B+
Kansas City Chiefs
Grand theft in the 148th overall pick: the Chiefs steal Lance and grade out a B+.
by CheeseBurger Up! ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 11 picks
· 4 steals
· 5 reaches
Somewhere a general manager is explaining how Bryce Lance got past him. The Chiefs do not have to explain a thing at slot 148. The bottom line is a respectable B+.
If Davis pans out, nobody remembers the price. If not, this is the pick they hear about. They robbed the room blind at the table, and it lifts the grade on its own.
They will regret leaving tight end for another day if the season turns on it. The Stukes pick reads as want over need, and the roster will feel it at tight end, quarterback and other spots.
All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but tight end.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 22nd overall pick they get a home-run threat at receiver, and a steal at that. Exactly the need they had to hit.
In pick 29 they get a downhill thumper at linebacker at a price that makes it sweeter.
D'Angelo Ponds in the 41st pick is fair value, right on his grade. It adds depth where they could use a little.
Value with a capital V on Emmanuel Pregnon in slot 55, a genuine coup. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
They bypassed pressing needs at tight end, quarterback and other spots to take Treydan Stukes, a cornerback that was not the priority.
They talked themselves into J.C. Davis at Round 4, Pick 9, and the board did not agree. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Bryce Lance at No. 148 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
A reach on Kaleb Elarms-Orr in the Round 5 slot; the board had better options right there. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
DJ Campbell at pick 176 jumps the queue by a touch more than is comfortable. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
A big swing on Kaelon Black at slot 204, well ahead of any board in the building. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Zavion Thomas in the Round 6 slot, miles early. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.