The latest
2026 NFL draft: Latest buzz on Ty Simpson, Jeremiyah Love | ESPN
Who isn’t a consensus top-10 pick right now but could end up there by draft time?
Yates: Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama. Consensus is not easy to find right now, but one name that I haven’t seen linked to the top 10 as often is Proctor. He has incredible traits, led by his mammoth size at 6-foot-7 and 352 pounds with nifty athleticism. He could be in play for the Browns at No. 6 and the Chiefs at No. 9.
Miller: Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia.
He might rise into the top 10 based on positional value and need. The 6-foot-7, 315-pounder was just a one-year starter, but his athletic tools are that of a high-end NFL starter on the left side. Like Proctor, the Browns or Chiefs could take a chance on Freeling.
Reid: Keldric Faulk, DL, Auburn. He fits the exact archetype that teams covet near the top of the draft. At 6-foot-5, 276 pounds, Faulk’s pass-rush production took a step back in 2025, but he’s only 21 and one of the best run defenders in the class. When speaking to scouts, Greg Rousseau and Mykel Williams are two NFL comparisons for him. The Chiefs at No. 9 and the Bengals at No. 10 overall are two teams to watch here.
Every NFL Team’s Most Overpaid Player Following Peak 2026 Free Agency | Bleacher Report
Kansas City Chiefs: DL Chris Jones
The seven-time Pro Bowler is still a stellar pass-rusher, but he is also clearly declining at the age of 31. Jones’ approximate value total at Pro Football Reference has dropped significantly in back-to-back campaigns, and only five players in the league have higher cap numbers than his total of $44.9 million for 2026.
Chiefs Free Agency: 5 Buy-Low Targets Ahead of NFL Draft | Heavy
3. Does L’Jarius Sneed have anything left in the tank?
The Chiefs have a ton of work to do in the secondary, and Douglas alone may not be enough. Another reunion would further rebuild one of Steve Spagnuolo’s most important units, and while some may rather draft a bunch of CBs, we’ve seen in the past that prospects don’t always work out.
L’Jarius Sneed was one of Spagnuolo’s favorite weapons at defensive back. Bringing him back to Kansas City is good for all parties, but Sneed would have to agree on a few parameters.
One, he’d have to be willing to sign for relatively cheap. Sneed was traded, in part, because he wanted to get paid. Tennessee rewarded him with a $76.4 million deal, and the remainder of that contract should allow Sneed to take a hometown discount in 2026.
The savvy vet may not have enough left in the tank for outside CB, but he was always at his best in the slot. Moving back inside would be the second condition, with the third being a standard physical upon signing.
The Chiefs signed Kader Kohou to compete with Chamarri Conner, Christian Roland-Wallace, and Kevin Knowles at slot CB. A healthy Sneed is an upgrade on all four candidates.
Latest Buzz Around Ty Simpson Could Create Opportunities for Chiefs | Sports Illustrated
Prior to the Trent McDuffie trade, the Chiefs only had one first-round pick, which would not have been affected, as Simpson is not expected to be taken in that range. While the latter is still the case, Kansas City now owns two first-round picks – including No. 29, which the Los Angeles Rams traded for the All-Pro cornerback – that pick could be influenced if Simpson is taken around that spot.
Best-case scenario, a team takes the 6-foot-1, 211-pound quarterback in front of the Chiefs, allowing a defensive tackle, wide receiver, or cornerback to fall into Kansas City’s laps. If two quarterbacks come off the board in the first round, which is the max in this year’s draft, the Chiefs will be more than happy to see that occur.
Ex-Bills player: Worst part of ‘13 seconds game’ is what happened a week later | Kansas City Star
Fast forward three years, and the NFL adopted that OT rule after the Bills lost to the Chiefs 42-36 in an AFC Divisional Game.
That’s the “13 seconds game” that haunts Bills fans to this day. And current and former Bills players are still asked about that game.
Former center Mitch Morse, who played his first four NFL seasons with the Chiefs before signing with Buffalo, was on the Caps Off podcast and talked about that loss.
The memory of the Chiefs’ AFC Championship Game loss to the Patriots was on Morse’s mind after Buffalo took the lead with 13 seconds left in regulation.
