The Kansas City Chiefs added two defensive prospects on night one of the 2026 NFL Draft. Cornerback and defensive tackle were addressed by selecting LSU's Mansoor Delane and Clemson's Peter Woods, respectively. With those two positions of need filled, what other areas could the Chiefs address soon in the draft?
After the first round, it seems pretty simple on paper. Here are the three biggest positions of need remaining for Kansas City coming into day two of the draft.
1. Defensive end
General manager Brett Veach mentioned before the draft that he still wanted to add a couple of defensive tackles this weekend. The added talent and depth around Chris Jones, with free agent signee Khyiris Tonga and the drafted Woods, is encouraging to see.
That leaves defensive end as the clear top need for Kansas City after the first round. With one defensive line spot addressed, the Chiefs have to boost their pass rush on the edges. K.C. finished with 35 sacks in 2025. That was tied for the fifth lowest in the league. George Karlaftis and Ashton Gillotte need reinforcements around them.
Edge rusher was seen as one of the deeper position groups by draft analysts. The Chiefs just cannot wait too long to find their guy(s) from that group. Even with the depth of the pass rushers, Kansas City will be ridiculed if they miss a prime chance to add defensive end talent.
Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, Tyquan Thornton, and Jalen Royals are Kansas City's current top four options at wide receiver. Rice may get a shot to play a full season for the first time in a few years. Worthy is hoping for better health after playing through injury much of last season. Meanwhile, Thornton is hoping to see a more consistent role after building chemistry in spurts with Patrick Mahomes.
All in all, how much can the Chiefs truly bank on that top trio long term? Add in the fact that Royals was essentially a redshirt option as a rookie last season. Kansas City cannot force Mahomes to do all the heavy lifting himself in the passing game. Now, the signing of Kenneth Walker III will take some pressure off the air attack a bit, anyway.
The major sticking point is that Mahomes has worked wonders at times with one of the weakest receiving rooms around the NFL. Finding a young option they can eventually trust is critical.
3. Offensive tackle
This last one came down to either offensive tackle or safety. Signing Alohi Gilman this offseason softens the blow at safety. Though, Kansas City could easily still select one later in the draft.
Offensive tackle is more pressing because of how it has derailed certain opportunities for the Chiefs in recent history. Not having enough depth for that position has bitten them before. Specifically at right tackle, how much faith do they realistically have in Jaylon Moore? The Wanya Morris experience has always been ugly when he has had to step in. Additionally, Josh Simmons still missed time last season despite exciting flashes in his rookie year.
The Chiefs love their strength on the interior offensive line with the trio of Creed Humphrey, Trey Smith, and Kingsley Suamataia. With a new running back and Mahomes coming off an injury, strengthening the offensive tackle spot is an item that one can easily envision Kansas City doing.