This Player Coming Off Board Early Would be Great News for Chiefs

Kansas City's possibilities at No. 9 could open up if latest murmurs become a reality.

Jul 22, 2025; St. Joseph, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach walks down the hill to the fields during training camp at Missouri Western State University. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

The Kansas City Chiefs' selection at No. 9 hinges on how the eight teams in front of them operate with their respective picks.

At this point, following free agency, we have a good idea of positions the Chiefs' front office will be targeting at that spot. On Tuesday, ESPN's NFL Draft Analyst Mel Kiper Jr. released his third mock draft, which was based on what transpired during free agency.

Kansas City will keep tabs on several teams at the top of the board, and one of those teams is the New York Jets, who own the No. 2 pick in the draft. Kiper Jr. had the Jets taking one of the top pass rushers, but he said something interesting that could benefit the Chiefs if it transpired.

Kiper Jr. on What He is Hearing from Teams

Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Sonny Styles (0) pressures Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) during the Big Ten Conference championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Dec. 6, 2025. Ohio State lost 13-10. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

• "I will say this, there is another name that comes into this mix," Kiper Jr. said. "His name is Sonny Styles. Sonny Styles' name, when mentioned, some people think that he's better than Arvell Reese coming into this draft. We'll see where we have Sonny Styles coming off the board. But I'll just throw him in. Not just from the combine, but from the kind of year that he had. He had 13 more tackles than Arvell Reese. He was all over the field making plays. You can use him in so many different ways in today's game. Sonny Styles is going to come up big when we talk about where he could go. He's going to be in the discussion at least, for teams that don't take him, but thought very long and hard about doing just that."

Why This is Good News for the Chiefs

Nov 29, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis (56) celebrates with defensive tackle Chris Jones (95) after a sack during the second half against the Las Vegas Raiders at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Styles is one of the top players in the draft, no doubt. But Kansas City wants to see those pass rushers fall as far as possible. Not all three of Arvell Reese, David Bailey, and Rueben Bain Jr. will be there at nine, and it's likely that at least two of them will be off the board by then.

I do not expect the Chiefs to have their choice between two of those players, but if the Jets pass on an edge rusher, there is a possibility that the Cardinals, Titans, Giants, and Browns also forgo taking one of the top pass rushers.

Yes, teams outside the top 10 could trade up and catapult over Kansas City to take one of these players, but the Jets taking Styles could open a door that has been presumably slammed shut for the Chiefs all offseason.