The Kansas City Chiefs suffered a shocking drop-off in 2025, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2014. Their signal-caller, Patrick Mahomes, wasn’t up to his usual superstar standards, and fans are now looking at the 2026 NFL Draft for more answers.
After some solid moves in free agency, the front office will have another chance to bolster the squad in the draft. So, who should they draft?
Chiefs Fans Target Defensive Upgrades in the 2026 NFL Draft
The Kansas City Chiefs had an uneven start to the 2025 campaign, and it only got worse after their Week 10 bye. To add salt to their 6-11 record, they lost key pieces on both sides of the ball, most notably cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson.
To bring back that league No. 6 scoring defense from last season, the front office has to closely monitor the unit’s depth. EDGE George Karlaftis is the only defensive end who can pack a punch, and Kristian Fulton is the only corner who can anchor a secondary.
As such, Chiefs fans want to see general manager Brett Veach go after a top-end defensive end and cornerback, among others, in the upcoming draft.
The most drafted positions across both their first-round selections (No. 9 and No. 29) in PFSN’s Mock Draft Simulator:
- EDGE (28.1%)
2. CB (24.7%)
3. OT (14.1%)
4. WR (12.2%)
5. TE (7.4%)
Miami star Rueben Bain Jr. is a leading pick at defensive end, with 11.9% of users favoring him, despite concerns about his arm length.
“With his power and raw strength, Bain can sledge through tackles and overwhelm 1-on-1 as a pass-rusher, but he also has the hyper-elite sturdiness to absorb combo and duo blocks in the run game, and sets an edge with unflinching consistency,” PFSN’s scouting report on him noted.
LSU star Mansoor Delane is Chiefs fans’ preferred cornerback selection, with 8.7% of users drafting the 6-foot-0 senior.
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“Delane is as lockdown as lockdown gets in coverage, and it’s a product of his experience, coverage mobility, inherent technical versatility, playmaking propensity, and football IQ,” PFSN’s scouting report on him mentioned. “At 6’0″, 187 pounds, Delane is a fast and fluid mover with great vertical speed, effortless stride variation and sink, and brisk recalibrative twitch.”
Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq continues to surface as most people’s top prospect at the position. Although he was a one-year starter, 7.4% of Kansas City’s fans want to see the 6-foot-3 star catching balls from Mahomes.
Lastly, Tennessee corner Colton Hood (7.1%) is another favorite among fans in the simulator.
With this year’s draft just over a week away, it’ll be fun to see how fans’ desires align with the Chiefs’ once the team is on the clock on April 23.
