B-
Kansas City Chiefs
Nothing loud, just a tidy B- for the Chiefs.
by phil ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 2 steals
· 1 reaches
The curious call sets the tone. With offensive lineman, quarterback and other spots still glaring, the Chiefs used slot 109 on Jalon Kilgore, a cornerback they were not exactly short of.
The Miller pick is the one they will point to when this weekend is judged. The offensive lineman spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at. Reaching for Coleman Jr. left real value on the table behind him.
They went 4 of 8 on their needs, which is most of what a draft is for.
In short, they left a little better than they arrived, which is the whole idea.
Pick-by-Pick
In No. 9 they get a downhill thumper at linebacker. A real need, handled.
In the 29th pick they get a red-zone target to build around, outstanding value to boot. Exactly the need they had to hit.
A clean, defensible pick in slot 40 with a little surplus value in Chris Johnson. It adds depth where they could use a little.
Nice patience on Christen Miller, who had no business lasting to pick No. 74. It fills a real need, too.
Hard to square with the roster. With positions of obvious need still on the board, Jalon Kilgore adds a cornerback and leaves offensive lineman, quarterback and other spots untouched.
The board had cheaper options than Kevin Coleman Jr. at the 148th overall pick, and it noticed. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
By-the-book stuff, Reggie Virgil at Round 5, Pick 29 squarely in line with his ranking. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
A straight-up fair deal on Domani Jackson at pick 176, value and slot in agreement. It is more luxury than necessity; they were already set here.
No edge and no loss on Aaron Graves in the Round 6 slot; it is a wash and a sensible one. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.