Firm of Tate, Lemon & Tyson is a Liability to Chiefs at 9

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Carnell Tate or Makai Lemon.

The Chiefs’ draft room will heavily debate those two players over the next three weeks, especially after Tate’s Ohio State pro day Wednesday. Lemon, meanwhile, has carved out time in his April schedule for a top-30 visit to Kansas City, according to Ryan Fowler.

“I did speak with the Chiefs,” Tate confirmed at the combine last month. “I had a visit with the Chiefs. It was a great meeting as well. We went over my film, see what all I can retain, read a couple coverages.”

Jordyn Tyson read a couple coverages, too. And despite his injury history, Tyson also is in play for the Chiefs at 9 – Kansas City’s highest selection in 13 years.

Chiefs have made just one move to address wide receiver

Wide receiver was the Chiefs’ most glaring area needing improvement entering free agency, but all they’ve done so far is re-sign Tyquan Thornton.

That's why they’ll also debate taking Tyson, the most explosive of that trio. But if those three go somewhere else, the 2026 draft is loaded at the position. The Chiefs felt better about drafting and developing targets for Patrick Mahomes, rather than paying big money for a veteran free agent.

mahomes, worthy, ric — Sep 5, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy (1) celebrates with quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) and wide receiver Rashee Rice (4) after scoring a touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens during the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

What history says about top-10 wide receivers

But beyond circumstance, strategy should come into play for the Chiefs. Waiting to draft a wideout either with the No. 29 selection at the end of Night 1, or even waiting until Day 2, would behoove the Chiefs.

Since the beginning of the 2017 draft, when the Chiefs traded up to take Mahomes, NFL clubs have drafted 13 wide receivers in the top 10. Ja’Marr Chase is the only member of that group to earn a first-team All-Pro selection (he has two), and only Chase and Malik Nabers have even earned Pro Bowl honors.

Not even Jaylen Waddle, acquired last week by the Broncos, has reached the Pro Bowl.

Last year, the Associated Press first-team All-Pros at wide receiver were Chase, Seattle’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba and the Rams’ Puka Nacua. The year before, they were Chase, Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson and Detroit’s Amon-Ra St. Brown.

Smith-Njigba (No. 20) and Jefferson (No. 22) were drafted later in the first round while St. Brown didn’t go until Round 4 (No. 112). Nacua (fifth round, 177 overall) could wind up better than all of them. Since he entered the league in 2023, the Rams’ wide receiver has 4,131 receiving yards, second in the NFL behind Chase (4,336).

Most receptions of 20+ yards in 2025…

1. Jaxon Smith-Njigba - 27
1. Puka Nacua - 27
3. Jameson Williams - 23
4. George Pickens - 22
5. Amon-Ra St. Brown - 20
5. Emeka Egbuka - 20
7. Zay Flowers - 19
8. Nico Collins - 18
— NFL Researcher (@NFL_Researcher) March 25, 2026

Receivers taken in the top 10 rarely pan out. And rather than take one of those three at No. 9, the Chiefs should either trade down into the back half of the first round – accumulating more picks – or simply wait until they’re on the clock with later selections. None of those three top-10 targets are Ja’Marr Chase.