Chiefs’ biggest need to address in 2026 NFL Draft after failing to find it in free agency

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Chiefs’ biggest need to address in 2026 NFL Draft after failing to find it in free agency

Garrett Kerman, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Sat, Mar 21, 2026 ·

5 min read

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The Kansas City Chiefs entered the 2026 offseason with a dynasty to protect, and a secondary that suddenly resembled a house of cards. After three consecutive Super Bowl appearances and back-to-back championship rings, the Chiefs are now staring at the most significant defensive rebuild of the Andy Reid era.

Free agency came and went without fully plugging the holes, and now Brett Veach must use the ninth overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft to answer the most urgent question surrounding Kansas City 's title defense: who is going to anchor this defense?

The Chiefs have the talent at quarterback, the weaponry at wide receiver, and a revamped backfield. But without a healthy, talented secondary and pass rush, Patrick Mahomes and company could find themselves in shootouts they can't win.

A Secondary Stripped to Its Studs

In less than a week, the Chiefs lost four cornerbacks and safeties who formed the spine of one of the most dominant defenses in football. The crown jewel of the losses was cornerback Trent McDuffie , who was traded to the Los Angeles Rams after the two sides could not agree on a long-term extension. McDuffie was arguably Steve Spagnuolo's best chess piece in coverage, a versatile, instinctive defender who could shadow opposing WR1s and disrupt timing routes at the line of scrimmage.

He wasn't alone walking out the door. Jaylen Watson , the long and physical corner who developed into a reliable starter, also landed with the Rams in what amounted to a wholesale fire sale of Kansas City's 2022 draft class cornerbacks. Safety Bryan Cook , widely regarded as the team's best all-around safety, departed for the Cincinnati Bengals on a three-year deal worth over $40 million, a contract the Chiefs clearly couldn't or wouldn't match. To cap off the bloodletting, Joshua Williams signed with the Tennessee Titans , stripping the secondary of its depth as well as its starters.

The Chiefs did respond in free agency, bringing in safety Alohi Gilman on a three-year, $24.75 million contract and adding cornerback Noah Kohou to compete for the nickel role under Spagnuolo. However, signing a veteran depth piece and a nickel candidate is not the same as replacing a bonafide No. 1 corner and a Pro Bowl-caliber safety. The moves were band-aids on a bullet wound. Kansas City needed a home run in free agency and settled for a bunt single.

The Pass Rush Problem That Won't Go Away

While the secondary bleed was the most visible wound, the Chiefs' edge-rush situation quietly demands equal attention. Kansas City lost Charles Omenihu to free agency and saw other rotational pieces cycle out. Spagnuolo's pressure packages are most lethal when the front four can generate a push without committing extra blitzers, and right now, the Chiefs simply don't have that kind of force off the edge.

That's precisely why Rueben Bain Jr. of Miami has emerged as one of the most compelling fits for the ninth overall pick. At 6-foot-3, Bain combines elite bend, burst, and closing speed that consistently stresses offensive tackles.

Reports out of the NFL Combine confirmed that Bain had a "strong" formal interview with the Chiefs and impressed the organization with his football intelligence, two traits that Brett Veach has historically prized in his draft selections. If Bain slips due to concerns about arm length, Kansas City would be waiting with open arms.

Three Names, One Pick, One Right Answer

The Chiefs don't have the luxury of addressing every hole with their first-round pick, which means the front office must identify the single highest-impact player available at nine. Three names stand above the rest.

Rueben Bain Jr. is the explosive edge rusher who could transform Kansas City's pass rush overnight and give Spagnuolo a new toy to deploy in his creative blitz packages. Caleb Downs , the Ohio State safety, is rated as a top-three overall prospect on multiple consensus big boards — a rare distinction for a non-quarterback, and could fill the Bryan Cook void for the next decade with his elite instincts and sideline-to-sideline range.

Then there's Mansoor Delane of LSU, arguably the most polished cornerback in the entire draft class. Delane finished 2025 with a class-best 96.8 CB Impact Score, and his ability to shadow opposing WR1s mirrors exactly what McDuffie brought to this defense.

All three players would immediately start. All three would immediately elevate this roster. But given that the Chiefs can address corner in later rounds and that a blue-chip safety or pass rusher is harder to find after the first night, Kansas City should strongly consider Bain or Downs when the commissioner's podium is set in April. The dynasty isn't dead, but the window to reinforce it is closing fast, and Pick 9 may be the most important selection Brett Veach has ever made.

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