Chiefs 2026 NFL Draft: 10 Prospects to Consider in First Round

Just like that, the lengthy wait is over and the 2026 NFL Draft is (almost) officially here.

There are countless storylines to keep an eye on heading into Thursday night's first round in Pittsburgh, including several teams having multiple first-round picks. The Kansas City Chiefs are among that group, as general manager Brett Veach has easily the best Day One haul of his tenure.

Armed with pick Nos. 9 and 29, K.C. can navigate the board as it desires. Given the club's laundry list of roster needs, there should be no shortage of suitable selections at either spot.

With that in mind, which 2026 NFL Draft prospects could wind up playing with Patrick Mahomes and company? Ten potential first-rounders, in particular, manage to stand out.

Top 2026 NFL Draft Targets for Kansas City Chiefs

Let's dive into the top 10 Chiefs draft targets for the 2026 cycle, with five players apiece making the cut for ninth and 29th overall.

Rueben Bain Jr. (EDGE, Miami)

Unfortunately, the first thing that comes to mind for many when discussing Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. is his sub-31-inch arm length. That's undoubtedly a red flag for the compactly built defensive end, but writing him off without factoring in the rest of his profile is foolish.

Bain is a clear plus player as a run defender, something Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo values immensely. He's also powerful in his lower half while possessing tremendous bend. The Hurricanes product is a premier pass rusher in this class.

Kansas City could benefit from adding a complement to defensive end George Karlaftis, and Bain projects as just that. He's a formidable "set it and forget it" piece.

Caleb Downs (S, Ohio State)

If a player as talented as Ohio State safety Caleb Downs falls, the positional value conversation should go to the wayside a bit. Even with suboptimal measurements, Downs is as smart a defensive player as there is in the 2026 draft crop.

Possessing tremendous processing speed, an aggressive mindset and the ability to play multiple defensive back spots, Downs is a match made in heaven for Spagnuolo. It remains to be seen whether he'll fall to No. 9, but if he does, the Chiefs would be wise to think long and hard about acquiring him.

Yes, that's even with more pressing needs on the roster.

Mansoor Delane (CB, LSU)

After trading cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams and watching Jaylen Watson sign with them in free agency, it'd be a tough pill for some to swallow if the Chiefs went back to the well so early. That's understandable.

It's tough to ignore LSU corner Mansoor Delane's profile, though. The former Tigers star has the makings of a boundary stopper: namely physicality, fluidity and proven reps against outside wide receivers. Concerns about his playing weight might be a bit overstated.

In the event of Kansas City opting for a corner at ninth overall, it's this writer's belief that Tennessee's Jermod McCoy is the best player. Delane figures to be the safer bet, if there's such a thing.

Carnell Tate (WR, Ohio State)

With Rashee Rice being in the last year of his rookie contract and Xavier Worthy having yet to blossom into a star, it's no secret that the Chiefs could use an injection of talent at wideout. Not only does Ohio State's Carnell Tate offer plenty of that, but he also doesn't overlap skill set-wise.

Tate is a long receiver with big hands, a wide catch radius, an alpha mentality and a more than sufficient 4.53-second 40-yard dash time. The former Buckeyes star's ability to be alignment-versatile and come down with tough grabs — among much else — makes him intriguing.

His style does go against what head coach Andy Reid typically deploys, but he'd be a worthy changeup pitch to throw at defenses in 2026 and beyond.

Makai Lemon (WR, USC)

USC's Makai Lemon is on the smaller side (5-foot-11, 192 pounds) and was primarily a slot option in college. There are worries about how often he could operate as a Z receiver in the NFL, let alone how successful he'd be doing so. With that said, similar to Bain, there's so much more to like.

Lemon thrives on attempting to break tackles and bringing a competitive mean streak to the field. His steady hands and verticality allow him to play bigger than he is and he's a route-running savant, capable of generating separation.

Considering the uncertainty surrounding Rice's future, Lemon could clear some things up both now and later.

KC Concepcion (WR, Texas A&M)

Transitioning to the end of the first round, there's a very limited list of receivers the Chiefs could acquire in an effort to gain meaningful year-one contributions. Texas A&M's KC Concepcion could take the cake, particularly in a Reid-influenced offense.

Concepcion is a walking big play, thriving when he can use his long speed to get past defenders or ramp up with runway ahead of him. His intermediate profile might be flying under the radar late in the 2026 NFL Draft cycle.

Like with Lemon, Concepcion is a more natural Chiefs fit and while serving as an insurance policy is possible, he'd also receive hefty snaps as a rookie.

Blake Miller (OT, Clemson)

As long as Josh Simmons is on the field and the rest of the offensive line is healthy, the Chiefs could walk into Week 1 with four above-average starters up front. With right tackle Jaylon Moore's contract expiring following this season, it still isn't the worst idea to think ahead.

Doing so at pick No. 9 is deemed far too early by most. Waiting until 29 for a player like Blake Miller could be stomached. What one sees is what it gets with Miller: Clemson's pride and joy is a reliable run blocker and sets a nice floor in pass protection.

Miller is rough around the edges and has an athletic profile that could significantly cap his professional ceiling. Factoring in what Kansas City needs, that may not be a major issue.

Kayden McDonald (DT, Ohio State)

Even after signing Khyiris Tonga, the Chiefs may need more help at defensive tackle. Star Chris Jones isn't getting any younger, and 2025 second-round pick Omarr Norman-Lott can't be counted on coming off a torn ACL. Enter Kayden McDonald, who boasts a nice resume as a pick late in round one.

The Ohio State (yes, another Buckeye) man is an awesome run defender who gets off the line quickly and can diagnose plays in real time with efficiency. He seems bound for a long NFL career based solely on that.

There's more of a long-burning vision for McDonald's pass rush capabilities, which could divide teams on whether he's a Day One or Day Two selection. For Kansas City's purposes, it'd be an iffy proposition to wait on him falling to No. 40.

Colton Hood (CB, Tennessee)

Many of the things said about a Delane pick at ninth could apply to Tennessee's Colton Hood at 29th. A teammate of McCoy's with the Volunteers, Hood disrupts wideouts' timing at the line of scrimmage and is a willing participant in run defense. Consider that two points already with Spagnuolo.

Additionally, Hood is a nice north-south athlete with good ball skills. He's known to get overzealous at times, on the downside, and something similar to Watson's Thanksgiving Day performance against the Dallas Cowboys this past campaign — a struggle, to put it kindly — might be a mirror for him at his worst.

With the infrastructure the Chiefs have in place in the secondary, the benefits could outweigh the risks.

T.J. Parker (EDGE, Clemson)

Another fringe first-round pick, Clemson's T.J. Parker is a classic Chiefs-style defensive end prospect. Possessing mass in the neighborhood of 260 pounds and some 34-inch arms, his athletic profile pairs with disciplined run defense to present the allure of a high floor.

Ceiling-wise, there just might not be much more to Parker. Limitations regarding his burst and fluidity potentially rule out star-level impact along the defensive front, but that's fine. Even a rotational edge rusher is an improvement in a K.C. room that desperately needs help.

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