Every Rookie to Watch During 2026 Chiefs Training Camp

The Kansas City Chiefs' official full-team training camp doesn't begin until report date on July 28 and practice on July 29, but that doesn't mean plenty of folks aren't getting ready to close out the week prior.

Friday sees quarterbacks and first-year players touch down at the Missouri Western State University campus, and there are ample storylines to consider. In addition to monitoring the progress of quarterback Patrick Mahomes in his return from injury, many eyes will be on general manager Brett Veach's rookie class.

Which of those debut players could turn heads at training camp in St. Joseph, MO? Let's dive into the entire 2026 NFL Draft crop for Kansas City, as well as some priority undrafted names to remember in the coming weeks.

Day 1 Picks: First-Round Selections

Similar to the 2022 draft, the Chiefs were able to make a pair of first-round picks and were aggressive in landing their desired talent. Leading things off was cornerback Mansoor Delane, whom K.C. moved up from pick No. 9 to sixth overall for.

The LSU man profiles as the club's best corner right out of the gate, which would ease some nerves after a tumultuous offseason in the secondary. Veach traded Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams and opted against paying Jaylen Watson, who signed with the same team. There's considerable pressure on Delane to live up to the hype, which could start with producing a highlight or two in camp.

Even if he doesn't earn a significant role in his first year, don't overlook defensive tackle Peter Woods. The late round one pickup is oozing with upside and is looking to show that he's more of his 2024 self than the player who rounded out his career in underwhelming fashion at Clemson.

The Chiefs have a formidable duo of Chris Jones and Khyiris Tonga at tackle already, but Woods' juice on pass rush downs may be too much to keep him off the field for long. Having a good camp is paramount.

Day 2 Picks: Welcome to the R Mason Thomas Show

K.C. didn't make a third-round pick this year, leaving Oklahoma EDGE R Mason Thomas as its only Day 2 draft addition. He goes against what coordinator Steve Spagnuolo typically eyes at the position size-wise, but is that just what the doctor ordered considering the lack of dynamic athleticism in the room right now?

Thomas is a quick, twitchy and bendy player whose ultimate ceiling could be determined by his ability to hold up in run defense. Like Woods, he doesn't project as a year-one starter, but that isn't a knock on his standing with the team even a bit.

Day 3 Picks: Depth Galore

To cap off the draft, Veach and Co. went back to the drawing board and came away with four players. Leading off the club's Day 3 collective was Oregon cornerback Jadon Canady, who's undersized but plays a heady brand of football and has half a decade of collegiate experience to fall back on.

Up next were back-to-back great decisions in the eyes of many. If not for a ho-hum testing process pre-draft, Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson may have been a third- or fourth-round selection. Cincinnati receiver Cyrus Allen is far from the biggest player and isn't a true X in the slightest, although his ability to separate and execute routes on time could keep him in the mix.

Rounding things out is perhaps the surprise of the Chiefs draft, another LSU man in quarterback Garrett Nussmeier. Medical concerns contributed to his draft slide, but if he's ready to roll for the long haul, this could be an intriguing developmental project for head coach Andy Reid. That process starts this week at camp.

Undrafted Free Agents to Watch at Chiefs Camp

As highlighted in the Chiefs On SI pre-training camp depth chart projection, there's a handful of players capable of pushing veterans for potential end-of-roster spots.

Starting on the offensive side of the ball, tight end John Michael Gyllenborg might just enter a position battle with Jake Briningstool to see who may round out the room. At tackle, Indiana's Kahlil Benson likely falls victim to the numbers game of an eventual roster crunch but has turned heads already this offseason.

One key player to follow is Duke defensive end Vincent Anthony. Referred to by some as "VJ," he fits Spagnuolo's preferred size thresholds and is coming off a year that saw him record 13 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks.

A pair of UDFA safeties, Iowa's Xavier Nwankpa and Nebraska's DeShon Singleton, may be the most fun prospects on this side of the football. The former is a better player right now, in this writer's view, but preseason play might help whittle down the safety room and determine whether one member of this duo can sneak onto the roster.

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