Which Chiefs Players Could Be on the Roster Bubble After the 2026 NFL Draft?

With the 2026 NFL Draft in the rearview mirror, attention now turns to the future. For the Kansas City Chiefs, the team's seven new draftees join the team as a wave of young talent to rejuvenate the roster as Kansas City looks to reload after a disappointing 2025 season. However, for many players, the new picks bring competition for a roster spot or starting role.

Whose futures are in question after the 2026 NFL Draft?

Running back Brashard Smith

The Chiefs selected running back Brashard Smith in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft, but he was used very sparingly in his rookie season. Smith converted from wide receiver to running back in college, and he got just 44 carries last season, with 14 coming late in Week 7's blowout win over the Las Vegas Raiders and 12 in the season finale loss to Vegas. Smith never got more than four carries in a game with any stakes remaining, even with KC's running back woes that limited them in '25.

This offseason, the Chiefs opened free agency with a major deal to land Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker and followed that move with a one-year deal for former Arizona Cardinals running back Emari Demercado. Then, Kansas City selected Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson in the fifth round of the draft, likely pushing Smith to the fourth-string line. Even undrafted free agent Jaydn Ott could provide some competition.

Between Smith's limited role in 2025 and the team's aggressive investment in the running back position this offseason, Smith's future is highly uncertain. The good news for Smith is that he could still be the team's most dynamic kick return candidate, and his skill set could earn him a more gadget-like role as a fourth back in the offense if he can convincingly earn a spot on special teams.

Quarterback Chris Oladokun

Following injuries to Patrick Mahomes and Gardner Minshew near the end of the 2025 season, quarterback Chris Oladokun received his first taste of significant NFL action in Weeks 15-17. Unfortunately for Oladokun, the offense struggled under his command — for a variety of reasons beyond just Oladokun's performance — and his brief showcase was unimpressive.

While Mahomes continues to recover from his torn ACL, the Chiefs traded for New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields after adding former 2023 fourth-round pick Jake Haener for depth this offseason. Then, in a bit of a surprise, the Chiefs selected LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier with the No. 249 overall pick in the draft.

Oladokun is still the most experienced backup in Andy Reid's system, so his departure isn't a foregone conclusion, but his path to a roster spot has steepened significantly in recent months.

Cornerback Kristian Fulton

In free agency ahead of the 2025 NFL season, the Chiefs signed veteran cornerback Kristian Fulton to a two-year, $20 million contract with $15 million guaranteed. Due to a mix of injury issues and coaching decisions, Fulton suited up in just eight games for the Chiefs in the first year of his deal.

Fulton played 15 defensive snaps in Week 1 and then a total of 14 from Weeks 2-15 combined. In the final three games of the year — with the Chiefs eliminated from playoff contention — Fulton saw 46, 71 and 62 defensive snaps and performed well to round out a bizarre season.

After the Chiefs traded away Trent McDuffie and let Jaylen Watson leave in free agency, Fulton and second-year cornerback Nohl Williams became Kansas City's likely starting duo for 2026, perhaps giving Fulton a chance to return to form in his age-28 season.

However, by trading up to select LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane at No. 6 overall, the Chiefs grabbed their presumed top corner of the future, leaving Williams and Fulton to battle for the other starting boundary cornerback role to begin the year.

Fulton could be a Week 1 starter for the Chiefs, or the team could look at his $13 million cap hit for 2026 and decide that $5 million in savings (with a corresponding dead cap hit of $8 million) could be worth cutting Fulton outright if they think the team is in for a repeat of the 2025 saga.

With such a poor dead-money-to-cap-savings ratio and a thinner cornerback room than the Chiefs have had in years past, Fulton should still be in the mix when training camp rolls around. Delane could also see some time in the slot, leaving Fulton and Williams both plenty of snaps to take on the boundary, but with the addition of former Miami Dolphins cornerback Kader Kohou in free agency and the drafting of Oregon defensive back Jadon Canady in the fourth round, the team has options other than Delane as their nickel defender.

For Fulton to truly be on the roster bubble, former Buffalo Bills first-round pick Kaiir Elam or another surprising name would likely have to show some consistent flashes in training camp, but Fulton will have to perform in his own right in order to earn more playing time in 2026.

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