The Kansas City Chiefs have the 9th overall pick in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft, and they need it to draft a playmaker. Addressing either side of the ball would do, as the Chiefs have multiple positions of need on both offense and defense.

Jeremiyah Love has been the player most linked to the Chiefs via multiple mock drafts, but that’s not the only direction they can take with their top ten pick. Their success bars them from selecting this high, so they have to make this selection count to bounce back in 2026. What areas of their roster must they address through the draft?

Draft Needs

Mason Cameron writes for Pro Football Focus, and he broke down each team’s biggest needs in the draft. For the Chiefs, their biggest area of need is running back, but they also must consider offensive linemen, tight end, and wide receiver.

“The Chiefs’ offensive regression in 2025 was driven in part by an ineffective running game. On designed runs, Kansas City ranked in the bottom three of the NFL in runs of 10 or more yards (26) and yards after contact per attempt (2.5). With both Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt set to enter free agency, the Chiefs may need to find a new lead back this offseason”, said Cameron.

Love gives them a clear solution to their lack of a rushing attack and would immediately become their most exciting offensive option. However, they shouldn’t let the allure of Love as a prospect blind them from considering other playmakers.

Kenyon Sadiq would be the perfect substitute for Travis Kelce in their offense and would once again put the tight end position at the forefront of their passing attack. Patrick Mahomes has his entire career to build up his chemistry with Sadiq if they were to draft him, and I’m certain they’d make plays comparable to those of Mahomes and Kelce’s prime if they were given time to grow together.

Another acceptable option would be to take a receiver and plan to move off either Rashee Rice or Xavier Worthy in the future. Both of them have their own problems that prevent them from being this team’s primary option, and Mahomes will need a reliable target if they expect him to bring the Chiefs back into the dynasty they were.

There’s nothing wrong with the Chiefs selecting Love, after all, he does address one of their biggest needs. I just hope the Chiefs know they don’t have to be locked into taking a running back in the first round.