The Kansas City Chiefs traded up on NFL draft night and made two picks in Round 1, yet still walked into Day 2 without upgrading the offensive line.
Kansas City dealt pick Nos. 9, 74 and 148 to the Cleveland Browns to jump up three spots to No. 6 and draft cornerback Mansoor Delane as the first DB off the board. The Chiefs stayed home with their second first-round selection and nabbed defensive tackle Peter Woods out of Clemson to address another need along the D-line.
However, it was somewhat surprising that the Chiefs didn’t look to acquire an offensive tackle despite all of the team’s action on Thursday evening.
Todd McShay of The Ringer reported in the days leading up to the draft that head coach Andy Reid was adamant about finding an upgrade there to protect all-world quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who will return at some point early in 2026 off an ACL tear he suffered in Week 15 last December.
“I am told, again on really good authority, Andy Reid is hell-bent … on figuring out this offensive line and protecting a quarterback who is the epicenter of everything that is success,” McShay said.
Kansas City won’t have a chance to take any of the top-tier offensive tackles now, as the top seven who comprised that group (per McShay’s grades) all came off the board inside the first 28 selections in Round 1.
The New England Patriots traded up with the Buffalo Bills to slide into the 28th spot and pick left tackle Caleb Lomu of Utah. Cleveland used the No. 9 selection, which it got from the Chiefs in trade, to select the first OT off the board — Lomu’s college teammate Spencer Fano.
Chiefs Missed Out on Last Top-Tier Tackle in Caleb Lomu by 1 Pick
GettyFormer Utah left tackle Caleb Lomu.
Kansas City still holds pick No. 40 in Round 2, though it is unclear if there will be appropriate value for the team to select an offensive tackle there.
Dane Brugler of The Athletic ranks Northwestern’s Caleb Tiernan as the No. 8 prospect at the tackle position, and has him graded in the Round 2-3 range.
“Tiernan relies on refinement to compensate for his average length and redirect skills, using disciplined hands and poise to execute assignments,” Brugler wrote. “He’ll have swing tackle ability, although his best position long-term might be guard.”
Chiefs Strong Landing Spot for Former Lions LT Taylor Decker
GettyFormer Detroit Lions left tackle Taylor Decker.
Given the uncertainty that any player the Chiefs can draft in Round 2 might prove an impact starter at OT as a rookie, Kansas City is now a strong candidate to sign former Detroit Lions left tackle Taylor Decker in free agency.
Decker is the best player available at the position via free agency or the draft. Detroit granted the 10-year starter and recent Pro Bowler (2024) his release earlier this offseason, cutting short his three-year contract worth $60 million overall, which he signed in July 2024.
Spotrac projects Decker’s market value at more than $42.5 million on a new two-year deal heading into his age-33 campaign.
That should be somewhat concerning for Kansas City, given Decker’s downward trajectory last season — Pro Football Focus ranked him 41st overall out of 89 offensive tackles who saw enough snaps to qualify in 2025.
However, the Chiefs are always in win-now mode in the heart of Mahomes’ prime, which is potentially call enough to take a pricier risk on a player like Decker in an effort to return to playoff/Super Bowl contention immediately in 2026.
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