![Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyquan Thornton (80) reacts to his reception during the first quarter of an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Monday, Oct. 6, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jacksonville Jaguars edged the Kansas City Chiefs 31-28. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_6000,h_3375/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/220/01kq8285pvg94df4ajw4.jpg "Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyquan Thornton (80) reacts to his reception during the first quarter of an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Monday, Oct. 6, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jacksonville Jaguars edged the Kansas City Chiefs 31-28. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]")
The Kansas City Chiefs entered the draft with several holes on the roster. They decided to use the three top 40 picks to improve the defense by drafting CB Mansoor Delane, DT Peter Woods, and EDGE R Mason Thomas.
Those additions definitely improve the defense, but the Chiefs didn't add a receiver until the fifth round. With the No. 176 overall pick, Kansas City selected Cincinnati Bearcats WR Cyrus Allen. However, with that being a Day 3 dart throw, fellow receiver Tyquan Thornton walked away from draft weekend in a good place.
Tyquan Thornton Is in a Good Place After Chiefs Draft
In free agency, the Chiefs and Thornton agreed to terms on a two-year, $11 million deal with $7.4 million guaranteed. They decided to keep him around after he established career-highs across the board in 2025, after three underwhelming seasons with the New England Patriots.
In 14 games (four starts), Thornton had 19 catches for 438 receiving yards (23.1 yards per reception) and three touchdowns. He always had the speed to take the top off a defense, but he put things together in Kansas City. That's why he got paid by the front office to return, but the fact that they didn't make a significant addition there shows how they feel about Thornton going forward.
It appears that Rahsee Rice, Xavier Worthy, and Thornton will be the top three receivers on the team, with Jalen Royals and Allen fighting for the fourth spot. There were pre-draft conversations that Kansas City may have been interested in Ohio State's Carnell Tate or Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson with the No. 9 overall pick, but that didn't come to fruition. Instead, they moved up to select Delane.
The Chiefs had the assets to make some meaningful additions to the WR room, but they decided to pass. Banking on Thornton is a risky bet for the Chiefs. Especially given his history before coming over to Kansas City. Over 28 games with the Patriots, he had 39 catches for 385 receiving yards and two touchdowns, while never logging more than 247 yards in a season.
He can easily revert to those days, which would put the Chiefs in a bad situation. Despite that possibility, Kansas City believes Thornton will be able to build off what he did in 2025. And it has to make him feel good that they didn't make a substantial investment at the position.
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