Draft Advice for Chiefs After Learning Rice’s Availability

Kansas City made only two moves to address the position during free agency, re-signing deep-threat Tyquan Thornton and bringing back return specialist Nikko Remigio. Thornton has played just one year with Patrick Mahomes, and Remigio has only three receptions in two NFL seasons.

Plus, the Chiefs watched Hollywood Brown leave to sign with the Eagles in free agency. And Xavier Worthy is returning from postseason surgery on his dislocated shoulder and torn labrum, a friendly fire injury sustained when he collided with Travis Kelce on the season’s third play in Week 1.

Chiefs at WR have more certainty in 2026 than uncertainty

Even with clarity on Rice’s availability – he no longer faces a second suspension under the league’s personal conduct policy – wide receiver is a glaring hole for Kansas City. Jalen Royals got only three targets as a rookie, despite playing 86 offensive snaps. Jason Brownlee, Jimmy Holiday and Andrew Armstrong need to prove they’re more than simply camp bodies.

Expect the Chiefs to attack wide receiver in the draft. It’s a premium position and one of the deepest areas of the 2026 class. Kansas City is armed with nine selections, including two in the first round. That’s the most capital Brett Veach has had since 2022, when he drafted 10 players, including Trent McDuffie and George Karlaftis in the first round.

Veach drafted only six players from 2018-21, and just seven in each of the past three drafts (2023-25). He’s also made 18 draft-weekend trades, 14 of which have included him moving up to take a player.

How Veach and Andy Reid approach the wide-receiver position is critical. They signed former first-round selection Kaiir Elam on Thursday, adding a cornerback who can potentially challenge for a starting role. That alleviated pressure to take a cornerback early in the draft.

Wide receiver and edge rusher now seem like the team’s biggest needs only 19 days before the draft. And among the players still available when the Chiefs are on the clock with the ninth selection, they could see edge rushers still on their board such as Rueben Bain or David Bailey, a player the Chiefs reportedly had in for a top-30 visit this week.

They also could see wide receivers like Carnell Tate, Jordyn Tyson or Makai Lemon sitting there.

The advice

If the choice comes down to wide receiver or edge rusher, take the edge rusher. Wait to get the wide receiver later, even with the No. 29 pick. History has shown wideouts selected outside the top 10 do much better over their NFL careers compared to those taken in the first hour of the draft.

Chris Jones has already said there’s no way he’ll still be playing when the Chiefs open their $3 billion domed stadium in Kansas. Karlaftis needs help on the other side, and Leo Chenal and Charles Omenihu are now in Washington.

With the ninth-overall selection, Mahomes needs an edge rusher on his defense to affect his counterpart quarterback more than a wide receiver in his huddle.

Remember John Ross? Just before the Chiefs traded up to take Mahomes with the 10th-overall choice in 2017, Cincinnati selected the wide receiver at No. 9. He wound up playing only 63 games over parts of six seasons and now plays for the UFL’s Birmingham Stallions.

Ross and three other wideouts taken ahead of Mahomes that year combined for zero Pro Bowls.

Over a longer period, since that ’17 draft, NFL clubs have selected 13 wide receivers in the top 10. Only Ja’Marr Chase (five) and Malik Nabers (one) have even earned a Pro Bowl selection. Chase’s two All-Pro honors also are the only such accolades among those 13 wideouts.

Mahomes now has Rice for at least another full season, Worthy should be better when healthy and Thornton’s ability to get open, track and attack the deep ball are vastly underrated. The Chiefs should be fine at wideout this season, especially if Kelce doesn’t lead the team in receiving.

Besides, the Chiefs already got Mahomes a new best friend in Kenneth Walker.