The Chiefs will have a number of options to consider when they find themselves drafting ninth overall next week. The possibility of adding an offensive tackle will likely present itself, and it will be something to monitor closely.
Executives and evaluators who spoke with SportsBoom’s Jason La Canfora predicted Kansas City’s top priority in the first round will be adding an offensive tackle. The receiver position is one which the Chiefs have been linked to in the pre-draft process, and it would come as no surprise if a pass rusher were to be selected early in the event. Spending a top-10 pick on a left tackle would be highly valuable as well, however.
Kansas City has Josh Simmons in the fold after taking him 32nd overall last year. The Ohio State product was limited to eight games during his rookie season, though, and adding another prospect would provide depth at the left tackle spot. The Chiefs have been linked to Trent Williams interest in the event his 49ers contractual situation is not resolved; free agent Taylor Decker has also been named as a short-term option on the blindside.
Kadyn Proctor is among the offensive line prospects Kansas City has hosted on a pre-draft visit. The Alabama alum is not expected to last beyond Detroit at No. 17, so the Chiefs would likely not be able to draft him when back on the clock at No. 29. Another offensive line option receiving consideration is Georgia’s Monroe Freeling. Mike Garafolo of NFL Network notes Kansas City is one of several teams which have shown interest in Freeling during the lead-up to the draft.
Freeling has seen his stock rise, and he is a strong candidate to hear his name called at some point on Day 1. Proctor, along with the likes of Francis Mauigoa and Spencer Fano, is also expected to be selected relatively early during the first round. The 2026 class is not held in high regard with respect to bluechip prospects at many positions, and the offensive line group offers view options projected to handle left tackle duties in particular in the NFL.
That could lead the Chiefs to prioritize an investment up front first while waiting for their other first-round selection to bring in a pass rusher or pass catcher. With plenty of uncertainty still lingering through the top-10 order, Kansas City’s approach will likely remain unclear for several more days.
I think they should draft the top TE. Mahomes loves throwing them.
If the Chiefs draft Freeling at 9, that will flip the script on the whole draft.
But it’s already gonna be flipped when the top ten goes completely differently than anybody expects because that’s what happens when you have so few players who are sure things in this draft.