Kansas City Chiefs 2026 Mock Draft Roundup 2.0

Throughout the year and leading up to the 2026 NFL Draft, we will update our Kansas City Chiefs Mock Draft Roundup showing picks for the Kansas City Chiefs from several prominent sites and draft analysts.

The following are picks from recent NFL mock drafts for the Kansas City Chiefs:

NFL.com — Lance Zierlein

9. Rueben Bain Jr., EDGE, Miami (FL)

There are other needs, but Bain simply fits the mold of what Brett Veach and Andy Reid look for in a rugged QB hunter and two-way player off the edge.

ESPN — Matt Miller

9. David Bailey, EDGE, Texas Tech

The Chiefs find themselves in unfamiliar top-10 territory, but picking this high could give them the opportunity to quickly reload and get back to their usual place atop the AFC. Kansas City has needs at several positions, namely right tackle, edge rusher and cornerback. And it could go with the highest-ranked player at those positions -- which would be Bailey, who tied for the FBS lead with 14.5 sacks last season.

Although he isn't the big-bodied defensive end Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo prefers, the 6-foot-3, 250-pound Bailey has speed off the snap and the ability to chase down quarterbacks. The Chiefs had only 35 sacks as a team in 2025 (tied for 22nd in the NFL), so Bailey would give their pass rush a jolt with his agility and power.

40. Kamari Ramsey, S, USC

With Bryan Cook set to hit free agency, the Chiefs have a hole at safety with no up-and-coming prospect ready to fill it. Ramsey is a ball-hawking, rangy free safety who can play in a split or single-high safety look.

CBS Sports — Ryan Wilson

9. Caleb Banks, IDL, Florida

At 6-foot-6 and 330 pounds with 35-inch arms, Banks is surprisingly explosive for his size, playing with power, juice and a nonstop motor. A foot injury sidelined him for parts of the 2025 season, but he took part in all three Senior Bowl practices and was pretty much unblockable on every rep. If he's fully healthy, he has top-10 ability.

MORE: Continue reading our 2026 Kansas City Chiefs Mock Draft Roundup

More roundups: NFL Teams | NFL Draft Prospects


2025 NFL Draft Grades: Kansas City Chiefs

The 2025 NFL Draft is now in the rearview mirror, and we have compiled a consensus ranking using NFL draft grades from a variety of sites.

What draft grades have the media given to the Kansas City Chiefs? What are they saying about the Chiefs' 2025 draft haul?

CBS Sports - Grade: A

Best Pick: First-round tackle Josh Simmons is the best offensive lineman in this draft. If not for a torn meniscus suffered early last season, he would have been a top-10 pick. The Chiefs can be patient with him, but he's their long-term left tackle.

Worst Pick: Second-round defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott has talent, but there were questions about his attitude leading into the draft. Some teams were turned off by him. The second seems a little high for him.

The Skinny: I really liked their draft. Simmons will be a star. Norman-Lott can be really good. Third-round edge Ashton Gillotte was one of my favorite players in this draft and was on my Better-Than team. Third-round corner Nohl Williams and fourth-round receiver Jalen Royals will be nice additions and I liked seventh-round back Brashard Smith.

ESPN - Grade: B+

Top needs entering the draft: Offensive tackle, defensive tackle, running back and tight end

There was no way the Chiefs could exit the first two days of the draft without some serious offensive line improvements, even while slotted to pick down the board at No. 31. It doesn't take a brilliant football mind to watch last season's Super Bowl and know pass protection was a major factor in Kansas City's blowout loss to Philadelphia. The Chiefs paid Jaylon Moore starting left tackle money in free agency, but he was a backup last season. And Jawaan Taylor hasn't exactly been set-and-forget at right tackle. Even the once-mighty interior took a hit this offseason, when GM Brett Veach traded Joe Thuney to Chicago.

Not only did the Chiefs do something about it late on Day 1, they also picked up an extra fifth-rounder. They traded back one spot with the Eagles and finished Round 1 with Josh Simmons, who might have been the top offensive tackle in the class if not for a knee injury in the middle of last season. He's terrific in pass protection and came at great value. I had him No. 15 on my Big Board. Even if he's not quite ready for training camp, the Chiefs have Moore and Taylor. Once Simmons is fully healthy, he could be the answer as Patrick Mahomes' blindside protector.

