Kansas City Chiefs GM Brett Veach invested heavily on the defensive side of the ball in the 2026 NFL Draft, giving veteran defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo his dream draft class with three picks in the top-40. Welcome to Chiefs Kingdom, Mansoor Delane, Peter Woods, and R Mason Thomas .
The final results for the Kansas City
Chiefs' 2026 NFL Draft class are in.
There was a clear theme for Chiefs GM Brett Veach in this draft. That was to build the defense into a total juggernaut for Steve Spagnuolo. With Patrick Mahomes
returning from a knee injury, the emphasis needed to be on taking pressure off him. What better way to do that than build up the running game in free agency and rebuild the defense in the draft?
Meet the Chiefs' 2026 NFL Draft class
Round 1, No. 6: LSU CB Mansoor Delane
Key stats and facts about new Chiefs CB Mansoor Delane
Round 1, No. 29: Clemson DT Peter Woods
Key stats and facts about new Chiefs DT Peter Woods
Round 2, No. 40: Oklahoma EDGE R Mason Thomas
Key stats and facts about new Chiefs EDGE R Mason Thomas
Round 4, No. 109: Oregon CB Jadon Canady
Key stats and facts about new Chiefs CB Jadon Canady
Round 5, No. 161: Nebraska RB Emmett Johnson
Key stats and facts about new Chiefs RB Emmett Johnson
Round 5, No. 176: Cincinnati WR Cyrus Allen
Key stats and facts about new Chiefs WR Cyrus Allen
Round 6, No. 249: LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier
Key stats and facts about new Chiefs QB Garrett Nussmeier
Final Word
Delane is a true shutdown cornerback who can erase top receivers and take away a whole side of the field for opposing quarterbacks. He compares favorably to former Chiefs CB Trent McDuffie , both from a physical standpoint and a schematic versatility standpoint . What he's most excited for is the opportunity to learn from a defensive guru like Steve Spagnuolo.
"I couldn't ask for anything better," Delane said. "Just (Defensive Coordinator Steve) Spags (and) the things I hear about him. Being on a Zoom call – I did a Zoom call with him and the defense that he has and the flexibility (that) you could play and you could play ball and I think that's what fits me best. Just the way I play ball with anticipation and knowledge, I think that just fits me great."
2025 Stats:45 total tackles, two interceptions, 11 passes defended, and 14 receptions allowed.
A monster in man coverage in 2025, allowing just six catches, no touchdowns, no penalties, and 28.3 passer rating into his coverage when playing man-to-man.
Woods did not participate in the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine and went through workouts at his pro day while dealing with a minor hamstring injury. He did not participate in the 40-yard dash because of the injury. Make no mistake, though. Woods is a heck of an athlete. He was the No. 5 prospect on Bruce Feldman's annual "Freaks" list for The Athletic .
"This offseason, Woods bench pressed 490 pounds and did 34 reps of 225. He squatted 700 pounds and power cleaned 385. Ran a 4.86s 40-yard dash and vertical jumped 33 inches. Don't be surprised if Woods ends up as a top-5 NFL Draft pick when he leaves Clemson. He's special."
Bruce feldman
The Athletic
At the next level, Woods has a lot to prove after a disappointing college football season. He already has the right mindset, though.
"I'm super excited to be a Chief," Woods said. "But the goal is Super Bowls, rings, being productive, and being the best teammate for my team. And that's what I'm sticking my focus to."
2025 Stats:29 total tackles, 21 stops, 2.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 14 pressures, one forced fumble, and one pass batted.
Woods is a high school legend in Alabama, helping lead Thompson High School to a combined 50-5 record and four straight 7A state championships.
This pick was not on the bingo card because R Mason Thomas is not the prototypical Steve Spagnuolo edge rusher. He's built more like a 3-4 outside linebacker, but he can put his hand in the dirt or rush out of two-point stance all the same. This pick is purely about creating more pressure and sacks against opponents because those were few and far between for the defense in 2025. The Chiefs hope they're getting their own version of Broncos OLB Nik Bonitto , who Thomas looks up to and considers a mentor. He says he even went to Oklahoma because of Bonitto.
"My first time meeting him was around this time last year for their spring game," Thomas said. "And yeah, I've been in contact. I text him about different things to get better."
Now that they're AFC West foes, I'm not too sure how many tips Bonitto will be giving to Thomas.
2025 Stats:26 total tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 28 pressures, 6.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles.
R Mason Thomas earned the nickname "The Closer" for his penchant for closing out games in big moments for Oklahoma.
