plays last season.

Tranquill was not far behind with 15 run stuffs of his own.

The results were not as great in coverage, with Tranquill in particular having a down year, but the linebacker group is set at the top in the short term.

The longer term is a bigger question after Tranquill restructured his deal just to stay on the team this offseason.

He is set to be a free agent after the season.

Chenal is gone after playing 441 snaps last season, and it is unclear if there are reliable options behind the top two.

Cooper McDonald got a start at the end of last season, playing 47 snaps over the final two games.

Perhaps he steps into a bigger role.

Jeffrey Bassa is a 2025 fifth-round pick who played just 39 snaps on defense as a rookie.

Linebacker is not the biggest need on the roster, but they could use an addition here if they are not comfortable with their young depth.

Cornerback

1. Nohl Williams
2. Kristian Fulton
3. Kader Kohou
4. Kaiir Elam
5. Melvin Smith Jr.
6. Kevin Knowles

The Chiefs allowed 6.9 yards per attempt (14th) last season and finished 12th in EPA allowed per pass attempt.

The corner group will look a lot different in 2026 with Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson joining the Rams, the first via trade and the second via free agency.

A third-round pick last year, Nohl Williams should get every chance to grab a starting job after playing 457 snaps as a rookie.

He was solid in those snaps, allowing 6.9 yards per target and an 82.9 passer rating in his coverage.

Kristian Fulton had a tough start to his Chiefs career because of injury, but he did get back on the field and start two games to close the season.

Fulton has been a questionable starter throughout his career, though, so he should not be locked into the starting lineup if the Chiefs can find a better option.

Kader Kohou was added in free agency from the Dolphins and should have the inside track for the slot job, assuming he is fully recovered from the knee injury that cost him last season.

Chamarri Conner, who is listed below with the safeties, has played in the slot a lot for the last two seasons.

Perhaps adding Kohou, who played almost exclusively in the slot in Miami, suggests the Chiefs have other plans for Conner.

The Chiefs also added Kaiir Elam in early April, but he is best suited as a depth piece.

Kansas City could squint and see a serviceable starting trio at corner, but this looks like a primary position of need.

Safety

1. Chamarri Conner
2. Alohi Gilman
3. Jaden Hicks
4. Chris Roland-Wallace
5. Tanner McCalister

Bryan Cook was another big departure for this secondary in free agency, and the Chiefs brought in Alohi Gilman to help fill the gap.

Gilman is returning to the AFC West after a midseason trade sent him to the Ravens last year – he played his first five seasons with the Chargers.

He has had a couple of rough seasons in terms of coverage, but Gilman played at a high level in 2023.

The Chiefs will hope they can help him regain that form.

As mentioned above, Chamarri Conner has spent a lot of time covering the slot and near the line of scrimmage the last two seasons.

He could get competition for that strong safety role from Jaden Hicks, who found the field for 445 snaps in his second season.

That top trio is good enough, and the Chiefs have much bigger questions at corner.

Still, it would not be a shock if Kansas City added a safety in the draft.

2026 Depth Chart Analysis & Team Needs for All 32 NFL Teams