How early free agency affects the Chiefs' draft
What positions become clear targets in the draft for the Chiefs?
The great reset of 2026 has begun. The Chiefs are in the middle of modifying the roster to ensure that their abysmal 2025 season never happens again. General Manager Brett Veach has been hot out of the gates in revamping the roster, and addressing needs.
He took a huge swing, setting the free agency market at running back for the services of Seattle’s Kenneth Walker. He brought back tight end Travis Kelce for a 14th season. He filled holes at wide receiver (bringing back Tyquan Thornton), safety (Baltimore’s Alohi Gilman), and defensive tackle (New England’s Khyiris Tonga).
The Chiefs try to have a baseline roster before the draft so they don’t need to feel a need to be cornered (no pun intended…or is it?) into taking a specific position early in the draft. While there is still time, the team is not quite there yet.
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There are still plenty of holes on the roster, and one more was added when the team trade cornerback Trent McDuffie for four picks. The team has done good work getting the roster to the point it is, and the draft will be crucial in raising both the ceiling and the floor of key positions.
With the free agency talent pool shrinking, it’s getting harder to make big improvements. The draft will need to play a big role. This draft class, and the picks the Chiefs have, set up well for them to address key areas.
Here is how early free agency has affected the Chiefs’ draft strategy, and a three pick mock draft based on how their roster looks today.
They need cap space to pay their draft class
With the flurry of moves the team has made in free agency to this point, there is going to be a need to clear additional cap space before the draft rolls around. As it sits currently, the Chiefs have around $20M in cap space are are compliant for the start of the new league year.
With three top 40 picks, the Chiefs will need just under $10M in cap space to sign their draft class.
Kelce’s presumed one year deal at $12M eats significantly into their space, and would put them over the cap when accounting for the space needed for the draft. Assuming for low cap hits in year one for Walker, Tonga, Thornton, and Gilman, it appears the team still has plenty of work to do addressing their books.
What do with pick 9?
Based on players available and team needs, it feels like a two position race for pick 9.