B-
Kansas City Chiefs
A respectable, level-headed haul for the Chiefs: B-.
by phil ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 1 steals
· 3 reaches
The Chiefs torched the value chart for Jaishawn Barham, taking him 53 spots sooner than anyone had him slotted. It nets out to a B-, which feels about right.
Getting Caldwell where they did is the sort of value that quietly makes a class. A whole weekend of picks and tight end is somehow still a want.
Solid rather than spectacular, and there is nothing wrong with that.
Pick-by-Pick
No edge and no loss on Carnell Tate in Round 1, Pick 9; it is a wash and a sensible one. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
In the 29th pick they get a sticky cover corner. More want than need.
They went early on Josiah Trotter in the Round 2 slot, and the value did not follow. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Value said wait; Jaishawn Barham in pick 74 says they were not listening. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
A tidy little value on Darrell Jackson Jr. in No. 109, a step better than break-even. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Charles Demmings at the 148th overall pick is right where the board had him, plain and simple. A luxury on a unit that was already in good shape.
VJ Payne at the 169th overall pick is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. A minor need, but a need all the same.
They did well to land Aamil Wagner in slot 176, just ahead of his grade. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Jeff Caldwell at pick 210 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.