“What I remember is sitting there still having a pretty uneasy feeling because the clock had not hit zero,” said Morse, the former Mizzou (Shop Mizzou) star. “And three years before, I had been in the AFC Championship Game on the other sideline against Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, those sons of bitches, and the Chiefs had to go down with 18 seconds left or something to kick a field goal to send it to overtime. I’m like, it’s not zero, fellas. And of course, the guys are really fired up on the sideline, because any other team with any other coach, quarterback duo, who doesn’t have Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce, this is probably in the bag.”
Mahomes threw passes to Hill and Kelce and got the Chiefs in position for Harrison Butker to kick a game-tying field goal on the final play of regulation. The Chiefs won the toss and drove for a game-winning touchdown.
Around the NFL
Former Raiders center Barret Robbins dies at age 52 | ESPN
Robbins played nine seasons for the Silver & Black from 1995 to 2003 after he was selected in the second round of the 1995 NFL draft. He played 121 games, making 105 starts.
“Sad to hear of the passing of my center and former teammate, Barret Robbins. RIP my brother!” former Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon wrote on X.
Robbins, who played college football at TCU, was elected to his first Pro Bowl in 2002. After missing two games in the previous season due to injury, Robbins started in all 16 games and was the leader of the Raiders’ offensive line that helped them reach Super Bowl XXXVII, which they lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 48-21.
2026 NFL Draft wild cards | NFL.com
DT Caleb Banks – Florida
The 6-6 1/4, 327-pound freak athlete is a prototypical 3-technique with explosive traits and disruptive ability at the point of the attack. Banks flashes All-Pro potential with heavy hands and a violent game, but his injury history leads to concerns about his durability. The Florida standout looked like a top-10 prospect in 2024, with his relentless game-wrecking forcing opponents to alter their offensive plans. But a foot injury limited him to just three games last year, and then he reportedly suffered a broken foot at the combine, apparently sidelining him until June. Banks is a staggering physical specimen — SEE: 35-inch arm length and 10 7/8-inch hand size — but the health woes make him a risky proposition as a potential first-round pick.
What to expect from the NFL’s 2026 league meeting in Phoenix next week | The Athletic
Rule changes
The competition committee — comprised of chairman Rich McKay, co-chairman Stephen Jones of the Dallas Cowboys, Cincinnati Bengals vice president Katie Blackburn, Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles, San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch, New York Giants owner John Mara, Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay, Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell, Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton, Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans and New England Patriots Mike Vrabel — will present several rules proposals for teams to vote on. Any proposal requires a yes vote from at least 24 of the 32 teams to gain approval.
Among the proposals is a modification that will allow the kicking team to declare an onside kick at any time during the game rather than only when trailing or in the fourth quarter. Another proposed rule change would eliminate the kicking team’s incentive to intentionally boot the ball out of bounds when kicking off from the 40-yard line, and a third kickoff rules proposal calls for modifying the alignment requirements for receiving players in the setup zone. Also on the table is a proposal to allow league personnel to consult with on-field officials when considering ejections for flagrant fouls or non-football acts, even if the infraction was missed on the field. This would be the only situation in which the NFL’s control center could place a flag on the field. A fifth proposal would allow the NFL officiating department to correct clear and obvious missed calls by referees, although that rule would only be implemented if there is a referee work stoppage and the league has to use replacement officials.
Unlike previous years, the Philadelphia Eagles’ beloved tush push play is not under attack. No team renewed the effort to ban the rugby-style quarterback sneak play.
In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride
Chiefs Draft: How will Brett Veach identify pockets within the top 40?
Pockets of players at pick No. 9:
The odds appear stacked against any of Fernando Mendoza, Arvell Reese, Francis Mauigoa, Reuben Bain, Carnell Tate or Jeremiyah Love’s availability when the Chiefs are on the clock. Any of those could be possibilities, but for this exercise, let’s assume they’re off the board.
That leaves the following players as the primary options when the Chiefs are on the clock:
- EDGE – David Bailey (Texas Tech) & Keldric Faulk (Auburn)
- LB – Sonny Styles (Ohio State)
- Safety – Caleb Downs
- CB – Mansoor Delane (LSU) & Jermod McCoy (Tennessee)
- WR – Makai Lemon (USC) & Jordyn Tyson (Arizona State)
There are legitimate cases to take any of the above. Faulk would probably be the most unpopular selection, but I also view him as the most unlikely. Who would be the best selection here? Is it a bad answer to say “it depends” because that feels like the case? What can they do at 29? And 40? That could (and probably should) dictate the pick.
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