The Kansas City Chiefs have now made all seven selections in the 2026 NFL Draft!
The Chiefs took LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier with pick No. 249 in the seventh round. We have insta-grades from two members of the Arrowhead Pride Draft Team.
Caleb James
At one point in the draft process, Nussmeier was seen as one of the top quarterbacks in the draft, but medical concerns caused him to drop all the way to the seventh round.
The Chiefs taking him in this situation signifies the internal need to develop a future
backup for Patrick Mahomes, and it is the first time in the Mahomes era that the team has drafted a quarterback.
It is unlikely that he will play, or even dress, in 2026, but he has the traits and tools needed for Andy Reid to groom into a quality backup, and potential trade bait in the future.
An aggressive player, not afraid to throw the ball deep, he will have plenty of developing to do before he can step foot on an NFL field, but he is in the perfect atmosphere to do it.
Grade: A
Rocky Magana
With Mahomes recovering from a torn ACL, the Chiefs have a definite need for a camp body to take snaps with the offense. But Nussmeier is more than that. He is a guy who could actually push Justin Fields for the backup job.
That being said, we all know Andy Reid will always go with the veteran over the rookie. Better the devil you know than the one you don’t, and all of that.
There is also the medical concern with Nussmeier. He dealt with a spinal cyst all of 2025, but if the Chiefs feel they have a treatment plan in place for him in case the cyst returns, then this pick actually makes a lot of sense. While it may not actually fill an in-season need for this team, he fills an important offseason need to get this team ready for their 2026 campaign.
Grade: A-
