The Kansas City Chiefs should have a straightforward NFL Draft plan. They reshuffled the defense this offseason, meaning they have to recoup it somehow. The draft is the easiest and cheapest way. But the thought of certain players falling could force them into unnecessary risks. Here’s who the Chiefs have to avoid going after in this draft. If the right players fall, then yes, it could be worth it.
When it comes to the Chiefs offense, drafting one with one of their first-round picks would be too much of a risk that’s simply not worth it.
WR Carnell Tate, Ohio State
The Kansas City Chiefs have quite a few ways they could go with their draft. The one thing they can’t do is lose focus on what their NFL Draft approach should be. The Chiefs have to think about defense and even if Carnell Tate falls, they can’t fall in love with landing him. There’s too many good defensive players to go with Tate. Yes, the Chiefs need help in the receiver room, but with the No. 9 pick, taking Tate over any other defensive players in the draft would be a grave mistake.Â
Yes, this is a deeper class so the Chiefs could hold off until their second first-round pick to take a receiver. Kevin Concepcion is an option, though he's kind of a carbon copy of Xavier Worthy. I like Omar Cooper Jr. and Chris Brazzell as options for the Chiefs. Again, they're better if they focus on defense in the first two rounds, but if the options they want aren't there, it wouldn't be a terrible mistake to think about improving the receiver room, it's just not a necessity.
OT Spencer Fano, Utah
The Chiefs could use some upgrades on the offensive line, but it’s not worth using a top-10 pick on an offensive lineman. If none of their preferred draft prospects are available, it might be better to just trade back rather than risk going after an offensive lineman or offensive skill player. Fano was originally mocked to go to the Cleveland Browns, though lately he’s been slipping toward the top 15. That could very well be a sign he’s too much of a gamble inside the top 10.Â
The Chiefs don't have to use the No. 9 pick at all, considering they could get just about any player they need later in the first round and still be fine. Sure, a player like Mansoor Delane would be intriguing, but they could benefit from trading back if the draft capital is worth it. In a mock simulation, one trade the Chiefs could receive is with the Minnesota Vikings, involving swapping the No. 9 and No. 18 pick, while the Chiefs also get a second round and fifth round pick in 2027. If Kansas City wanted to land Fano, that would be the move. That said, it strays from the focus of retooling this defense.
S Caleb Downs, Ohio State
It’s fair to think that Caleb Downs would be a solid player for the Chiefs, especially the vacancy they created in their safety room after letting Bryan Cook walk this free agency. That said, I don’t know if Downs is the best option for the Chiefs or the best fit. He’s a safety who can play both downfield and in the box. In Steve Spagnuolo’s system, he’d need to play more downfield and that’s just not utilizing the best parts of his game.Â
If the Chiefs wanted to draft a safety, Emmanuel McNeil-Warren out of Toledo would probably be their best shot. They could either draft him with the No. 29 pick or trade back off the No. 9 pick to take him. This is contingent on the Cameron Jordan rumors as well. Maybe they take Jordan for immediate help with the pass rush, freeing them up to take a defensive gamble on a secondary player. This isn't a deep safety class outside the first round so if they wanted to take a safety, then that would be the play. I think Downs is going to be a good NFL player, but he's similar to how the Seattle Seahawks are using Nick Emmanwori and that's not Spagnuolo's style.
CB Jermod McCoy, Tennessee
It’s fair to think that Jermod McCoy could be a better alternative to Mansoor Delane, but there’s a glaring problem that makes him a risk as a first round pick. McCoy is coming off a torn ACL and while he’s on track to be ready for start his rookie season, his injury history is bringing comparisons to Maxwell Hairston. Hairston missed a large part of his rookie season in Buffalo and if McCoy has the same fate, especially coming off a major injury, the Chiefs will never forgive themselves for taking the flier on him.Â
TE Kenyon Sadiq
The Chiefs might be interested in turning to their Travis Kelce replacement with Kenyon Sadiq, but falling in love with him off potential might be too big of a risk. Kelce is probably playing his last season so looking for a player that can have the impact like Kelce feels like an easy solution with Sadiq. The problem here is what if he doesn’t turn into the impactful weapon Kelce was? The Atlanta Falcons drafted Kyle Pitts in the first round and that was a risk. Sadiq to the Chiefs could have that same outcome.Â