New Chiefs RBs coach DeMarco Murray (former Sooners RBs coach) assisted in Kansas City's evaluation of Thomas that ultimately led to his selection.
Listed at 5-foot-10.5 and 185 pounds, Canady is a feisty cornerback who will mostly live in the slot for Kansas City (999 career snaps across five seasons). He has some flexibility to play safety in the box as well. Of cornerbacks in this draft class, nobody allowed fewer yards per reception than Canady (6.1). He's a very solid cover guy, who can mirror and match with the best of them. Just look at him lock up the No. 20 overall pick, USC WR Makai Lemon, last November.
2025 Stats:39 total tackles, one tackle for loss, six passes defended, two interceptions, 17 receptions allowed.
A redshirt senior who played at Tulane & Ole Miss before transferring to Oregon in 2025. 42 career starts across five seasons.
Oregon HC Dan Lanning, who is a Kansas City native, told Canady that he wanted him to play for his childhood team ahead of the draft. He got his wish!
Johnson is a shifty and productive ball-carrier who lacks top-end speed, but can do-it-all. He had 1800 scrimmage yards and 15 touchdowns in the Big Ten last season. His hands and ball-handling are elite, boasting just one fumble and one drop in 2025. He's a player where it feels like the lack of speed doesn't matter because he can start, stop, dip, duck, and dodge his way through traffic. Only 8% of his runs failed to produce yardage, which was the lowest rate of any player at the running back position in this draft class.
"I feel like my versatility is special," Johnson told reporters. "I don't have a weakness on the football field, so that's what I am ready for."
Johnson already has a 100-yard rushing performance in Arrowhead Stadium. Nebraska opened the season against Cincinnati in 2025 at Arrowhead, with Johnson carrying the ball 25 times for 108 yards in the 20-17 win.
Listed at 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds, Allen ran 4.47s 40-yard dash at the Cincinnati Pro Day. He's one of the best separators in this draft class and fixes the big problem the Chiefs' wide receivers had in 2025. He can get open against man coverage with 75% success rate in 2025. He wasn't a combine invite, but at the Senior Bowl he was extremely elusive and proved that he belongs. He's not limited to playing in the slot, though that is where he primarily played with the Bearcats.
Another thing to know: He went to Landry-Walker Prep High School in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Chiefs, of course, have a bit of a fetish with players from Louisiana.
"If you go watch these kids practice, I think first off it starts with how they practice. They really work those kids down in Louisiana. They understand what it takes before game time, the preparation, and everything that needs to go into preparing before playing the game. I've watched LSU and Louisiana Tech and I've watched them for 13 years now, nothing's really changed. They practice hard, they prepare, and they understand how to be professionals before game time."
willie davis
Chiefs Senior Personnel Executive
According to "The Beast," Allen dreams of becoming the next Odell Beckham Jr.
He tied the Cincinnati Bearcats single season touchdown record with 13 scores in 2025.
Hasn't won a game in Arrowhead Stadium yet, but he did play against Nebraska in Week 1 of the 2025 College Football Season. He caught five passes for 41 yards in that game.
Listed at 6-foot-1 and 203 pouunds, Nussmeier played in an RPO-heavy offensee at LSU. In 2024, he completed 337 passes for 4,052 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions over 13 games. In 2025, he started just nine games due to an abdominal injury with 194 passes completed for 1,927 yards, 12 touchdowns, and five interceptions. He's 24 years old, but he'll have a real opportunity in Kansas City with Patrick Mahomes still recovering from a knee injury and unlikely to participate in much offseason activity until we get to training camp.
Nussmeier is the first quarterback the Chiefs have taken in the NFL Draft since the team traded up to select Patrick Mahomes in 2017.
Son of Doug Nussmeier, the offensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints .
Some people might not get it, but this has the chance to be one of Brett Veach's best draft classes yet. They targeted defense early, rebuilding the defensive secondary and the pass rush. On Day 3, they took swings on productive players for the newest position coaches, DeMarco Murray and Chad O'Shea.
Round 1, No. 6:Mansoor Delance, CB, LSU
Round 1, No. 29:Peter Woods, DT, Clemson
Round 2, No. 40:R Mason Thomas, DE, Oklahoma
Round 4, No. 109:Jadon Canady, CB Oregon
Round 5, No. 161:Emmett Johnson, RB, Nebraska
Round 5, No. 176:Cyrus Allen, WR, Cincinnati
Round 6, No. 249: Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU
