The 2026 NFL Draft is this week, and teams have huge decisions to make regarding who to take in the first round. The Kansas City Chiefs hold the ninth-overall selection and will be making a pivotal choice when naming the next cornerstone of the franchise.
Edge rusher and wide receiver feel like the two most popular positions for pick No. 9, and one particular wideout has seen his name matched with Kansas City constantly in recent mock drafts.
Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson is a top candidate to be drafted within the top-10 picks. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. and Pete Schrager each predicted the Chiefs to pick Tyson, along with former ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay.
Kansas City met with him at the NFL Scouting Combine in March.
According to Arrowhead Pride’s consensus rankings, Tyson is one of the top three receivers ranked in the top half of the first round, but Carnell Tate from Ohio State and Makai Lemon from USC are other notable prospects who could go in the top 10 and be taken first.
Of that trio, Tyson might be the most naturally gifted wideout and the best route runner. There is some red tape around the team possibly selecting him, but the talent is there.
Background
The 21-year-old from Allen, Texas — 22 by his NFL Debut — started his college career at the University of Colorado before transferring to Arizona State in 2023. As a three-year player for the Sun Devils, Tyson was twice honored as first-team All-Big 12.
When healthy and on the field, it was hard to find a better wideout in college football, but he does have a string of unfortunate injuries.
A torn ACL in 2022, a broken collarbone in 2024, and a hamstring issue in 2025— that caused him to miss the NFL Combine.
Tyson weighed in and had his height measured at his Pro Day, even though he could not test anything other than the bench press.
At just a touch over 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighing 203 pounds, Tyson has standard wideout size but also showed strength by posting 26 repetitions on the bench press, despite it not being crucial for his position.
On April 17th, Tyson had a private workout with multiple teams in attendance. The reports from the workout were overwhelmingly positive and seem to have locked Tyson into a top-ten selection.
Even with the medical red tape, Tyson’s film shows a player primed for a successful NFL career.
A look at the tape
When watching Tyson’s film, the way he naturally flows with the game and effortlessly runs routes and changes direction pops off the tape.
With great quick twitch and burst, Tyson can change direction exceptionally well, and this gives him the ability to create quick and tight breaks when running routes. The fluidity on the field is tremendous, but his mental processing and ability to instinctively react on the fly are greater than those of the other wideouts in the class.
The high football IQ also made him a reliable go-to player for Arizona State in crucial situations.
Late in the game, with the clock under a minute to play, Arizona State is marching downfield. Tyson runs a quick out route against tight-man coverage, but gains a space advantage, and the quarterback delivers the ball his way.
Tyson does a fantastic job of getting both feet down and in bounds, then quickly stepping out to stop the clock.
Tyson’s concentration and focus were also showcased with his ability to haul in contested catches.
A poor throw from the quarterback results in Tyson having to go back for the ball mid-route. He does his best to haul it in cleanly, but he has to play it off the tip and in traffic. Just before a bit hit is delivered, Tyson secures the pass and makes sure to hold on as he is knocked to the ground.
The concentration to haul in the pass was impressive, but it also showed the physical toughness with which he plays the game.
This toughness and competitive fire show up most in his yard after catch opportunities, and this is where he can create explosive plays.
Tyson isn’t a bruising runner when he has the ball in his hands, but he is slippery, and he is always looking for a way to find extra yards.
After doing a good job of beating zone coverage, coming back and securing the pass, Tyson hauls in the pass and quickly works his way upfield, fighting for as many extra yards as he can manage.
Tyson has many of the hard parts of the position down, but it is the effort and fight he shows that could make him the top wide receiver prospect in the draft.
The bottom line
If the Chiefs decide to go with a wide receiver at pick No. 9, and Tyson is available, it would be a strong selection.
With no clear No. 1 wide receiver on the roster and stalwart pass-catcher and tight end Travis Kelce potentially entering his final NFL season, the team must find the next generation of pass catchers for Patrick Mahomes to throw to, and Tyson would be a good start.
Chemistry is important to Mahomes, and a player like Tyson, who can play within a system but still flow and function outside of it, and find ways to make plays on the fly, is something the Chiefs offense has missed the last couple of seasons and something Mahomes will likely want to incorporate back into his game as well.
Tyson could be gone by the time the ninth pick comes up, but if he is there, the Chiefs should call his number.
