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What will the Chiefs do in the NFL Draft? 5 hints from GM Brett Veach | The Athletic
“With Alohi, just having, over the years, having a Tyrann Mathieu, then having a Justin Reid, just having a cerebral player there that sees the field, can be a leader back there, get everyone lined up. We lost Bryan Cook, too,” Veach said of his team’s safety position. “And look, it doesn’t mean we won’t add if we can get a similar player that has those leadership capabilities back there.”
Who best fits the description
of that last sentence? Most likely Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, who is considered a top-10 pick but could fall to the Chiefs at No. 9.
The Chiefs have bigger positional needs than safety — defensive end, receiver and defensive tackle are a few — but, in general, on Thursday, Veach didn’t rule out the possibility of taking a non-premium position early.
“I think our goal is to just make that selection and add a player here that is going to be an impact player on our team,” Veach said. “And I know it’s cliche-ish, but to really just add the best player available, right? You hear that all the time. But I don’t want to overthink that, and I don’t want to take a lesser player. Just someone that’s going to come in here, be an impact player, help us from day one. I think that’s extremely important to us.”
2026 NFL mock draft: Scouts, execs predict the top 10 picks | ESPN
AFC North area scout’s pick: Rueben Bain Jr., Edge, Miami
The Chiefs will pick in the top 10 for the first time since 2017, when they traded up to select Patrick Mahomes with the 10th overall selection. They’re hoping this pick works like that one did.
Our stand-in GM for Kansas City is an area scout in the AFC North, and he loved how the board fell for the Chiefs, who also have the No. 29 pick after trading cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams.
“I can’t believe the other scouts let the board fall this way, but we will gladly select Bain and look to grab a defensive back with pick No. 29,” he said.
When asked why Bain over the other prospects on the board, the scout added: “Bain is a powerful edge with great leverage, a great motor, and he was unstoppable in the College Football Playoffs when you’re seeing the best versus the best.”
Kansas City Chiefs NFL Draft primer: Power ranking, needs, mock projection | CBS Sports
What the Chiefs should do
Pick No. 9: Stay put
Take a high-impact defender or playmaker who can help reset the roster immediately.Pick No. 29: Stay put
Add another contributor on defense or a weapon to support the offense.
Cowboys fans must be on high alert after Chiefs GM’s draft night warning | The Landry Hat
The Dallas Cowboys are already preparing for an active first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, because they have two selections in the first 20 picks. Throw in the recent messaging from draft analysts that Dallas could be a team that trades into the top 10, and it’s clear that the draft could be chaotic for the Cowboys.
However, Dallas, apparently, won’t be alone in that chaos. Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach held his pre-draft press conference on Thursday and sent a message to NFL fans about how the draft will unfold. The message was clear: expect chaos.
Chiefs could benefit from looming Cardinals decision in NFL Draft | Arrowhead Addict
The Chiefs could possibly benefit from the quarterback-needy teams getting scared and wanting to trade back into the first round. One team that could be eyeing a trade to get into the tail end of round one are the Arizona Cardinals, who own the 34th pick (or pick two) in the second round.
Chiefs could swap spots in draft with quarterback-needy Cardinals
If the Cardinals pass on taking Ty Simpson third overall and he continues to plummet down the draft boards, that could prompt Arizona to make a move back into round one. If so, Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort might be ringing up Veach on draft night to move to the 29th spot while K.C. would move back five spots.
Around the NFL
Source: Texans, Will Anderson reach 3-year, $150M extension | ESPN
The Texans and All-Pro defensive end Will Anderson Jr. have agreed to a historic three-year, $150 million extension that makes him the highest-paid non-quarterback, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Friday.
The deal includes $134 million in guaranteed money, the source said.
The record extension surpasses the deal given to Packers edge rusher Micah Parsons after Green Bay acquired him from the Dallas Cowboys in August. Parsons signed a four-year, $188 million contract extension that included $120 million fully guaranteed at signing and $136 million in total guarantees.
The Texans exercised the 2027 fifth-year option for Anderson on April 8 as doing so was a precursor to the contract extension. The third-year defensive end had 12 sacks (tied for eighth) and 20 tackles for loss (tied for fourth) last season.
Falcons agree to trade DT Ruke Orhorhoro to Jaguars for DT Maason Smith | Pro Football Talk
Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Atlanta has agreed to send defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro to Jacksonville in exchange for defensive tackle Maason Smith. Both players were second-round picks in 2024 with Orhorhoro going to the Falcons at No. 35 and Smith going to the Jags at No. 48.
Orhorhoro played in eight games as a rookie and all 17 games last season. He made eight starts and finished the season with 25 tackles and 3.5 sacks.
Smith played 24 games and started seven times over his first two seasons. He had 32 tackles and three sacks in those appearances.
“Full pads all the time,” Flowers said during an appearance on the “4th & Short Podcast” hosted by former NFLers Jarvis Landry and Leonard Fournette. “However many practices in pads you can get, every single one. We’re doing one-on-ones in Week 17. Week 17, we’re doing one-on-ones, everybody out there, we’re tired, we’re still going.”
Baltimore established an identity for being a tough team capable of winning the physical battle both in the rough-and-tumble AFC North and beyond. Much of that identity was likely cultivated by how Harbaugh prepared his team. But there’s no denying the impact of injuries on Baltimore’s chances of reaching their loftiest goals.
“That’s why we had a lot of injuries because of how we practiced, how we went,” Flowers continued. “The load was heavy.”
From The Feed
In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride
Chiefs Draft: Ideal, likely and worst-case scenarios for first round
Most likely picks: DE Rueben Bain Jr. & OT Max Iheanachor
The most likely selection for the Chiefs at no. 9 is, was, and always will be Rueben Bain Jr.
He’s a fan favorite, and for good reason. He had an unbelievable run in the College Football Playoff and he plays a style that’s going to endear himself to fans. He’s physical, and he plays with an edge. That’s fun. It’s exciting. I think he’ll be good.
I have no idea what the ceiling will be, and that’s the fear with Bain as the pick.
What if he’s already tapped out? The most common comparison I’ve seen for him is Brandon Graham, a player with one double-digit sack season in his NFL career. Would a similar career for Bain be considered a success if the Chiefs take him in the top 10 with their lone top-10 selection in the Mahomes era?
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