Chiefs rise after draft, grade A+
- Kansas City emerged from the 2026 NFL Draft as one of the league’s biggest risers after adding cornerback Mansoor Delane, tackle Peter Woods and edge R Mason Thomas. - CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco gave the Chiefs the draft’s only A+, saying their first three picks rebuilt Steve Spagnuolo’s defense around Mahomes’ recovery timeline. - NFL.com also bumped Kansas City up its post-draft rankings after a 2025 reset. (nfl.com)
The Kansas City Chiefs left the 2026 NFL Draft with the class that drew the loudest praise, including CBS Sports’ only A+ grade. (cbssports.com) Pete Prisco wrote that Kansas City “stand alone” with an A+ after taking LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane, Clemson defensive lineman Peter Woods and Oklahoma edge rusher R Mason Thomas with its first three picks. (cbssports.com) (chiefs.com) Those three defenders arrived after general manager Brett Veach entered the draft with nine picks, a total boosted by the Trent McDuffie trade to the Los Angeles Rams and a compensatory selection. (chiefs.com) Kansas City’s biggest swing came Thursday night, when it traded up from No. 9 to No. 6 with Cleveland to draft Delane. ESPN reported the Chiefs sent picks Nos. 9, 74 and 148 to the Browns. (espn.com) The shape of the class explains the reaction. Prisco argued the Chiefs needed defense and a steadier running game while Patrick Mahomes works back from a torn ACL, and he said the new defensive core could carry the team early. (cbssports.com) NFL.com’s Eric Edholm also moved the Chiefs up in his post-draft power rankings, writing that strong teams largely stayed strong after the three-day event in Pittsburgh. (nfl.com) The rest of Kansas City’s class was lighter on headline value but filled out the roster: Oregon defensive back Jadon Canady at No. 109, Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson at No. 161, Cincinnati receiver Cyrus Allen at No. 176 and LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier at No. 249. (chiefs.com) ESPN noted the Chiefs originally held nine selections, including two first-rounders at Nos. 9 and 29 and a second-rounder at No. 40, giving them unusual flexibility for a team that had spent years drafting near the bottom of Round 1. (espn.com) That is the backdrop for the post-draft optimism: Kansas City was picking high after a 2025 collapse, then used that position to restock a defense around Delane, Woods and Thomas. (cbssports.com) (nfl.com) The next test is no longer draft-weekend theater but whether those rookies can help Kansas City win while Mahomes returns to form. For now, the Chiefs are being treated as one of the draft’s clearest winners. (cbssports.com) (nfl.com)
