Kansas City Chiefs Draft Tracker: Picks, Trades and Analysis

The 2026 NFL Draft has come and gone, and the Kansas City Chiefs started it in an unfamiliar position.

Last season was a disappointing one for Kansas City, ending the year 6-11 and well outside of the playoff picture. The silver lining of that frustrating campaign arrived as the Chiefs held the No. 9 overall selection — the highest draft pick of the Patrick Mahomes era in Kansas City.

By trading away star cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams this offseason, the Chiefs added even more firepower to their 2026 draft, giving the team a chance to reload with two first-round picks and four total selections in the top 75.

With some of those picks made and others traded away, we tracked every trade and every selection the Chiefs made during the 2026 NFL Draft.

Kansas City Chiefs 2026 NFL Draft picks

No. 6 overall (via Cleveland): Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU

The Chiefs started Thursday night with a splash, trading the No. 9, No. 74 and No. 148 overall picks to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for No. 6, where the team selected LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane. The 22-year-old LSU and Virginia Tech product was almost always mocked as the top corner in the draft, but Kansas City paid a steep price to stabilize their cornerback room after losing McDuffie and Jaylen Watson in the offseason. —Joshua Brisco

Trade terms: Chiefs receive No. 6 overall (CB Mansoor Delane), Browns receive No. 9, 74, 148.

No. 29 overall (via Los Angeles): Peter Woods, DT, Clemson

Kansas City completed a defensive double-dip on Thursday night, adding one of the draft's most compelling athletes to their defensive line by selecting Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods. While Woods wasn't as productive in 2025 as he was the season before, the Chiefs are making a clear bet on the tools that Woods will bring to the NFL level while learning from superstar defensive tackle Chris Jones and defensive line coach Joe Cullen. —Brisco

No. 40 overall: R Mason Thomas, DE, Oklahoma

Defense, defense, defense! The Chiefs tripled-down on defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo's side of the ball to begin their draft class, adding their second consecutive D-lineman after taking Woods at No. 29. Oklahoma defensive end R Mason Thomas is an atypical fit for Spagnuolo's usual EDGE archetype, but his pass rush potential brings some much-needed juice to Kansas City's thin defensive end room. —Brisco

No. 109 overall: Jadon Canady, CB, Oregon

Yet another defensive selection for Kansas City to open up Day 3. Jadon Canady is the second cornerback pick of this class by general manager Brett Veach. A five-year college player with three different programs, he has ample experience in different systems and in various alignments. As a smaller player, he slots — pun intended — into a nickel role ideally. —Jordan Foote

No. 161 overall: Emmett Johnson, RB, Nebraska

Yes, the Chiefs revamped their running back room this offseason by signing Kenneth Walker III and Emari Demercado. No, they didn't necessarily need another body in the room. With Demercado on a one-year deal, Walker having some durability questions and 2025 NFL Draft pick Brashard Smith not flashing much as a rookie, this is still a bang-up job. —Foote

No. 176 overall: Cyrus Allen, WR, Cincinnati

It's later than many wanted Kansas City to add a wideout, but the team did a solid job in the fifth round here. Cincinnati's Cyrus Allen is a very explosive athlete, posting a great shuttle time and broad jump before the draft. He's an undersized piece at 5-foot-11 and 183 pounds, confining him to the slot, but the upside of being an upgrade over someone like Nikko Remigio is there. —Foote

No. 249 overall: Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU

With one of the picks they swapped by trading with the Pittsburgh Steelers in moving up for Johnson, the Chiefs capped off their 2026 NFL Draft haul with a shocker. LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier was limited by a medical issue during his final season with the Tigers, but he possesses an interesting ceiling that could make him Patrick Mahomes' long-term backup. —Foote

The Chiefs' original sixth-round pick was traded to the New England Patriots for defensive end Joshua Uche in October 2024 and KC's seventh-rounder was sent to the Dallas Cowboys for tight end Peyton Hendershot in August of the same year.

Hours before the start of the draft, Albert Breer of SI explained why the Chiefs' place in the first round was such a critical one.

"This is the first time the Chiefs have picked in the top 10 since dealing up for Patrick Mahomes in 2017, and the first time they’ve gone into a draft day with a top-10 selection since Andy Reid’s first year in Kansas City (’13), when they held the No. 1 pick," Breer wrote. "That, to me, is why GM Brett Veach has been so active looking at both moving up and potentially moving down. This is a rare opportunity for the Chiefs that might not come along again for some time. I think if Kansas City moves down, then Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq will be on the radar."

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