Mel Kiper Jr. questions Chiefs' 2 first-round picks

Mel Kiper Jr. questions Chiefs' 2 first-round picks originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

>The Kansas City Chiefs made aggressive moves during the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.

>Two first-round picks, including a trade up, highlighted a busy night for the Chiefs as they look to bounce back in the season ahead.

>It's just not clear whether they made the ideal moves. ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. wasn't necessarily a fan.

>He couldn't quite get behind their move up from No. 9 to No. 6 to draft LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane.

>"There's a lot to unpack here," Kiper writes. "First, we have to recognize that the Chiefs gave third- and fifth-round picks to Cleveland to move up to No. 6 to even make this pick. I had Delane as the No. 14 prospect on my board, so it feels like a slight reach. It's an aggressive move for a team that hasn't entered a draft with a top-10 pick since 2013."

>2026 NFL DRAFT HQ:Live tracker | Pick-by-pick grades | Best players still available

>Kiper does acknowledge that the Chiefs needed a cornerback but still isn't sure this was the way to do it.

>"But on the other hand, Kansas City had a massive cornerback problem after trading Trent McDuffie and letting Jaylen Watson walk in free agency," Kiper writes. "And with the medical concerns around Jermod McCoy's knee, there wasn't another elite CB1 on the board this year. It was no lock that Delane would be there at No. 9, especially with the Commanders and Saints picking ahead of the Chiefs. Delane is instinctive and has ball-hawking coverage skills (eight interceptions over his career). He is a day one starter. But between the reach and the draft capital headed to the Browns, I'm not sure this was the savviest move."

>BEST DRAFT NAMES: Ephesians Prysock | R Mason Thomas | DeVonta Smith | Zxavian Harris

>As far as Peter Woods at No. 29? Kiper thinks the Chiefs could've used that pick more wisely, too.

>"(UW WR) Denzel Boston and Missouri edge rusher Zion Young were the two best players on the board at that point, and they both would have hit needs," Kiper writes. "Instead Kansas City rolled the dice on an interior lineman whose 2025 production (two sacks) didn't match his talent. If defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo can coach him up, maybe this looks great in a few years. But I saw more consistent prospects at positions of need sitting there for the taking."

>Kiper isn't always right, but these aren't the best reviews on what the Chiefs did on night one of the draft.

More NFL Draft news:Chiefs make a shocking draft trade • >Commanders get Sonny Styles after historic NFL Draft Combine • >Steelers' 1st-round pick didn't play football until college • >Eagles and Cowboys have made a trade like this before • >Browns' pick is really about Shedeur Sanders' replacement