Chiefs mock draft buzz hints at major offensive moves in 2026

Mock draft season never ends these days.

The 2025 NFL Draft was just put to bed after 257 official selections, yet even in the frenzied signing period of rookie free agents, NFL analysts were still marching forward with their 2026 mock drafts. As we said, it's a year-round gig these days.

Since we're suckers for a mock draft at any time, we thought it'd be intriguing to look in on a few 2026 mocks to see who the Kansas City Chiefs are projected to take in the first round one year from now.

Jalon Kilgore, safety, South Carolina

Blake Brockermeyer at CBS Sports has the Chiefs looking to shore up the back end of their defense with a first-round investment in a safety.

Safety is not a common first-round choice for teams. This year, Malaki Starks had to wait until the Baltimore Ravens called his name at the bottom of the first round. However, that's where the Chiefs are likely to sit as well and the value there could be great at a position of need.

Remember this, Justin Reid is gone in '25 and Bryan Cook is in his contract year as well. The Chiefs did a nice job to bring in Chamarri Conner and Jaden Hicks in recent drafts to keep the position properly stocked, but losing Cook thins out the group for '26.

Kilgore would bring an impact performer with versatility to the mix and give the Chiefs their most dynamic safety in years. Kilgore had 5 interceptions a year ago and should be primed for an All-American campaign in 2026.

Nyck Harbor, wide receiver, South Carolina

Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz of USA Today projects a wide receiver to the Chiefs in the form of Nyck Harbor, and Chiefs Kingdom wouldn't mind seeing the team investing at such a high level to make sure the offense remains as vertically dangerous as possible.

Harbor has elite speed and is a two-time member of Bruce Feldman's Freaks List, given that he's somehow also 6'5", 235 lbs. The production has yet to match the obvious talent—last season he had only 26 catches for 376 yards—so the proof will have to be in the pudding to make this work in the first round.

That said, another first-round wideout two years after Xavier Worthy would keep the offense rolling as Rashee Rice comes into his contract season and with the potential retirement of Travis Kelce. With Worthy and Jaylen Royals also in house in '26 and beyond, the offense would remain dynamic for years to come. Patrick Mahomes would certainly be pleased.

Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson

Keith Sanchez of The Draft Network has the Chiefs going with the secondary as well, which makes sense considering that, at the present time, several corners are scheduled to leave Kansas City in 2026.

Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson, Joshua Williams, Nazeeh Johnson, and Bryan Cook are all going to be free agents next spring, and while the Chiefs are likely to retain McDuffie with a long-term deal, that's still a lot of departures to contend with. Kristian Fulton is around through 2026 and Nohl Williams will have settled into a role with Chamarri Conner around as well.

However, the loss of so many corners could hurt, which makes Terrell a nice way to cushion the blow. An instant contributor as a freshman in '23, Terrell rounded the corner and became an impact performer for the Tigers with 12 deflections and 2 interceptions last season. The bloodlines are good here with his brother, A.J., having played in the NFL as well.

Makhi Hughes, RB, Oregon

Ian Cummings of Pro Football Network has heard the cries from Chiefs Kingdom during the 2025 NFL Draft for some help at running back and came up with a first-round impact player in Makhi Hughes.

Hughes will be an interesting prospect to watch after transferring to Oregon following two spectacular seasons at Tulane—including a 2023 campaign in which he led the nation in rushing yards with 1,378. He followed that up in '24 with 1,401 and 15 rushing touchdowns.

If anything, there might be a knock on the wear and tear Hughes has on his proverbial tires, but there's no denying the exciting production.

As for the Chiefs, Isiah Pacheco is scheduled to hit free agency in '26, while Kareem Hunt and Elijah Mitchell are all on one-year contracts. That leaves this year's seventh-round selection of Brashard Smith as the only RB on the roster going forward.