With pick No. 40 in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Kansas City Chiefs targeted a defensive end, the team’s biggest position of need, by selecting among a group of worthy edge defenders.
Being familiar with what a Chiefs’ edge defender has looked like most of the last seven seasons, the high-90s fastball pick was one of Zion Young from Missouri or Gabe Jacas from Illinois.
So it felt like general manager Brett Veach caught Chiefs Kingdom looking with the off-speed pitch when R Mason Thomas
from Oklahoma was the name called instead.
Round 2 — Pick 40: R Mason Thomas, defensive end, Oklahoma
It doesn’t take long to start seeing why Thomas is a unique addition to the Chiefs’ defensive line.
The second-round pick is 6 feet 2 inches tall and 241 pounds, instantly becoming the shortest and lightest defensive end listed on the Chiefs’ roster. He has a fifth-percentile arm length (31 5/8 inches) with a second-percentile hand size (8 7/8 inches).
When comparing his athletic-test results to his new teammates, there isn’t a stark difference; in fact, Ashton Gillotte posted better marks in every drill during his pre-draft process.
If that caused any panic, the explanation is that Thomas’ time on the field at the NFL Scouting Combine was marked as a “limited workout (choice; quad). He didn’t re-run the 40-yard dash at his Pro Day, although his jump numbers were recorded there.
He wasn’t able to show off his athleticism in the spring, but there was plenty of time to showcase it in his collegiate career.
Over four seasons at the University of Oklahoma, Thomas totaled 17 sacks and 25.5 tackles for loss with four forced fumbles, the bulk of that coming over the last two seasons as a full-time starter on the edge of the Sooners’ defensive front. In 2025, he was a team captain and earned second-team All-American honors.
The strengths of Thomas’ game
Over the last two years, Thomas lined up wide outside the offensive tackle 90% of the time he was on the field. He did take 79 snaps aligned further inside, over the tackle, but was rarely set up in the B-gap.
Thomas’ burst off the line, combined with his shorter, compact frame, provides some jolting power in his punch, and that is a significant trait to identify when evaluating an undersized edge defender. An explosive, twitched-up edge rusher won’t get far if he can’t find a way to generate the power needed to stand your ground in a gap-disciplined defense.
Of course, that pop is most utilized by him in pass-rush opportunities, and Thomas brings it with a speed-to-power move that can feel unfair to offensive tackles who have to worry about his speed up and around the arc every snap.
And, yes, tackles have to worry about losing the corner on any play.
How he fits with the Chiefs
The Chiefs’ defense should immediately feel an impact from Thomas on pass downs or two-minute drill situations. Kansas City will want Thomas on the field for as many opponents’ pass plays as possible, because he is immediately the most dangerous edge rusher on the team because of the get off.
Defensive ends George Karlaftis and Ashton Gillotte will likely be the starters and lead the way on early downs, but Thomas will live on third down, and should live primarily on the edge in those pass-rush setups.
Of course, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo will get creative, but he shouldn’t overcomplicate it when Thomas’ first step on third and long is enough to mess with a protection or disrupt the pocket. He and George would be the primary edge rushers for Spags’ third-down packages, and the presence of Thomas should also mark the end of the strategy to align defensive tacke Chris Jones on the edge.
He likely won’t complain. Jones has been missing an edge rusher who can aid his pass rush by forcing quarterbacks to step up in the pocket toward him.
Karlaftis doesn’t have the same threat to win the edge into the back of the pocket as Thomas does, but the two can complement each other’s strengths from opposite ends well; a quick win for Thomas around the edge could force the quarterback to scramble into the waters of Karlaftis, the king of the chase-down sack.
The bottom line
Before we know what it looks like on the field, the Chiefs’ selection of Thomas is another strong piece of evidence that the organization is willing to change; it may have just taken a horrific 6-11 season to do so.
So far, that has been easier to see on offense, but Veach is trusting Spagnuolo to weaponize Thomas; he took him at 40 with no third-round selection and a thin room of defensive ends as is. It would be self-sabotage on Veach’s part not to make sure Spagnuolo would be excited about it.
This was my favorite selection of the Chiefs’ three picks so far. With the long, ongoing push to earn more sacks, it’s possible Thomas makes the biggest, most notable difference for the team right away.
