Chiefs 2026 NFL Draft takeaways: Did they do enough to help the offense?

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Cornerback Mansoor Delane was the sixth pick after a trade-up in the first round, with K.C. surrendering third- and fifth-round selections to the Cleveland Browns to move up three spots on Day 1. General manager Brett Veach and his staff certainly seemed to get “their guys” throughout each round of the draft — players who ranked highly on their scouting board — and also appeared to emphasize speed for every level of their defense. It’s still somewhat surprising that the offense wasn’t a higher priority early. The Chiefs ultimately trusted their evaluations, believing free-agent running back Kenneth Walker III will do the heaviest lifting next season as the team looks to improve. That might be a gamble. But it also won’t be a major storyline in the end if Delane, defensive tackle Peter Woods and edge rusher R Mason Thomas — the team’s three top-40 picks — contribute in the way the team envisions. Let’s go to the fifth round with Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson. The Chiefs had to do a pick swap with the Pittsburgh Steelers to get up to No. 161, but by doing so, they landed The Athletic analyst Dane Brugler’s 105th-ranked player and fourth-rated running back. It’s no secret that the Chiefs’ running backs room was a player short entering the draft, so adding Johnson fills a need and also should fit into the offense well with his pass-catching skills. Bigger picture, the Chiefs — by moving up — ensured it didn’t strike out two consecutive years on its preferred mid-round running back options. In 2025, they seemed ready to use a fourth-round pick on a back before a run of six of them went before their late-round selection. The Chiefs were more aggressive to fill their backfield need this time, and Johnson seems like a good value considering most mock drafts had him going a round or two earlier. A sure-handed ball carrier who will bring value to an NFL backfield as a pass catcher. Delane is the biggest surprise, both because the Chiefs kept their intentions quiet before the draft and because of the haul they had to surrender to get him. Make no mistake: This seems like an ideal scheme fit for defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who loves having his guys play aggressive man coverage while willing to help downhill in run support. Delane checks all those boxes and more while ranking as the top consensus cornerback in the draft. The question that will loom for a while is whether the Chiefs could’ve gotten Delane at No. 9 without trading up. Veach cited his team’s analytics and mock-draft prep, saying that Delane was likely to be a pick for the New Orleans Saints at No. 8, so he didn’t leave it to chance to get a player ranked in the top five on the Chiefs’ board. Part of the Chiefs’ magic lately has been their front-office/coaching collaboration with player selection. There’s value in getting a player you love while also having harmony in the building, with everyone aligned that this was the best move for the organization. We also can’t ignore this reality: Delane became the distant No. 1 corner in this class after Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy received a recent disappointing medical update with his knee. Had both been available, perhaps they could’ve been more patient while believing one of the top two guys would’ve been in their grasp at 9 — or even with a slight trade back. That doesn’t mean the Chiefs had no alternatives. Let’s say the Saints took Delane. At No. 9, the Chiefs could’ve taken wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, then still had their third- and fifth-round picks to stockpile more talent. In the end, no one will remember or care about the cost it took to get Delane if they are right about him. Former cornerback Trent McDuffie also required a third- and fourth-round pick in a trade-up for his 2022 selection, and no one questioned that move after the fact because McDuffie became an immediate star. Delane needs to be one as well. He needs to start Week 1, and likely needs to be an All-Pro or Pro Bowler at some point in his Chiefs career. It’s a high bar to set, but that should be the standard when a team invests so much to get you. Did the Chiefs do enough to help their offense? Quarterback Patrick Mahomes is typically a fun social-media follow during draft weekend, excitedly tweeting out his excitement when the team lands players that could help him put up points. There wasn’t as much to track with Mahomes this year, however, as the Chiefs didn’t even take an offensive player until selecting Johnson with a fifth-round pick. I’ve written a lot about how the Chiefs offense wasn’t as bad as some made out to be last season, with the team performing like a top-five unit statistically for two-thirds of the season before it lost both starting tackles to injury. Even with that optimistic view, though, one has to wonder if Mahomes got the help he was expecting in this draft — especially when he could be limited to start the season while still recovering from knee surgery. To be fair, the Chiefs’ biggest free-agent splash was on offense, and Walker’s addition signals the team is likely to shift to a more downhill running style in 2026. The Chiefs still entered this week with the most draft capital they’d had in years, and for the most part, they ignored the side of the ball that’s been the team’s dominant group under Mahomes and coach Andy Reid. So this pivot might not be the wrong choice, but it’s certainly one worth noting. The Chiefs’ depth chart seems to still be a bit thin at receiver, even if the team feels good about top options Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy and Tyquan Thornton. Jalen Royals, a 2025 fourth-round pick, essentially had a redshirt season last year, and Cyrus Allen, the team’s fifth-round pick, will likely need some time to get comfortable with K.C.’s complex playbook. Giving a long look to undrafted free agents could make some sense, as would signing a veteran for depth. The Chiefs, however, don’t figure to have much financial flexibility to shop near the top of the market. K.C. could also use another defensive tackle for its rotation after Veach revealed pre-draft hopes of adding two more … before only selecting one in Woods. That unit, on paper, appears to have upgraded immensely from a season ago, but adding another rotational body would help raise the team’s floor. A luxury item could be looking for another offensive tackle. However, considering the Chiefs didn’t select one this weekend, one has to think the team sees backups Wanya Morris and Esa Pole as good enough options if starters Josh Simmons and Jaylon Moore go down with injury. Coming off a 6-11 season, the Chiefs have set themselves up to be among the AFC’s top teams again if more things break their way in 2026. BetMGM, for instance, gives the Chiefs the third-best odds to reach the Super Bowl, behind only the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens. That also means K.C. should once again be favored to win a competitive AFC West, even after Denver took the top spot last season. Yes, a lot of this comes back to Mahomes. Starting a roster with the NFL’s best quarterback is a shortcut to success, and the fact that he seems on track to start Week 1 should only enhance optimism that the Chiefs can put last year’s struggles behind them. For K.C. to bounce back, though, the defense will need to be much improved. The Chiefs heavily invested in that side of the ball with their early draft stock this year, which means those players need to produce both this year and beyond if the team hopes to re-establish itself among the NFL’s elite. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms