The latest
2026 NFL draft: Latest intel, questions for 32 teams’ picks | ESPN
Kansas City Chiefs
What is the most likely position focus for the Chiefs at No. 9?
Coach Andy Reid and general manager Brett Veach should concentrate on adding to the Chiefs’ pass rush. Right now, the Chiefs don’t have a starter on the edge opposite George Karlaftis. By targeting one of the top defensive linemen, the Chiefs could help take the burden off defensive tackle Chris Jones, who often has to beat two offensive linemen to pressure
the opposing quarterback. — Nate Taylor
What we’re hearing about the Chiefs’ draft: In talking to sources both in Kansas City and around the league, there seems to be no strong indicator of where the Chiefs will go with either of their first-round picks. The Chiefs will see how the board falls and have needs at core positions such as offensive tackle, wide receiver, edge rusher, defensive tackle and cornerback. A hot name to watch at corner is Jermod McCoy (Tennessee) … if he makes it to No. 9. — Matt Miller
2026 NFL Draft needs: The one goal each NFC team must nail | NFL.com
Kansas City Chiefs
Chiefs’ biggest draft goal: Cornerback
Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson left for Los Angeles in March, leaving a void the Chiefs attempted to address by adding slot corner Kader Kohou. They shouldn’t stop there. No offense to Nohl Williams, but if the Chiefs are going to return to prominence in 2026, they’re going to need more playmakers at the position. This should be their top priority (and after that, offensive line) in the draft.
Scouting ‘The Beast’ for potential Chiefs receivers in the NFL Draft | The Athletic
Options for the 9th pick
Carnell Tate, Ohio State (6-foot-2, 192 pounds)
If the Chiefs look to diversify their receiver room, Tate could be a target with their first pick. Brugler describes Tate — his 10th-ranked player — as a “long, technically proficient receiver who can win at all three levels using high-level tracking/adjustment skills and catching radius. He projects as an immediate NFL starting Z with Pro Bowl upside.”
Brugler also says Tate, thanks to his “tall, angular frame,” is someone who “eats up ground with long strides and uses gear changes to establish leverage or create vertical separation. He has only average snap out of breaks, but wins more with pacing and body control than suddenness.”
Tate’s strengths, in addition to his separation ability, include testing defenses downfield and winning in sideline and contested-catch situations.
It’d be the type of skill set K.C. has lacked with Mahomes in many recent seasons.
Fun fact about Tate from Brugler: Tate was introduced to football by his grandmother, Kim Tate, who signed him up for pee-wee football while she was helping raise him.
Chiefs Work Out Intriguing Dual-Threat Kansas QB Ahead of 2026 Draft | Heavy
Daniels is one of the more interesting quarterback prospects in the 2026 draft class. He spent six years with Kansas in college, as he missed considerable time with injuries during his time in town. When Daniels was on the field, though, he showed the potential to be a top-tier dual-threat quarterback, which has caught the attention of teams across the NFL.
In 2025, Daniels enjoyed his best campaign for the Jayhawks, as he threw for 2,531 yards and 22 touchdowns, while also rushing for 404 yards and four more scores. Daniels also lowered his interception rate significantly after leading all Big 12 passers with 12 picks in 2024, while improving his completion percentage.
Even though he is already 23 years old, Daniels still is a raw prospect, which is why he isn’t expected to come off the board until Day 3 of the draft, with the fifth-through-seventh rounds being where many evaluators believe he will get selected. Ahead of the draft, Kansas City opted to take a closer look at Daniels, as he was one of 37 prospects the team brought to town earlier this week as part of its “local pro day.”
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly signs sports facilities bill, key to Chiefs’ plan to move to Kansas | KSHB
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly signed a bill into law Thursday that created the Kansas Sports Facilities Authority Act.
The governor’s signature is a key component of the Kansas City Chiefs’ $3 billion plan to build a domed stadium in Wyandotte County and a new team headquarters and training facility in Olathe.
Kelly and Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt gathered in Topeka last December to announce the framework of the project that would see the team move from GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium to a new location in the Village West district of Kansas City, Kansas.
In addition to announcing the partnership, the project required elected officials in KCK and Olathe to pass bills to create local sales tax districts that will be key in financing the developments. The project also required the creation of the state-based sports facilities act, which will oversee the management and operation, among other functions.
Members of the Kansas House and Senate passed the legislation in March.
Former Chiefs First-Round Pick Reflects on Frustrating 2018 Trade to Rams | Athlon Sports
The Kansas City Chiefs took a gamble on cornerback Marcus Peters with the 18th pick in the 2015 draft. He was arguably the best cornerback in his class, but he fell in the draft after being kicked off his college team at Washington for clashing with coaches.
However, the risk initially paid off, as Peters was a star from day one, winning Defensive Rookie of the Year. But behind the production, his relationship with the team soured in Dec. 2017.
And shortly after the season ended, they traded him to the Los Angeles Rams. Years later, Peters is finally sharing his side of that exit, suggesting the organization didn’t give him the room to grow as a young player.
Around the NFL
Inside Jon Gruden’s disastrous second run with the Raiders | The Athletic
Antonio Brown arrived for training camp in the summer of 2019 in a helicopter. His feet were frostbitten from a cryotherapy session in Paris. He was at odds with both the league and the Raiders over his helmet; the one he’d used for nine seasons in Pittsburgh had since been banned. The seven-time Pro Bowl wideout missed 10 of his first 11 practices, posted his fines on Instagram, slept through meetings — and torched the Oakland secondary in the rare instances he was on the field. He got into a verbal spat with Mayock during a practice in which he called his GM a “cracker” and had to be held back by teammate Vontaze Burfict. The Raiders released Brown before he ever played a snap.
“I don’t think that guy ever intended on playing football for us,” a source said.
“It was just a s—show from Day 1,” Mayock added.
The miss on Brown, several sources indicated, spoke to Gruden’s biggest weakness. He’d get blinded by talent, believing he could outcoach any ancillary issue. “Jon didn’t respect a player’s football background or football character enough,” one said. “That’s why he whiffed on so many guys.”
Sources: DOJ opens antitrust investigation of NFL over TV deals | ESPN
The Justice Department has begun an investigation into whether the NFL has violated anticompetitive practices with its television contracts that require consumers to pay subscription costs to watch some games, sources confirmed to ABC News.
“This is about affordability and creating an even playing field for providers,” a government official told ABC News.
The Wall Street Journal first reported the news, writing that the “nature and scope” of the Justice Department’s investigation were unknown.
The NFL has an antitrust exemption for the negotiating of its television contracts through the Sports Broadcast Act of 1961, which only applies to broadcast television. Courts have ruled in the past that it does not apply to other media, including cable, satellite and streaming.
The NFL currently has television contracts with ESPN/ABC, NBC Sports, CBS Sports, Prime Video and Netflix to air its games. Subscriptions are required to watch “Monday Night Football” games on ESPN that aren’t simulcast on ABC, “Thursday Night Football” and the Black Friday game on Prime Video, and Christmas games on Netflix. Some international games also air on NFL Network, which is owned by ESPN. Select postseason games also require subscriptions. The NFL has also awarded select games to ESPN+ and Peacock in the past.
Giants OC Matt Nagy on QB: ‘He’s Jaxson Dart. He’s not Patrick Mahomes’ | NFL.com
New York Giants offensive coordinator Matt Nagy has already had the Patrick Mahomes conversation with Jaxson Dart.
Given Nagy’s experience in Kansas City, the Mahomes discussion was always going to happen. The new Big Blue OC’s message to his young quarterback: Be yourself.
“He’s Jaxson Dart. He’s not Patrick Mahomes.” Nagy said earlier this week as the Giants opened up voluntary workouts, via the New York Post.
No one is comparing Dart to Mahomes, but given Nagy’s previous employer, the question was an obvious one.
Nagy was in Kansas City for Mahomes’ first season in 2017, when the quarterback started just one game as a rookie. Nagy then left to coach the Chicago Bears for four seasons before returning to a fully-formed Mahomes in 2022. Nagy rejoined K.C. as a senior assistant and QB coach and spent the past three seasons as Andy Reid’s OC.
Knowing how Mahomes trains and approaches the game is beneficial for the Giants and Dart, but it’s not a game plan.
“We can use that for more, like, routines and maybe how we did things,” Nagy said. “First of all, I know how much respect that Jaxson has for Patrick. We’ve talked a little bit about the process and what he’s been through, but we’ve also made it clear, you have to be Jaxson Dart. He’s going to do that.”
In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride
Chiefs Draft: Trade-up scenarios for the Chiefs in first round
Scenario 2: trade up to pick No. 4 to select the best edge rusher
What Kansas City gives up: Pick 9 and pick 40 (536 total pts)
What they get: Pick 4, to select Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey, pick 101, and pick 184 (532 total pts)
Similar to last time, the Ohio State linebackers went fast at picks two and three this time, leaving Kansas City with the opportunity to make a move to go up and secure the best pass rusher in the draft in Bailey.
But the asking price from the Tennessee Titans was steep, and the Chiefs were unwilling to give up more than two selections in this draft, which forced them to part ways with their second-round selection. The silver lining is that they received a couple of picks on Day 3 to play around with, balancing the value surrendered to move up.
Evaluation: Rich Hill has this as a pretty even trade on both sides once again, but this time around, John Dixon has the discrepancy slightly more even with the Chiefs giving up 3882 pts of value, and getting 3440 back in return, for a deficit of -440, which equates approximately to pick No. 112.
I know it may not sound like much, but the difference between losing a Day 3 pick in value and a Day 2 selection makes the trade a lot more palatable.
Verdict: Yes. I think Bailey is a unique pass-rush talent.
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