2026 mock draft sends Arch Manning to Raiders and 3 Texans to Chiefs

If you trust the early 2026 NFL mock drafts, the AFC West might get the most anticipated gunslinger in years: Arch Manning. The Las Vegas Raiders are expected to be horrible once again in 2025, despite the arrival of head coach Pete Carroll, and that means mocks have the Raiders picking first overall next spring, which would give them a chance at Manning.

Not that the Kansas City Chiefs should be too concerned, now or later, about the Raiders' potential progress. Nine consecutive division titles will give a team the benefit of the doubt, so Las Vegas will have to prove itself when the time comes.

As for our present interests, the Chiefs' 2025 draft class is already starting to come together after rookie minicamp, which has Chiefs Kingdom excited to see what the current crop will yield. That said, if we're already looking at 2026 mock projections, it also doesn't hurt to look forward to the future.

Pro Football Network's Jacob Infante has put together a new three-round mock that begins with a non-Arch Manning selection up top for the Cleveland Browns, the Raiders at No. 9 taking the Texas QB, and then the Chiefs and Eagles once again slotted at No. 31 and 32, respectively.

Let's look at what sort of early draft haul the Chiefs could put together via these three rounds.

Round 1 - Will Lee III, CB, Texas A&M

Some draftniks thought the Chiefs might go with a first-round corner in the 2025 NFL Draft due to the importance of the position and the fact that several impressive players were available for K.C. at No. 31 overall (Trey Amos, Benjamin Morrison, Will Johnson).

While the Chiefs ended up with Ohio State tackle Josh Simmons, the Chiefs did grab Cal's Nohl Williams in the third round. Next year, however, the void at corner will look much larger. Jaylen Watson is scheduled to be a free agent. So is Joshua Williams. Nazeeh Johnson is as well. Even safety Bryan Cook is in his contract year. That's a lot of departing defensive backs.

That's why the Chiefs turn to a productive corner like Will Lee III in this mock draft to bolster the position and give them another high-ceiling asset.

"Will Lee III is a long 6'3" corner with surprising agility and solid ball skills. He’s totaled four interceptions and 16 pass breakups across his last two college seasons, showing the traits needed to thrive on the boundary," writes Infante.

Together with Trent McDuffie (who should get a new contract extension any day now), Kristian Fulton, and Williams, the Chiefs will already have a solid core atop the depth chart. Adding Lee would maintain the deep talent pool in the defensive backfield that Steve Spagnuolo has grown used to.

Round 2 - David Bailey, EDGE, Texas Tech

Pro Football Focus is going to be the biggest fan of this pick if Bailey falls to the Chiefs in round two. Last season, Bailey led all players in PFF's pass-rushing metrics in his third and final season at Stanford. PFF credited him with 39 pressures and a 93.2 grade in the category.

Overall, Bailey had 22.5 tackles for loss and 14 sacks in his career with the Cardinal, but he's taken his talents to Texas Tech in his final season, which could really affect his NFL Draft stock depending on how he fares in a new system and conference.

The real pressure here on Bailey is to add strength and an improved pass-rushing repertoire if he wants teams to view him as more than a situational pass rusher. However, there's plenty of pro value in what he adds already.

Considering that Charles Omenihu and Malik Herring will be free agents next season, with Mike Danna and Felix Anudike-Uzomah in their contract years, there's room here for another early addition up front to keep the edges stocked.

Round 3 - CJ Baxter, RB, Texas

Few things will excite Chiefs Kingdom like an early running back selection after years of going cheap in the backfield in both free agency and the draft.

For years, the Chiefs have relied on one-year flyers in free agency and seventh-round draft choices (if drafted at all) to round out the running backs room. The results have been impressive for the level of investment, but there's also a ceiling to what the Chiefs can expect out of any one of their RB options.

Going forward, the only player under contract at the position in 2026 is Brashard Smith, a day three rookie out of SMU. That leaves plenty of room for someone like C.J. Baxter to come in and make an instant impact.

While no one will question Baxter's upside, the risk here is substantial considering Baxter hasn't played since the 2023 Sugar Bowl. A torn ACL in fall camp took him out for his entire sophomore season, so it remains to be seen whether he will flash the same talents once back in the fold in 2025—assuming he's healthy.

The former No. 1 RB recruit in the country, Baxter forced his way into the lineup as a freshman back at Texas. If healthy, no one will doubt his ceiling and the Chiefs might find themselves an impact play at the bottom of the third round.