Taking a look over the Kansas City Chiefs’ 90-man offseason roster and its biggest deficiencies ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Dec 21, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Jalen Royals (11) warms up before a game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium.
Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
The Kansas City Chiefs will add some important pieces to their 90-man offseason roster through the 2026 NFL Draft.
As of Monday, April 13, Brett Veach has a solid foundation to work with, but there’s still more work to be done at the end of the month. The Chiefs currently have 65 players under contract for 2026. They must add at least 25 players to fill out their offseason roster. The Chiefs currently have nine selections in the 2026 NFL Draft, including three as a result of the Trent McDuffie trade and one compensatory pick.
Below you’ll find a quick overview of the 90-man offseason roster as things currently stand. There are plenty of position groups that need some love during the 2026 NFL Draft and undrafted free agency.
The Chiefs already have four quarterbacks in the room, but could they add another?
QB Patrick Mahomes
QB Justin Fields
QB Chris Oladokun
QB Jake Haener
The Chiefs typically roll with four quarterbacks on the 90-man offseason roster. However, with Patrick Mahomes recovering from a knee injury, they might be wise to have an extra body here. They’ve shown quite a bit of interest in Kansas QB Jalon Daniels during the pre-draft process, including a private workout. He was also the only quarterback in attendance for the team’s local pro day.
The Chiefs’ running back room is looking a lot better than it did heading into free agency, but it could still use some depth
RB Kenneth Walker III
RB Emari Demercado
RB Brashard Smith
RB ShunDerrick Powell
Kenneth Walker III and Emari Demercado add a level of explosiveness that the Chiefs lacked at the running back position in 2025. That, combined with Brashard Smith’s continued development, makes for a much more exciting backfield in 2026. That said, the team could still use a few more players here to create some redundancy. In 2025, they had six running backs on the roster post-draft. Maybe they add a player in the draft, but it’s worth noting that Kareem Hunt remains a free agent and could provide quality depth.
Travis Kelce’s return makes 2026 clear, but what about the future at tight end for Kansas City
TE Travis Kelce
TE Noah Gray
TE Jared Wiley
TE Jake Briningstool
TE Tre Watson
Travis Kelce’s return means the Chiefs have a clear No. 1 for the 2026 NFL season, but the future isn’t so clear. Noah Gray’s contract runs through 2027, but another year like 2025, and he might not make it to the final year of his deal. Wiley, Briningstool, and Watson have a lot to prove. A long-term investment at tight end might be a wise choice for Kansas City.
The Chiefs’ wide receiver room also has long-term questions to answer
WR Xavier Worthy
WR Rashee Rice
WR Tyquan Thornton
WR Jalen Royals
WR Nikko Remigio
WR Jason Brownlee
WR Jimmy Holiday
WR Andrew Armstrong
Based on last year’s offseason roster, the Chiefs still need to add around four more players at the wide receiver position via the draft or undrafted free agency. The question is whether the team has a long-term solution at the wide receiver position. They know that Rashee Rice won’t be suspended to start the year, which is a positive. Can he prove that he deserves a long-term contract extension in 2026? Xavier Worthy looked great as a rookie, but shoulder and ankle injuries stunted his growth in 2025. Coaching also might’ve had an impact. Jalen Royals is a major question mark after a virtual redshirt year during his rookie campaign. Tyquan Thornton will also have a lot to prove should he receive the opportunity to do so.
The Chiefs have a good starting point for their offensive line group
OT Josh Simmons
OT Jaylon Moore
OT Wanya Morris
OT Esa Pole
OT Chu Godrick
OT Ethan Driskell
OT Matt Waletzko
OG Trey Smith
OG Kingsley Suamataia
OG C.J. Hanson
OG Mike Caliendo
C Creed Humphrey
C Hunter Nourzad
The Chiefs could probably go into Week 1 with the offensive linemen they have on the roster and make it work. However, the group you start with in Week 1 is rarely the group you end the season with. Kansas City had 14 offensive linemen on its roster after the draft and undrafted free agency in 2025. The offensive tackle group doesn’t exactly have an abundance of proven talent. One question I have: Do the Chiefs have enough confidence in their depth on the interior offensive line? Guys like Hunter Nourzad and C.J. Hanson should surpass a guy like Mike Caliendo in Year 3.
The Chiefs haven’t done enough to help Chris Jones
DT Chris Jones
DT Khyiris Tonga
DT Omarr Norman-Lott
DT Zacch Pickens
DT Marcus Harris
DE George Karlaftis
DE Ashton Gillotte
DE Felix Anudike-Uzomah
DE Ethan Downs
DE Tyreke Smith
The Chiefs’ only offseason addition to the defensive line group has been Khyiris Tonga. It’s a good move, but it’s hardly enough to build up what was a massive weakness for Kansas City in 2025. The team will want to leave some room for guys currently on the roster to grow and make an impression, without sacrificing improvement. On the interior, Mike Pennel, Derrick Nnadi, and Jerry Tillery need to be replaced. At the edge rusher spot, Charles Omenihu and Mike Danna need replacing.
The Chiefs could address the long-term outlook at linebacker
LB Nick Bolton
LB Drue Tranquill
LB Jeffrey Bassa
LB Cooper McDonald
LB Cole Christiansen
LB Brandon George
LB Kam Arnold
The long-term direction of this group is something the Chiefs could address in the 2026 NFL Draft. Leo Chenal is now playing for Washington. Drue Tranquill has one year left in his deal. Nick Bolton’s contract has an out year in 2027. Really, Jeff Bassa is the lone player under contract long-term. Kansas City had nine linebackers on the 90-man offseason roster after the 2025 NFL Draft and undrafted free agency last season.
Will the Chiefs continue to take the budget approach at cornerback?
CB Kristian Fulton
CB Nohl Williams
CB Kader Kohou
CB Kaiir Elam
CB Kevin Knowles
CB Melvin Smith Jr.
The departures of CBs Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson, and Josh Williams leave this position group needing depth. Even with Nohl Williams and Kristian Fulton waiting in the wings as future starters, they need more help. The Kader Kohou and Kaiir Elam additions are closer to lottery tickets than they are a sure thing. Just from a pure numbers standpoint, they need more bodies at cornerback. Last year, they had 12 players rostered in this position group heading into OTAs.
The Kansas City safety group could use a difference-maker
S Alohi Gilman
S Jaden Hicks
S Chamarri Conner
S Chris Roland-Wallace
S Tanner McCalister
This position group lacks a true difference-maker. I’m not seeing an Eric Berry, Tyrann Mathieu, or even a Justin Reid-type for this team as things currently sit. Maybe Alohi Gilman can bring some of that quality, or Jaden Hicks can take a step forward. This spot could absolutely use some draft investment.
Special teams appear to be set, but could the Chiefs benefit from added competition?
LS James Winchester
P Matt Araiza
K Harrison Butker
The Chiefs don’t need any specialists, but I wonder if competition wouldn’t be useful. Matt Araiza benefited from competition in the past, so Harrison Butker might benefit from it, too. Winchester is also the longest-tenured Chief not named Travis Kelce, so having a contingency there might not be such a bad thing. He did get hurt last offseason, but was ultimately fine.
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