The Kansas City Chiefs are a peculiar team this offseason, with some glaring holes to address after releasing right tackle Jawaan Taylor and after their entire running game struggled in 2025.
Now, in a 2-round mock draft, an ESPN analyst may have one of the answers to their problems as they go on the clock with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Chiefs Look to Pair Patrick Mahomes With Elite Route Runner Carnell Tate in 2026 Draft
Coming out of the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, the mock drafts are flying, and the latest from ESPN’s Jordan Reid has arguably the top wide receiver in the class heading to the Chiefs to help out quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who’s recovering from a torn ACL.
After slotting seven defensive players, running back Jeremiyah Love, and an offensive tackle over the first eight picks, the Chiefs were on the clock. They took the first wide receiver: Ohio State Buckeyes’ Carnell Tate.
“The Chiefs desperately need to give Patrick Mahomes a receiver who can consistently beat man-to-man coverage. Tate is a silky-smooth route runner who has plenty of range as a pass catcher. He also has arguably the best hands in this class, with only one drop on 67 targets last season. He is a three-level threat who displays his polish on all branches of the route tree.
“While he wasn’t as productive in college, Tate reminds me of DeVonta Smith in body type and how they win routes and could be a similar high-end No. 2 receiver in the NFL,” Reid wrote with his pick.
In 2025, the Chiefs finished 17th in PFSN’s Offense Impact metric with a 74.3 grade. As for Mahomes and his QB Impact score, he went from 10th in 2024 to 17th in 2025. He finished with a grade of 77.2 this past season.
This past season, the Chiefs’ leading receiver was tight end Travis Kelce, who may run it back for another year, but is also a retirement candidate. He caught 76 passes for 851 yards and five touchdowns.
As far as the wide receivers go, Marquise Brown, who played 16 games, led the way with 49 catches for 587 yards and five touchdowns. Not only that, but wide receiver Rashee Rice is involved in another situation that could perhaps lead to a suspension, so he’s becoming harder to rely on.
Something to keep in mind as NFL free agency approaches on March 11, though, is a potential Chiefs-Tyreek Hill reunion after he was released by the Miami Dolphins earlier this offseason.
A portion of his scouting report, directly from the PFSN Mock Draft Simulator, said that Tate is a “true route running expert” and has “All-Pro upside within the exceedingly uncommon and invaluable George Pickens mold.”
Tate, who stands 6’2″ and is around 190 pounds, ran a 4.53 40-yard dash and posted a 1.61 10-yard split.
