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The Chiefs' Best Offensive Options in the First Round
August 14, 2021; Santa Clara, California, USA; Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

The Kansas City Chiefs have two first-round picks they can use to improve their roster, but it came at the cost of worsening their secondary significantly by trading away their star cornerback. Regardless, for the sake of their dynasty, they need to hit on both of them.

Their loss of Trent McDuffie means that defense should be a big priority in the first round, but considering taking an offensive weapon isn't a bad idea either. Patrick Mahomes is coming back from an injury. Why not lean into the team's strength and give him another star?

Stars in the First Round

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Some may argue that the ninth overall pick is too high to draft Carnell Tate, but I'd argue that wide receiver has quickly become a big need for them. Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy's future continues to hang in the balance, and adding a receiver who can start right away, as Tate will just empower their passing attack even more.

He's pretty good at everything, but his smooth route running and body control stand out when watching his college tape. His only downside is that he doesn't have an impressive frame and an injury history, which is the type of receiver they've been drafting to end up in this situation. However, I think Tate has what it takes to be a mainstay of their offense.

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If the Chiefs don't want to use their top ten pick on a receiver, they can use the 29th overall pick on a player like Denzel Boston. He's a big-bodied receiver, which would immediately set him apart from everyone else in that receiving room.

He uses his size well and, matched with his speed, will create mismatches all over the field. His hand strength and ball tracking skills also mean he's an excellent contested catcher. His only downside is that he's prone to losing steam after the initial get off, but he has a wide enough catch radius that he'd probably still be able to make a play even if he were to lose some momentum off the line.

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Finally, they can shore up their offensive line at the end of the first round by taking Blake Miller. He had 54 career starts in college, which means the Chiefs don't have to worry about his durability, which is a luxury on the offensive line.

Offensive line problems were apparent in 2025, and even if he can't catch passes from Mahomes, he's going to do a good job protecting him with his long arms and quick feet.


This article first appeared on Kansas City Chiefs on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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