KCSN Weekly: Chiefs shake up round 1, Royals keep searching, and Jayhawks land a three-point threat
A weekly look at everything happening across Kansas City sports.
Happy Friday, KCSN subscribers.
Round 1 of the NFL Draft is in the books, and the Kansas City Chiefs didn’t ease into it. Meanwhile, the Kansas City Royals are still trying to steady things after a rough stretch to open the season.
Here’s where things stand.
Chiefs Check-in: Aggressive and defensive-centric start to the 2026 NFL Draft
The Chiefs opened the 2026 NFL Draft with a move that immediately put Chiefs Kingdom into a frenzy.
After already reshaping their secondary this offseason, General Manager Brett Veach traded up from No. 9 to No. 6 with the Cleveland Browns to select LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane, widely viewed as the top corner in the class.
The cost was picks 9, 74, and 148, and it raised some eyebrows, especially given Kansas City’s track record of developing defensive backs later in the draft. But Veach made the thinking clear:
“When you’re picking at nine,” Veach said. “ … and you can get the number one corner in the draft, you just go get him.”
Delane brings elite traits with 4.3 speed, fluid movement, and the ability to play both inside and outside, according to Veach. He comes with strong production across stops at Virginia Tech and LSU.
Still, the debate is fair. With pass rushers like Rueben Bain Jr. and offensive weapons like Makai Lemon available, or even a highly-touted safety prospect like Caleb Downs, the move signals that Kansas City prioritized locking in a foundational piece at cornerback.
Holding onto pick No. 29, they added Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods, a powerful interior presence expected to line up alongside Chris Jones.
Woods, a former five-star recruit and All-American, made it clear how he’s approaching the opportunity:
“We’re talking about a future Hall of Famer (Jones),” Woods said. “… I’m going to be a sponge.”
Two picks, two defensive tone-setters, and there is a pretty clear message about where this team wants to get better. With a pick incoming at 40, and four more on Day 3, it should make for an interesting weekend.
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Royals Report: It’s been a grind
It’s been another tough stretch for the Royals.
Kansas City fell to 8–17 after extending its losing streak to eight games earlier in the week. Even after snapping it with a win Tuesday, they dropped the series finale to the Baltimore Orioles, failing to string together any momentum.
Offensively, there were a couple of bright spots.
Bobby Witt Jr. collected seven hits on the week, while Carter Jensen was outstanding in limited action, hitting .538 with two home runs, a double, three walks, and four RBIs across four games.
The pitching, though, took a step back.
Seth Lugo remained dominant with seven scoreless innings and seven strikeouts, but the rest of the rotation, Cole Ragans, Michael Wacha, Kris Bubic, and Noah Cameron, combined to allow 21 runs in their outings.
When the pitching was elite, the bats were quiet. When the offense shows life, the run prevention slips. Until those line up at the same time, it’s going to be tough sledding.
KCSNU
Jayhawks and Wildcats add to their front-court
Roster building is still underway across the region.
Kansas added another key piece in Toledo guard Leroy Blyden Jr., a 16.4-point-per-game scorer who shot over 40 percent from three last season. His shooting immediately addresses a need and gives Kansas another perimeter weapon heading into next year.
At Kansas State, head coach Casey Alexander continues to lean on familiar connections, bringing in a Belmont guard from his previous program. It is just another step toward building out a roster that contains a whole lot of youth and ones that fit his system.
What to Watch This Week
Chiefs / NFL Draft
Rounds 2–3: Friday at 6 p.m. CT
Rounds 4–7: Saturday at 11 a.m. CT
Royals
Home three-game series vs. the Los Angeles Angels (12–14) this weekend.
Noah Cameron (5.40 ERA) starts tonight against Yusei Kikuchi (5.63 ERA).
Road trip to face the Oakland Athletics (13–12) Tuesday through Thursday.
The Chiefs took big swings to reshape their defense on night one. Will days two and three continue that trend, or will they sprinkle an offensive weapon in there?
As for the Royals, will this be the week it clicks?
We’ll see what both look like next week.