Kansas City Chiefs Mock Draft: Chiefs can find a multitude of weapons

Chiefs can find a multitude of weapons in the draft: Needs at RB, WR and TE can all be addressed in the draft, starting with their pick at No. 9 overall.

Kansas City should go back to the Michigan schools for pass-rush help: Mike Danna was a standout at Central Michigan before transferring to Michigan for his senior season and eventually being selected by the Chiefs in the 2020 NFL Draft. This year, there’s a similarly hyper-productive pass rusher from CMU rival Western Michigan that Kansas City should consider.

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This is a critical offseason for the Kansas City Chiefs, and their draft approach will be shaped largely by how they navigate a difficult salary-cap situation that currently projects to sit more than $62 million over the limit.

While much of the attention will focus on the team’s needs at the skill positions, the cap crunch could force difficult decisions up front — including the potential release of starting right tackle Jawaan Taylor, a move that would save Kansas City $20 million against next year’s cap but create another major hole on offense.

The good news for Chiefs fans is that while the 2025 season was a brutal watch, losing eight of the final nine games has positioned the team favorably in the draft to address those offensive shortcomings. Here’s an early look at how Kansas City could chart a path back to being one of the most dangerous offenses in football.

Round 1, Pick 9: RB Jeremiah Love, Notre Dame

Kansas City has lacked a consistent run game and a true weapon out of the backfield in the passing game for several seasons, and the dynamic Love would immediately turn that weakness into a strength. He recorded 39 runs of 10 or more yards on 199 rushing attempts, forced 56 missed tackles and averaged 4.5 yards after contact. Love also contributed as a receiver, catching 27 passes out of the backfield, converting three for touchdowns and 13 for first downs.

Round 2, Pick 40: T Gennings Dunker, Iowa

Kansas City ran inside and outside zone on more than 63% of its rushing attempts in 2025, and Dunker graded positively on over 20% of both run concepts across the past two seasons at Iowa. He was also reliable in pass protection, allowing just four sacks and three quarterback hits on 563 combined pass-blocking snaps in 2024 and 2025.

Round 3, Pick 74: WR Germie Bernard, Alabama

The Chiefs have spent significant resources searching for the next Tyreek Hill, but with the offense now predicated more on the short game, the greater need is redundancy for Rashee Rice’s role. Bernard wins with precise route-running, can align both in the slot and outside, and creates after the catch by transitioning into a runner, forcing 17 missed tackles in 2025.

He has also been extremely reliable, dropping just three of 114 catchable targets over the past two seasons — a trait Patrick Mahomes would undoubtedly value.

Round 4, Pick 109: TE Marlin Klein, Michigan

Klein flashed at times in 2025 with his route-running ability, but his season was limited by multiple injuries and inconsistent quarterback play. He converted 10 of his 24 receptions into first downs and added one touchdown.

Round 5, Pick 146: EDGE Madame Tucker, Western Michigan

Tucker was one of the most productive pass rushers in the country last season, ranking second nationally in true pass-set win rate (40.8%). He totaled 14 sacks and 61 pressures in 2025.