Chiefs 2026 NFL Mock Draft roundup with highest pick in 13 years

After a half-decade of dominance, the Kansas City Chiefs had a nightmare season in 2025 and will now pick inside the top 10 for the first time since selecting No. 1 in 2013. Who will they take at No. 9? We surveyed top NFL draft experts from around the sports world in this Chiefs 2026 NFL Mock Draft roundup.

Kansas City has picked in the high 20s or thirties for almost a decade now after trading up to No. 10 in 2017 to take Patrick Mahomes. That means the young talent on the roster has dipped over the years. Add to that the fact that Mahomes is recovering from an ACL tear and superstar tight end Travis Kelce is mulling retirement, and this draft becomes incredibly important.

If they make the right picks, as the New England Patriots did in the middle of Tom Brady’s career, they can set themselves up for a second act to rival those Pats. If not, we may have seen the end of the Chiefs’ dynasty when they limped off the field after getting crushed in Super Bowl 59.

Either way, the NFL’s annual selection meeting in April will be a fascinating one for Kansas City, so let’s jump right into the Chiefs’ 2026 NFL Mock Draft roundup.

RB Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame

Tim Crean, ClutchPoints; Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN; Mark Schofield and James Dator, SB Nation

The most common pick in this Chiefs 2026 NFL Mock Draft roundup is Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love.

While taking a running back in the top 10 is a dicey proposition that often doesn’t work out all that well, the Chiefs are a unique case where adding a star RB to their roster could be the missing piece they need to get back on track.

The RB situation in Kansas City has been rough for almost the entire dynastic run. The team hasn’t had a 1,000-yard rusher since Kareem Hunt and Mahomes were rookies back in 2017. So, while this hasn’t been a dealbreaker in the past, with Mahomes aging and recovering from a major injury, it’s time to make that position a priority.

Love is a back who has it all. He is a bellcow back with good size at 6-feet, 214 pounds who also has sprinter speed and can run routes and catch as well. This is the type of player you can build an offense around, and with Mahomes coming back from injury, Andy Reid can do that starting at the beginning of next season.

EDGE Rueben Bain Jr., Miami

Daniel Jeremiah, NFL.com

On the defensive side of the ball, the Chiefs have struggled to find a dominant pass rusher to pair with Chris Jones, despite using a fair amount of draft capital on the position in recent years.

General manager Brett Veach has selected edge players Ashton Gillote, Felix Anudike-Uzomah, and George Karlaftis in the past four drafts. While Karlaftis has turned into a solid starting defensive end, he’s averaging under 8.0 sacks per season. The other two have 4.5 sacks combined.

Rueben Bain Jr. is the most powerful pass rusher in this draft and showed that in Miami’s run to the national title game. At 6-foot-3, 275 pounds, he doesn’t have the length that most top EDGE prospects do, but his production on the field speaks for itself.

An elite pass rusher could turn the Chiefs’ defense into a menace next season and also help carry the offense while Mahomes gets back up to speed. If they believe Bain is that guy, this can be an incredible pick.

OT Francis Mauigoa, Miami

Dalton Wasserman, PFF

Francis Mauigoa is a mountain of a man at 6-foot-6, 335 pounds who held down the right tackle spot for the surging Hurricanes this college football season. What’s interesting about this 2026 NFL Mock Draft selection is that most pundits see Mauigoa as a guard, but he’d likely stay at RT for the Chiefs.

With Creed Humphrey, Trey Smith, and Kingsley Suamataia at center and the guard spots, respectively, Kansas City has one of the best interior offensive lines in the league. However, promising left tackle Josh Simmons was injured in 2025, and they could use an upgrade at RT from Jawaan Taylor.

Whether Mauigoa sticks at RT or Suamataia slides outside (like he did in college), adding the Miami OL to a unit that is already a strength of the team makes a lot of sense. And if he does replace Taylor in the starting lineup, the entire KC O-line will be 27 and under for the start of next season.

WR Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State

Ayrton Ostly, USA Today

While the Chiefs’ running back situation is pretty bad, the wide receiver group may actually be weaker. Rashee Rice can’t be trusted to stay on the field (due to injuries or off-field incidents), and neither Xavier Worthy nor Jalen Royals looks like a WR1.
To get Mahomes a truly elite pass-catcher, taking Jordyn Tyson here does make some sense. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound pass-catcher looks like a true No. 1 and has the talent to reach that level, too.

The biggest problem here is that Tyson has injury issues, too, missing time in each of his four college seasons for various ailments. Adding an injury-prone wideout to a group that already struggles in that respect may not be the most helpful pick, regardless of talent.

EDGE Keldric Faulk, Auburn

Blake Brockmeyer, CBS Sports

The argument for picking a potentially elite edge rusher is the same for Keldric Faulk as it is for Bain. However, these are two polar opposite players.

While Bain has physical limitations but excellent production, Faulk has the type of body you think of when you think of a 6-foot-6, 285-pound edge rusher. However, with just 10.0 sacks in three seasons, Faulk has yet to show that he can be elite.

So, a pick like this over Bain comes down to what Veach and Reid value. Will they overlook some physical limitations after watching incredible tape? Or would they rather have the unteachable physical traits and figure out the rest later?

If the answer is the latter, Faulk is their man.

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