Where Chiefs Sit With Post-Draft Cap Space

The Kansas City Chiefs used their draft picks wisely and got immense value at every position in the draft. They traded back one spot in the first round and still ended up with the player they wanted in Josh Simmons.

They had a very high grade on Brashard Smith, yet were able to draft him in the seventh round. As good a job as the Chiefs did in the draft, it still comes with a price, and the Chiefs' cap room after the draft isn't looking too good.

Simmons agreed to his rookie contract with the Chiefs, which is a four-year, $14.6 million deal that has a fifth-year option at the end of it. After that, according to Spotrac, the Chiefs rank 26th in the league in terms of remaining cap space to use in free agency.

Their biggest cap hit is their franchise quarterback, Patrick Mahomes. He's being paid $28 million for next year, and in today's day and age, where players are getting insane contracts, that's a bargain for arguably the best player in the NFL.

Their next two biggest contracts heading into next season are Jawaan Taylor and Chris Jones, respectively. Both of those players are veterans at this point, and while Jones may spend his entire career with the Chiefs, Taylor may be on his way out soon to make space for the Chiefs' young guards.

Despite the Chiefs' offensive line getting exposed in the Super Bowl, some of the players they pay are guards, and that continues past their top three contracts. Their fourth and sixth-highest-paid players next year are Trey Smith and Jaylon Moore.

They used the franchise tag on Smith, and he can expect an even bigger bag next season. Moore was a free-agent acquisition, and if he plays well enough, he can continue to be a part of the Chiefs' long-term future, but his contract is only for two years.

With the Chiefs not having the most money to spend in free agency, especially after the draft, free agents like Von Miller or Justin Simmons may be out of the question.

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