Stock Watch: Which Chiefs Players Got Good News During the NFL Draft?

The NFL Draft is a tumultuous time for current players who could be fighting for a roster spot or a starting role in the upcoming season. For the Kansas City Chiefs, several players had their standing somewhat in doubt before the draft began.

With the picks submitted and undrafted free agents signed, who should be feeling confident about their place in Kansas City's plans for 2026?

Offensive tackle Jaylon Moore

No Chiefs player endured more rampant speculation this offseason than offensive tackle Jaylon Moore. Thanks to an overblown smokescreen that general manager Brett Veach couldn't help but laugh about on Thursday night, many national analysts believed that the Chiefs would make a serious push to add a new starting right tackle to their offensive line room, reducing Moore to the backup role he occupied for much of last season after left tackle Josh Simmons was drafted in the first round.

Instead, Moore begins the next phase of the offseason as Kansas City's obvious fifth starter on the offensive line while entering the final year of his two-year, $30 million contract. Moore should have every opportunity to prove to teams around the league that he's worthy of another payday and a starting role in 2027 and beyond.

Offensive tackle Esa Pole

In a similar position as Moore, the same lack of O-line investment also bodes well for 24-year-old offensive tackle Esa Pole, who could enter his second NFL season as the Chiefs' primary swing-tackle.

Pole started four games for the Chiefs at the end of the season and showed some promising signs alongside his fair share of rookie mistakes. In year two, Pole should get more opportunities to run with the second-team offense in training camp as he refines his game to maximize his imposing 6-foot-7, 320-pound frame.

Linebacker Jeffrey Bassa

Even in a draft that saw the Chiefs use their first four selections on defensive players, linebacker Jeffrey Bassa didn't receive any extra drafted competition over the weekend. Bassa, a fifth-round pick in 2025, took just 17 defensive snaps until the final week of the season before receiving 22 reps in the final game of the year.

Bassa was a regular special teams contributor as a rookie, but his lack of defensive production left some doubt about how the Chiefs would evaluate him ahead of his second season.

After losing linebacker Leo Chenal in free agency, Kansas City will need someone else to earn a spot in the rotation behind starters Nick Bolton and Drue Tranquill. While Bassa will have to compete with Jack Cochrane, Cooper McDonald and Cole Christiansen for the workload, Bassa is the only drafted member of that quartet.

Bassa still has plenty of work to do this offseason, but the Chiefs' decision to not draft another speedy linebacker of a similar style bodes well for Bassa's place in their development plan.

Wide receiver Xavier Worthy

While the Chiefs did eventually draft Cincinnati wide receiver Cyrus Allen at pick No. 176, they didn't make an investment in the wide receiver room until well into Day 3. That should bode well for Xavier Worthy, who projects to be KC's No. 3 pass catcher this year alongside Travis Kelce and Rashee Rice. Of that trio, however, Worthy is the only one under contract for 2027.

The Chiefs will certainly look to add more weapons next offseason, but they could have targeted Jordyn Tyson, Makai Lemon, KC Conception or others in this year's draft in order to build the new-look wide receiver room for the future. Instead, Worthy will be surrounded by familiar faces this season, with a chance to establish himself as the leading man in the next iteration of the Chiefs' offense.

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