Taking a look over the Kansas City Chiefs\u2019 90-man offseason roster and its biggest deficiencies ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/USATSI_27864180-scaled.jpg\")
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDec 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.
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSteve Roberts-Imagn Images<\/p>\n
The Kansas City Chiefs will add some important pieces to their 90-man offseason roster through the 2026 NFL Draft. <\/p>\n
As of Monday, April 13, Brett Veach has a solid foundation to work with, but there\u2019s 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<\/a>, including three as a result of the Trent McDuffie trade and one compensatory pick.<\/p>\n Below you\u2019ll 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.<\/p>\n The Chiefs already have four quarterbacks in the room, but could they add another?<\/p>\n QB Patrick Mahomes<\/p>\n QB Justin Fields<\/p>\n QB Chris Oladokun<\/p>\n QB Jake Haener<\/p>\n 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\u2019ve 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\u2019s local pro day<\/a>. <\/p>\n The Chiefs\u2019 running back room is looking a lot better than it did heading into free agency, but it could still use some depth<\/p>\n RB Kenneth Walker III<\/p>\n RB Emari Demercado<\/p>\n RB Brashard Smith<\/p>\n RB ShunDerrick Powell<\/p>\n 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\u2019s 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\u2019s worth noting that Kareem Hunt remains a free agent and could provide quality depth. <\/p>\n Travis Kelce\u2019s return makes 2026 clear, but what about the future at tight end for Kansas City<\/p>\n TE Travis Kelce<\/p>\n TE Noah Gray<\/p>\n TE Jared Wiley<\/p>\n TE Jake Briningstool<\/p>\n TE Tre Watson<\/p>\n Travis Kelce\u2019s return<\/a> means the Chiefs have a clear No. 1 for the 2026 NFL season, but the future isn\u2019t so clear. Noah Gray\u2019s 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. <\/p>\n The Chiefs\u2019 wide receiver room also has long-term questions to answer<\/p>\n WR Xavier Worthy<\/p>\n WR Rashee Rice<\/p>\n WR Tyquan Thornton<\/p>\n WR Jalen Royals<\/p>\n WR Nikko Remigio<\/p>\n WR Jason Brownlee<\/p>\n WR Jimmy Holiday <\/p>\n WR Andrew Armstrong<\/p>\n Based on last year\u2019s 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\u2019t be suspended to start the year<\/a>, 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\u2019ve 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. <\/p>\n The Chiefs have a good starting point for their offensive line group<\/p>\n OT Josh Simmons<\/p>\n OT Jaylon Moore<\/p>\n OT Wanya Morris<\/p>\n OT Esa Pole<\/p>\n OT Chu Godrick<\/p>\n OT Ethan Driskell<\/p>\n OT Matt Waletzko<\/p>\n OG Trey Smith<\/p>\n OG Kingsley Suamataia<\/p>\n OG C.J. Hanson<\/p>\n OG Mike Caliendo<\/p>\n C Creed Humphrey<\/p>\n C Hunter Nourzad<\/p>\n 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\u2019t 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. <\/p>\n The Chiefs haven\u2019t done enough to help Chris Jones<\/p>\n DT Chris Jones<\/p>\n DT Khyiris Tonga<\/p>\n DT Omarr Norman-Lott<\/p>\n DT Zacch Pickens<\/p>\n DT Marcus Harris<\/p>\n DE George Karlaftis<\/p>\n DE Ashton Gillotte<\/p>\n DE Felix Anudike-Uzomah<\/p>\n DE Ethan Downs<\/p>\n DE Tyreke Smith<\/p>\n The Chiefs\u2019 only offseason addition to the defensive line group has been Khyiris Tonga<\/a>. It\u2019s a good move, but it\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n The Chiefs could address the long-term outlook at linebacker<\/p>\n LB Nick Bolton<\/p>\n LB Drue Tranquill<\/p>\n LB Jeffrey Bassa<\/p>\n LB Cooper McDonald<\/p>\n LB Cole Christiansen<\/p>\n LB Brandon George <\/p>\n LB Kam Arnold<\/p>\n 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n Will the Chiefs continue to take the budget approach at cornerback?<\/p>\n CB Kristian Fulton<\/p>\n CB Nohl Williams<\/p>\n CB Kader Kohou<\/p>\n CB Kaiir Elam<\/p>\n CB Kevin Knowles<\/p>\n CB Melvin Smith Jr.<\/p>\n 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<\/a> 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. <\/p>\n The Kansas City safety group could use a difference-maker<\/p>\n S Alohi Gilman<\/p>\n S Jaden Hicks<\/p>\n S Chamarri Conner<\/p>\n S Chris Roland-Wallace<\/p>\n S Tanner McCalister<\/p>\n This position group lacks a true difference-maker. I\u2019m not seeing an Eric Berry, Tyrann Mathieu, or even a Justin Reid-type for this team as things currently sit. Maybe Alohi Gilman<\/a> can bring some of that quality, or Jaden Hicks can take a step forward. This spot could absolutely use some draft investment. <\/p>\n Special teams appear to be set, but could the Chiefs benefit from added competition?<\/p>\n LS James Winchester<\/p>\n P Matt Araiza<\/p>\n K Harrison Butker<\/p>\n The Chiefs don\u2019t need any specialists, but I wonder if competition wouldn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n \t\t\t Kansas City Chiefs News<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t The Kansas City Chiefs are getting a closer look at Louisville DL Rene Konga, who is rising up 2026 NFL Draft boards after recording some freakish athletic marks at his Pro Day.<\/p>\n 2026 NFL Draft<\/a> Kansas City Chiefs<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Taking a look over the Kansas City Chiefs\u2019 90-man offseason roster and its biggest deficiencies ahead of the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":865669,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2063],"tags":[4955,346,7,118,110,2438,2437,6],"class_list":{"0":"post-865668","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-kansas-city-chiefs","8":"tag-2026-nfl-draft","9":"tag-chiefs","10":"tag-football","11":"tag-kansas-city","12":"tag-kansas-city-chiefs","13":"tag-kansascity","14":"tag-kansascitychiefs","15":"tag-nfl"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116398877459058615","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/865668","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=865668"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/865668\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/865669"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=865668"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=865668"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=865668"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/USATSI_27186061-200x200.jpg\")
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tKansas City Chiefs to get a closer look at freak athlete who is rising on 2026 NFL Draft boards after dominant Pro Day performance\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n