B+
Kansas City Chiefs
The steal of the weekend belongs to the Chiefs and McNeil-Warren: B+.
by Breshiers ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 11 picks
· 4 steals
· 2 reaches
You build a draft on nights like this. Emmanuel McNeil-Warren had no business being available in No. 74, and the Chiefs did the only sane thing and turned in the card. Nothing here to lose sleep over; call it a B+.
If Barham pans out, nobody remembers the price. If not, this is the pick they hear about. The Johnson pick is fine in a vacuum, less so with quarterback, running back and other spots still on the board.
For all the activity, quarterback went untouched, which is hard to explain.
In short, they left a little better than they arrived, which is the whole idea.
Pick-by-Pick
In slot 24 they get a lockdown presence outside at fair value. Need was not the driver here.
In the 29th overall pick they get a matchup problem out wide. The biggest hole, addressed.
They bypassed pressing needs at quarterback, running back and other spots to take Chris Johnson, a cornerback that was not the priority.
Germie Bernard slid further than he should have, and pick 72 is lovely value for the wide receiver. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
They will replay Emmanuel McNeil-Warren at the Round 3 slot for years; that is how good the value is. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
Jaishawn Barham at pick No. 109 is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Joe Royer at No. 148 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Dametrious Crownover in the 149th pick lands just on the right side of the ledger. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
A premium they did not need to pay, Zane Durant a notch or two before his time. It fills a real need, too.
They took Domani Jackson at par in slot 176, which is nothing to complain about. A luxury on a unit that was already in good shape.
Chase Roberts at pick 210 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.