Not much went right for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2025-26. Just over a year ago, head coach Andy Reid’s team was ramping up for the Super Bowl. Life comes at you fast in the NFL, though, and now the franchise is seeking a bounce-back effort following a 6-11 season.
Over the course of the next few months, multiple positions need addressing on both sides of the ball. On offense, there’s no denying that Kansas City could use help at running back, wide receiver and perhaps even tight end.
Could offensive line be added to that list? That’s exactly the case in a recent 2026 NFL Draft mock simulation, which zeroes in on the tackle spot.
Chiefs Mocked to Add to Tackle Depth With Kadyn Proctor Pick
In a three-round mock for NFL Media, draft analyst Chad Reuter has general manager Brett Veach sticking at pick No. 9. With the selection, he sends Alabama tackle Kadyn Proctor to the Chiefs in a shocking prediction.
Reuter’s logic is the team could benefit from a potential Jawaan Taylor replacement.
“Proctor is a younger, more nimble version of former Chiefs left tackle Orlando Brown, who helped the team win Super Bowl LVII,” Reuter wrote. “If the 6-foot-7, 366-pounder shows excellent athleticism for his size at the NFL Scouting Combine — and Kansas City moves on from penalty-prone veteran Jawaan Taylor — this pick makes a ton of sense.”
Proctor was Iowa’s top-ranked prospect during his recruiting class. The Des Moines native was thrown into the fire at Alabama, playing in 14 games as a freshman. That number dropped to 11 in 2024, only to increase to a career-high 15 this past campaign. Coming off a junior season that landed him All-American honors, he declared for the 2026 NFL Draft.
An NFL-ready frame is no issue for Proctor. He has the size and length to make a difference at the next level, and advanced metrics back up his status as an intriguing prospect. Per Pro Football Focus, he posted an 86.1 overall grade in 2025-26. Among all tackles with 300+ snaps, that ranked fourth.
It’s clear that Proctor packs a punch from the left side of the line. The NFL Mock Draft Database‘s consensus big board has him 19th out of all 2026 prospects.
Assessing Kansas City’s OT Picture This Offseason
In a vacuum, adding a high-upside tackle is never a bad move. When considering what else the Chiefs need, though, it might be. That especially becomes the case given who Reuter has falling off the board after the ninth overall pick.
Miami EDGE Rueben Bain Jr. (11th), Ohio State wideout Carnell Tate (14th) and Arizona State receiver Jordyn Tyson (18th) all make more sense. They’d inject either pass-catching chops or pass-rushing juice into position groups that need it. It also isn’t as if Kansas City doesn’t have a formidable offensive tackle room right now.
As of the publishing of this article, Taylor remains with the Chiefs. There’s ample reason to get out of his deal, as cutting him saves $20 million in salary cap space with just $7.39M in dead money. Even if that happens, the team signed Jaylon Moore an offseason ago. The second year of his two-year pact incurs more dead money ($10.7M) than freed-up room ($7.9M). It isn’t too wise to part ways with, at worst, a swing tackle.
The left side of the line seems solidified. 2025 first-round pick Josh Simmons starred as a rookie, even in limited action. A season-ending wrist injury sends him into the offseason needing to get right, but he was a quality starter when on the field. Behind him, the Chiefs reunited with Esa Pole in-season. He’s a critical developmental piece who’s cost-controlled.
Should the Taylor era end and things go wrong with Moore, the third right tackle might just be Wanya Morris. The 2023 third-round selection is entering a contract year and has over 1,100 blocking reps under his belt. Break-glass-in-case-of-emergency options don’t come much more experienced than that.
All of this is to say that Proctor is a fine player. Given the context of the Chiefs’ needs and the remaining board for Reuter, however, that pick may not be appropriate.
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