B-
Kansas City Chiefs
No fireworks, just a tidy B- for the Chiefs.
by Bubba ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 0 steals
· 4 reaches
The Chiefs clearly saw something nobody else did in Cole Payton, taking him 20 picks ahead of his grade. The board is not convinced.
If this class has a fault line, it runs straight through interior defensive lineman. Wide receiver is handled and the depth chart looks a good deal healthier for it. The offense got the lion's share of the attention.
In sum, a sensible class that nudges the roster the right way.
Pick-by-Pick
By-the-book stuff, Kadyn Proctor at pick 9 squarely in line with his ranking. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
In the 29th pick they get a matchup problem out wide. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
D'Angelo Ponds at the Round 2 slot is right where the board had him, plain and simple. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
They paid sticker price for Mike Washington Jr. in slot 74, and that is fine. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Jack Endries at Round 4, Pick 9 is a conviction pick that outran the value. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Beau Stephens in pick No. 148 is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Kaleb Elarms-Orr in pick 169 is fair value, right on his grade. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Cole Payton in No. 176 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Zavion Thomas in the 210th overall pick is early enough to raise a brow, if not a full objection. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.