The Kansas City Chiefs entered the 2026 NFL Draft in a privileged position. They had a top-ten selection and another first-round pick, a luxury general manager Brett Veach definitely wasn't used to having.
Somewhat surprisingly, they made the heavily polarizing decision to use both ofthose picks on defense. In fact, they traded with the Cleveland Browns to move up from No. 9 to No. 6 to get their hands on LSU CB Mansoor Delane.
Some fans thought they would've been better off taking Jordyn Tyson or even Makai Lemon, given the team's evident need for talent at wide receiver. Fast forward to today, and it looks like they actually dodged a huge bullet.
The Chiefs' decision to pass on wide receivers is aging like good wine
Tyson was undeniably the most promising wide receiver prospect in his class, with perhaps the most upside. However, it didn't take long before his injury woes came back to haunt him. There were so many red flags after watching him miss time every year with big ailments, and he's now set to miss at least two months of the season with the same nagging hamstring injury that forced him to sit out during the NFL Scouting Combine.
They could've also taken Lemon, this year's slot specialist. The Philadelphia Eagles traded up to get him, only to have him miss valuable reps in the spring and training camp with a lower-leg injury. He's healthy now, but he's reportedly struggled to make the jump to the pros.
As things stand now, only KC Concepcion, the No. 24 pick, has looked the part among first-year wide receivers. The Chiefs should've tried to do more to help their offense early on, but things could've been much worse for them right now.
Of course, some might say that Delane has also missed time with an injury, and that would be fair. That said, he's already back on the field, and the Chiefs had a greater need for a cornerback after letting Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson go.
It's still early, and a lot can change from now until the end of their respective careers. But with Cyrus Allen looking like one of the steals of the draft, the two guys linked to the Chiefs struggling with injuries and subpar play, and a potential All-Pro cornerback ramping up before the start of the season, the early returns should make people give Brett Veach their flowers for his approach to the first round.
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