The Chiefs got a pass-rushing 3-technique (Omarr Norman-Lott), penetrating edge rusher (Ashton Gillotte) and ball-hawking corner (Nohl Williams) on Day 2. They reached for Norman-Lott -- my No. 142 player went at No. 63 -- but he fills a need. I love Gillotte's game, and "First Draft" fans know that. I had him as one of my "Orange Crushers" this year. And Williams picked off seven passes to lead the FBS last season. Nice little Friday night for Veach & Co.

Kansas City pivoted back to offense Friday, getting a vertical receiver in Jalen Royals and physical running back in Brashard Smith. The Royals pick, in particular, was great. He was No. 72 on my board, but K.C. got him at No. 133 overall. He scored 21 touchdowns over the past two seasons. And Smith is a converted receiver with 4.39 speed. Mahomes has to be pleased.

The only thing that kept Kansas City from the coveted "A" grade was not taking a tight end. Travis Kelce is 35 years old now, so the Chiefs need an heir apparent.

MORE: Kansas City Chiefs 2025 NFL Draft Grades Roundup


Kansas City Chiefs 2025 NFL Schedule

Below you will find the weekly regular-season schedule for the Kansas City Chiefs.

WeekDateOpponentResults
Week 1Fri., Sept. 5at Los Angeles ChargersL 27-21
Week 2Sun., Sept. 14vs. Philadelphia EaglesL 20-17
Week 3Sun., Sept. 21at New York GiantsW 22-9
Week 4Sun., Sept. 28vs. Baltimore RavensW 37-20
Week 5Mon., Oct. 6at Jacksonville JaguarsL 31-28
Week 6Sun., Oct. 12vs. Detroit LionsW 30-17
Week 7Sun., Oct. 19vs. Las Vegas RaidersW 31-0
Week 8Mon., Oct. 27vs. Washington CommandersW 28-7
Week 9Sun., Nov. 2at Buffalo BillsL 28-21
Week 10BYE
Week 11Sun., Nov. 16at Denver BroncosL 22-19
Week 12Sun., Nov. 23vs. Indianapolis ColtsW 23-20 (OT)
Week 13Thu., Nov. 27at Dallas CowboysL 31-28
Week 14Sun., Dec. 7vs. Houston TexansL 20-10
Week 15Sun., Dec. 14vs. Los Angeles ChargersL 16-13
Week 16Sun., Dec. 21at Tennessee TitansL 26-9
Week 17Thu., Dec. 25vs. Denver BroncosL 20-13
Week 18Sun., Jan. 4at Las Vegas RaidersL 14-12

Also, check out the following resources:


Kansas City Chiefs - 2025 Draft Results

The table below are all of the 2025 NFL Draft picks selected by the Kansas City Chiefs.

RoundOverallPlayerPositionSchool
132Josh SimmonsOTOhio State
263Omarr Norman-LottDTTennessee
366Ashton GillotteEDGELouisville
385Nohl WilliamsCBCalifornia
4133Jalen RoyalsWRUtah State
5156Jeffrey BassaLBOregon
7228Brashard SmithRBSMU

More: 2025 NFL Draft Results - Kansas City Chiefs Draft History


Kansas City Chiefs 2025 Fantasy Football Projections

Updated: Saturday, August 30, 2025

Our 2025 fantasy football projections below are for the Kansas City Chiefs.

Projected fantasy points are based on half-PPR scoring.

MORE: Fantasy football projections for more NFL teams

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QUARTERBACKS

PlayerAtt.Comp.YardsTDINTRushYardsTDPoints
Patrick Mahomes566.5381.34135.528.8911.3366.1343.72.15305.59
Gardner Minshew36.223.3253.41.450.724.412.10.1316.49
QB Totals602.7404.64388.930.3412.0570.5355.82.28322.08

Patrick Mahomes: Outside of his one-game rookie season, Mahomes set or tied career lows in passing yards (3,928) and touchdowns (26). Like Joe Burrow, Mahomes has enough mobility to make and extend plays, but he doesn't use it to rack up significant rushing production (307-389 rushing yards in five consecutive seasons). After finishing as a top-four fantasy quarterback in four of his first five seasons as a starter, Mahomes has finished as the QB8 and QB12, respectively, over the past two seasons. The talented trio of Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy and Hollywood Brown (when healthy and active) provide hope for Mahomes to return to his previous levels of elite production.

MORE: Continue reading our Kansas City Chiefs 2025 Fantasy Football Projections