It’s June fifth, truly the doldrums of NFL news and, more importantly, Kansas City Chiefs news. Patrick Mahomes is back on the football field, not even six months removed from an ACL injury, because he’s an alien. Rashee Rice is in jail because he’s an idiot. And good ole Eric Bieniemy has returned in full fashion, telling every man on the team to “Finish” each rep.
Kansas City did finish OTAs (Organized Team Activities) a couple of days ago and now prepares for mandatory minicamp on July 9th, when things will ramp up a little bit. To compensate, I thought to myself, what more fun than a 20-20 hindsight, 2026 Chiefs re-draft?
General manager Brett Veach has virtually completed his most important few months of the offseason, the NFL draft capping it off. Below is a reminder of every rookie the Chiefs selected back in early April, and what follows is a complete re-draft of different players, with the same trades intact:
Rd 1 - Pick 6: CB Mansoor Delane (Chiefs traded picks 9, 74, 148)
Rd 1 - Pick 29: DT Peter Woods
Rd 2 - Pick 40: DE R Mason Thomas
Rd 4 - Pick 109: CB Jadon Canady
Rd 5 - Pick 161: RB Emmett Johnson (traded picks 169, 210)
Rd 5 - Pick 176: WR Cyrus Allen
Rd 7 - Pick 249: QB Garrett Nussmeier (pick acquired via Johnson trade)
It’s clear that Veach and his staff see something special in rookie cornerback Mansoor Delane, trading from number nine and giving up two more selections. And who can blame them? He was the best corner in the draft, is technically sound, physical, long, good instincts. Delane has the full package to hopefully one day turn into an elite, top-tier cover man on the outside. But what if the Chiefs went a different way?
Chiefs' 2026 redo NFL draft has KC adding an elite edge rusher and a legit playmaker on offense
Rd 1 - Pick 6 - DE Rueben Bain Jr. - If it had not been for his sub-31-inch arms, there’s an arguments Bain would have gone in the top five. He is twitchy, explosive, strong as an ox, and was uber-productive at Miami (FL). His falling to 15 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was a shock, as I would have been absolutely thrilled and originally thought he was the pick when the Chiefs traded up to six. It’s gonna be hard to watch him dominate on a different team when the Chiefs could have grabbed him and passed.
Rd 1 - Pick 29 - WR Denzel Boston - Look, Boston is not the most talented route runner or fluid mover across the field. But at 6’4”, 210 lbs, he’s an ultra-easy target for a guy like Patrick Mahomes, who has not been afforded many easy targets over the past couple of years. It was baffling to see the Chiefs wait until round five for KC to draft a receiver, given how much worse the Rashee Rice situation has become. Boston and his 20 touchdown grabs over the last two seasons give the position a reliable boost.
Rd 2 - Pick 40 - S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren - Apparently, I liked the Cleveland Browns draft, because both McNeil-Warren and Boston were drafted by the same team that just traded away the best defensive player on the planet in Myles Garrett. Steve Spagnuolo has always been infatuated with having a true star at safety to lead the defensive backfield. And while I like the addition of Alohi Gilman, that second spot is kind of bleak right now. McNeil-Warren is rangy, with long arms, and has no trouble getting down low and bringing the heat on tackles.
Rd 4 - Pick 109 - CB Malik Muhammad - The Chiefs have had success drafting CB on day three. While I like the Jadon Canady pick and how good of a scheme fit he will be playing in the slot, Muhammad would have been just as good a pick. He’s a little bigger than Canady and two years younger.
Rd 5 - Pick 161 - DT Bobby Jamison-Travis - Veach and Co. selected a defensive tackle much earlier than I am at pick 29 in the first round. Peter Woods is probably my favorite player from the team's entire draft. But after adding Bain at six, along with the signing of Khyiris Tonga and the return of Omarr Norman-Lott, waiting for a guy like Bobby Jamison-Travis is a pretty nice consolation.
Rd 5 - Pick 176 - OT Dametrious Crownover - Perhaps the largest individual from this year's draft, Crownover possesses good athleticism and quick feet for a guy who comes in at 6’7”, 335 lbs. He wouldn’t see much action in 2026, which is fine as Jaylon Moore and Esa Pole fight it out for the starting right tackle spot. But perhaps with a year under his belt, Crownover would give the Chiefs cheap and adequate RT play.
Rd 7 - Pick 249 - TE Dallen Bentley - Two picks from being undrafted, I was hoping Bentley would make it so the Chiefs could try and bring him in as an UDFA. Once again, the Broncos gave me another reason to hate them. The Chiefs have done nothing to shore up the blocking tight end spot this offseason, and Dallen Bentley would have been a steal on day three.
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