The Kansas City Chiefs took the biggest possible swing at solving their running back problem, throwing a three-year, $45 million deal (with $28.7 million guaranteed) at reigning Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III.
That's a lot of money, and fans will no doubt wonder why the team didn't just draft Jeremiyah Love at No. 9 overall in next month's NFL Draft. But Walker III will give this Chiefs offense exactly what it so desperately missed last season: While Kansas City was efficient enough on the ground, they were missing a home-run hitter who could turn four- or five-yard gains into explosive plays, which is exactly where Walker III excels. With Patrick Mahomes along side and a strong offensive line in front of him, he could be in for a monster 2026 season — and beyond.
But of course, Kansas City can't afford to stop here. This team wasn't a player (much less a running back) away from getting to another Super Bowl in 2025, and pressing questions remain all over the field. Here's how the Chiefs can turn this strong opening statement into a total offseason overhaul that gives Mahomes the help he needs.
Trade back from No. 9 and kill two birds with one stone
So much speculation about the Chiefs' first-round pick had centered on Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love. But with Walker now in the fold, that attention can be rerouted where it should've been all along: on the defensive side of the ball.
Notice that I didn't specify exactly where on defense Kansas City should go at No. 9. That largely depneds on how the board falls in front of them: If, say, concerns about Rueben Bain Jr.'s arm length causes the former Miami star to fall, the Chiefs would be hard-pressed to pass on him considering their need for impact talent on the edge. But if the trio of Bain Jr., David Bailey and Arvell Reese are all gone by the time K.C. is on the clock (which feels like the most likely scenario right now), taking a swing at cornerback makes a ton of sense.
And the Chiefs might be able to pick up some extra capital while doing so. If Spencer Fano and Francis Mauigoa both fall, a team looking for an offensive tackle might be willing to jump up a few spots, allowing Kansas City to drop back, pick up some extra capital and still take LSU's Mansoor Delane, Tennessee's Jermod McCoy or Clemson's Aveion Terrell — while adding a supplementary piece, like Texas A&M's KC Concepcion, to boot. Regardless, Kansas City can't come out of the first round without giving its defense a real shot in the arm.
Sign Jauan Jennings
Signing Walker solved Kansas City's most pressing offensive problem, but the wide receiver position is still desperately in need of an upgrade. Or, to be more specific, it's still desperately in need of size. The Chiefs way overindexed on small, speedy types at the position, to the point that they got weight-roomed against physical defenses and made themselves far too one-dimensional through the air.
Kansas City can try to fix that problem in free agency. Jennings is an always-willing blocker who can be a reliable intermediate weapon for Mahomes in this offense. Put him alongside Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy, and suddenly your receiver room begins to make a bit more sense with a variety of skill sets. At the very least, they'll have someone who can win a fight with defensive backs.
Attack the defensive line in both free agency and the draft
The Chiefs could use some more pass-rush juice, but the interior of the defensive line is even more pressing — both finding a nose to play next to Chris Jones and also finding someone who might be able to spell Jones himself as he ages into his 30s.
Again, a lot of this depends on which direction the team is able to go in the first round of the draft; if Bain Jr. or another EDGE prospect falls, that changes the calculus considerably. But, assuming they do go corner with their first pick, they should look to a second- or third-tier free agent who can help get after the quarterback — maybe someone like former Seahawk Boye Mafe or Saints legend Cam Jordan.
From there, it's time to focus on the trenches. Grabbing a servicable nose tackle like Khyiris Tonga or the ageless Calais Campbell, then spending a Day 2 pick on a developmental project like Iowa State's Domonique Orange, would leave the Chiefs in far better shape on the inside than they currently are.
Bring back Leo Chenal
After beefing up the receiving corps, the secondary and the defensive line, there's one major question mark yet to be addressed: linebacker, with Chenal a free agent and Drue Tranquill a potential cap casualty.
Chenal strikes me as the free agent Kansas City should be most motivated to re-sign. He's still a solid enough player, his market shouldn't get too prohibitive (figure $4-5 million over three years?) and, most importantly, this is just not a great offseason to be needing linebacker depth. The draft class is by all accounts not great beyond the stars at the top, and while the middle tier of free agency isn't entirely dead, I'd rather bring back Chenal than sign a veteran stopgap like Alex Singleton or Lavonte David.
Walker is going to be a panacea to a Chiefs offense that needed to find ways to create explosive plays against light boxes. Give Mahomes a different sort of body to work with and add some more talent to Steve Spagnuolo's defense, and there's no reason this team can't be right back in contention in 20