Chiefs Address Defense in 2026 NFL Mock Draft

The Kansas City Chiefs defense has done well the past couple of years, finishing near the top of the league each season. A large part of that is due to Steve Spagnuolo's defensive schemes and how he's able to get the most out of his players, but it also has to do with how well they draft and pick, and choosing which stars to keep and which to let go.

A great example of that was this past off-season when they had to decide which player to give a contract extension to, Nick Bolton or Justin Reid. They ended up siding with Bolton, which historically they have made the right decision, but it'll be something to monitor next season to see how Bolton responds when they've placed so much faith in him.

Similarly, George Karlaftis is up for a contract extension next off-season, and despite them drafting plenty of players on the defensive side of the ball in the 2025 NFL draft, retaining Karlaftis is a necessity for this team.

While the biggest takeaway from their Super Bowl loss against the Philadelphia Eagles was that their offensive line needed to be addressed, their defense uncharacteristically gave up plenty of points to the Eagles' offense.

To be fair, the Chiefs weren't playing complementary football, and the offense had many turnovers and drives that went nowhere, which placed so much strain on their defense that eventually the game just got away from them.

Ryan Wilson is a sports writer for CBS Sports, and he recently released an article where he did an early 2026 NFL mock draft. While in previous mock drafts they've been predicted to take a player on offense, this time around they're predicted to address their defense and draft Suntarine Perkins, a linebacker from the University of Mississippi.

"Despite his size, Perkins can win with his bull rush vs. offensive tackles and force a re-anchor; he also works hard to get off blocks and get to the QB. Insane athleticism, short-area quickness and twitch; creates problems for bigger/slower OTs when he's coming off the edge. He has legit closing speed coming downhill".

In 2024, he had 60 total tackles, one interception, and 10.5 sacks. He made a huge leap from his first year to his second year, and if he continues with his development, he'll be a player for the Chiefs to keep an eye on.

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