One week from today, we should be discussing the success or failure of the Kansas City Chiefs’ first-round picks. General Manager Brett Veach spoke to the media on Thursday and offered no clues about the direction his team might take in next week’s NFL Draft.
The Kansas City Chiefs are facing a signature draft that will reshape the roster with younger, hopefully talented players who can start day one and fill gaps, eventually replacing higher-priced starters who won’t fit in future years under the expanding salary cap.
Since the season ended, General Manager Brett Veach took advantage of the extra time off to begin the roster shuffle and get an early start on getting his free agent and draft boards ready for the upcoming season.
The Chiefs did a solid job adding veterans via free agency, including Super Bowl LX MVP Kenneth Walker III, to reshape their run game. Veach admitted during his press conference with local reporters that the Chiefs’ offense will rely heavily on moving the chains with the ground game.
If that’s the case, don’t be surprised if the Chiefs draft a tackle with either the 9th or 29th pick in the first round. After Josh Simmons fell to the Chiefs at the end of the first round a year ago, Veach could select a new starting right tackle from a trio of talented college tackles who grade as NFL-ready.
On the flip side, the need to grab an edge rusher might be solved by what happens in front of the Chiefs. Rueben Bains, Jr. has been dialed into Kansas City for about a month. Veach said they are comfortable with his off-field issues from two years ago and that they spent considerable time discussing them with him at the NFL Combine and during one of their recent 30 visits.
Another option for the Chiefs could be at wide receiver or tight end. Both Jordan Tyson, the Arizona State playmaker, and Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq (my choice for the first pick) have also been on the Chiefs’ radar.
It’s impossible for the Chiefs to grab both, but with the ninth pick, they should be available. In fact, if Veach wanted to trade back with the Cowboys at pick #12, the Rams at pick #13, or the Ravens at pick #14, they could probably still land their top-rated offensive weapon.
Further, they’d grab some extra draft picks that could add picks in rounds two or three, where the meat of this draft sits.
Veach has been at the helm of the team for quite some time, and he’s produced three Super Bowl titles. The Chiefs are favored to be atop the NFL again this season, and with a solid draft, that sentiment will grow. It’s clear what happened in 2025 was unfortunate for the franchise, but if the Chiefs learn from this one-year gap in postseason football and hit on most of their nine draft picks, the pain will have been worth it.
Of course, rehab for Patrick Mahomes remains high on the wish list, but Veach will craft this draft assuming his Unicorn Quarterback is available in week one.
Head Coach Andy Reid is also firmly entrenched in the decision-making process, and he relies heavily on Veach and his coordinators, Steve Spagnuolo, Eric Bieniemy, and Dave Toub, who are his lieutenants on the coaching staff.
It’s apparent that Veach gets all the input he can from the coaching staff and the scouts, and he trusts the process he’s created for drafting impact talent. However, there isn’t an exact science to directing a successful draft.
It doesn’t matter whether a player is drafted in the first or seventh round; they can develop into a reliable starter or a complete bust. The only constant in reducing risk is the stability of the coaching staff and the ability to land players who fit the scheme.
The Chiefs have a veteran coaching staff, and Veach has a talented scouting crew. Together, they generally find the right talent. However, as we’ve seen in the past, not all draft picks pan out or develop.
However, if the coaching staff is willing to put these picks on the field early in their careers, they have a better chance of making an impact and developing. On the flip side, the Chiefs did not do that last season, and it cost them wins.
If Veach takes a cue from the 2022 draft class, which made three consecutive Super Bowls, they made an immediate impact that needs to be duplicated in 2026. In other words, take the training wheels off beginning in Mini-Camp and push them to their abilities.
The reason that didn’t happen last season, in my view, was that the focus on the Three-Peat was at the forefront and not on developing the younger players to be ready for more meaningful games in November, December, and January.
Given that the organization missed the playoffs for the first time in the Mahomes era, I don’t think they will make that mistake again.
Regardless, this draft won’t be judged for a couple of NFL seasons, but perhaps you can review all the analysis, video, and internal discussions to craft your draft class. Or you throw it out the window and go with your gut.
In my view, it doesn’t matter which end of the draft process the Chiefs rely upon. It’s far more important to get it right.
