The Kansas City Chiefs made seven additions to the roster over the course of the 2026 NFL Draft last weekend, bolstering both sides of the ball with a variety of young and exciting talent.
Here's who the Chiefs drafted over the course of the three-day event:
CB Mansoor Delane --> Five Things to Know
DT Peter Woods --> Five Things to Know
EDGE R Mason Thomas --> Five Things to Know
DB Jadon Canady --> Five Things to Know
RB Emmett Johnson --> Five Things to Know
WR Cyrus Allen --> Five Things to Know
QB Garrett Nussmeier --> Five Things to Know
It's an exciting class, and while we won't know the true impact of these selections until the Chiefs take the field, the various media pundits who provide immediate draft "grades" were impressed with Kansas City's haul.
Here's a quick rundown of what a handful of analysts thought of Kansas City's class, plus a portion of analysis that accompanied each grade.
"The Chiefs just crushed the NFL Draft. In doing so, they earned the only A+ grade I am giving out. Let's just say I loved their draft…With their first three picks, they landed the best cover corner in the draft in Mansoor Delane, a power defensive tackle in Peter Woods, a player I loved, and the captain of my "Better-Than Team" in Oklahoma edge R Mason Thomas. Chiefs' defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has to be one happy man."
"The Chiefs don't whiff when they pick late in the first round with Andy Reid and Brett Veach, so one knew they would aggressively reload after a non-playoff season gave them high picks. Delane, Woods, Thomas and Canady should thrill Steve Spanguolo with ideal pass defense reinforcements for his scheme. Johnson will be a fantastic new backfield 1-2 punch Kenneth Walker III. Nussmeier was a sneaky good stash at No. 3 behind Patrick Mahomes and Justin Fields to boot."
"This draft was almost all about the Chiefs' defense, but I have to mention one of my favorite prospects in this class — former Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson, whose elusiveness and soft hands will quickly make him a favorite of both Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes and a steal in the fifth round."
"The Chiefs needed to nail this draft after a 6–11 season and did exactly that. Delane and Woods have strong arguments to be the draft's best players at their respective positions. Thomas is a smaller speed rusher who produced 15.5 sacks over the past two years and should start across from George Karlaftis. Johnson, a Day 3 pick, should be a nice change-of-pace back behind Kenneth Walker III, and he had 85 catches over the past two years."
"The Chiefs put together one of the most exciting hauls of any team this weekend, adding a handful of potential future stars."
"Like Isiah Pacheco, Emmett Johnson could be another Day 3 steal for the Chiefs because of his combination of quickness, power and vision. Cyrus Allen's speed in the open field fits Kansas City perfectly, too."
"Getting R Mason Thomas as a hustle/dirty work pass rusher was a nice move too to continue adding depth to the defensive line."
"Mansoor Delane is an instinctive, technically sound cover man who creates turnovers (eight interceptions over four years) and limits production (3.3 yards allowed per attempt, fourth in the FBS)."
"Peter Woods is an explosive athlete at 6-foot-3 and 300-plus pounds who earned PFF grades above 83.0 in each of his first two collegiate seasons. Having just turned 21, Woods should continue to improve and potentially cause some early disruption for Kansas City."
"The Chiefs took a targeted approach to plugging holes over draft weekend, and while they sacrificed some mid-round selections, their roster is much more complete than it was a few days ago."
