The Kansas City Chiefs haven’t had a pick in the top 10 since they selected Patrick Mahomes in 2017. And to be fair, the Chiefs had to trade up from No. 27 in order to crack the top 10.
Now, Kansas City is armed with the No. 9 overall pick. They own No. 29 pick as well after their Trent McDuffie trade. As the Chiefs decide how best to handle their 2026 NFL Draft, Bill Barnwell of ESPN argues the team should consider trading up.
“At No. 9, the Chiefs could stay put and hope that one of those players at premium positions like wide receiver or edge rusher fall to them,” Barnwell wrote. “Armed with extra draft capital from the Trent McDuffie trade, though, this might be an opportunity for general manager Brett Veach to go big.”
“I wouldn’t want to sacrifice that No. 29 pick altogether, but if the Chiefs can use that along with No. 9 to move up and then land another Day 2 pick as part of a deal, it might give them a chance at the sort of pass-rushing prospect they wouldn’t normally see at the bottom of Round 1, such as Texas Tech’s David Bailey,” he continued. “Drafting a player out of Tech didn’t go too poorly the last time the Chiefs tried it, right?”
However the Chiefs decide to handle their 2026 draft, the most important thing is that they leave the event with more impactful players on their roster. Adding an edge rusher like David Bailey would certainly do the trick.
In his final season of college football, Bailey put up 52 tackles, a Big 12 leading 12.5 for a loss and a NCCA-best 14.5 sacks. He was named a Unanimous All-American and the Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year.
In most mock drafts, Bailey doesn’t make it out of the first five picks. It seems likely it would require a trade from the Chiefs to acquire his services. But with stronger draft capital than usual, Kansas City is in a place to do so.
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