Kansas City climbs after draft

Kansas City came out of the 2026 NFL Draft with one of the strongest reviews in the league, and national rankings moved the Chiefs up immediately. (cbssports.com) (nfl.com) CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco gave the Chiefs the only A+ among all 32 teams and wrote that Kansas City “just crushed the NFL Draft.” He pointed to the club’s need to improve on defense after a 6-11 season in 2025. (cbssports.com) (nfl.com) Prisco said Kansas City’s first three picks delivered the best cover corner in Mansoor Delane, a defensive tackle in Peter Woods, and Oklahoma edge rusher R Mason Thomas. He wrote that defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo “has to be one happy man.” (cbssports.com) NFL.com’s Eric Edholm also listed the Chiefs among the teams rising in his post-draft power rankings published April 27. His March rankings had Kansas City “back on the rise” after free agency, and the draft extended that climb. (nfl.com 1) (nfl.com 2) The draft praise is landing in a different context for Kansas City than it did a year ago. The Chiefs owned the ninth pick after finishing third in the AFC West at 6-11, while Denver won the division at 14-3 and the Los Angeles Chargers finished 11-6. (nfl.com) Prisco’s write-up tied the draft directly to Patrick Mahomes’ recovery from a torn ACL. He wrote that if Mahomes is limited early, the defense and running game “have to be good,” and noted Kansas City added Kenneth Walker III in free agency. (cbssports.com) (nfl.com) Other outlets were positive on Kansas City too, but not quite as emphatic as CBS Sports. NBC Sports grouped the Chiefs with the Buccaneers as teams that “hit big,” while separately casting the Jaguars as a disappointment after the draft. (nbcsports.com 1) (nbcsports.com 2) CBS Sports was harsher on some other contenders. In a companion roundup, the outlet said the Rams and 49ers tied for the lowest grade in Prisco’s rankings at C-. (cbssports.com) For Kansas City, the shift is simple: a team coming off 11 losses is being discussed again as a contender if its defensive rookies contribute quickly and Mahomes returns healthy. The draft did not change the standings, but it changed the way several national evaluators are talking about the Chiefs. (cbssports.com) (nfl.com)