Chiefs draft: ESPN mocks double up on defense with picks 29 and 40

It’s a new era of mock-draft season after the Kansas City Chiefs acquired the 29th-overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft from the Los Angeles Rams at the cost of star cornerback Trent McDuffie. The deal puts an extra emphasis on defense in this upcoming draft, as the team is no longer building the unit with a cornerstone like McDuffie in mind.

In the wake of that news, ESPN NFL draft analyst Jordan Reid authored a two-round mock draft that featured selections for all three picks Kansas City possesses through the first 64 picks.

9. Kansas City Chiefs

Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State

The Chiefs desperately need to give Patrick Mahomes a receiver who can consistently beat man-to-man coverage. Tate is a silky-smooth route runner who has plenty of range as a pass catcher. He also has arguably the best hands in this class, with only one drop on 67 targets last season. He is a three-level threat who displays his polish on all branches of the route tree. While he wasn’t as productive in college, Tate reminds me of DeVonta Smith in body type and how they win routes and could be a similar high-end No. 2 receiver in the NFL.

With the team’s first selection, the selection of Tate, who Arrowhead Pride lead film analyst Caleb James evaluated earlier this week, is set up by an unfavorable circumstance with how the board fell. These were some of the notable picks leading into No. 9:

3. David Bailey, Edge, Texas Tech

4. Rueben Bain Jr., Edge, Miami

5. Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State

7. Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State

8. Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame

So the top shelf of options to address defense with the ninth pick is now bare. In this scenario, it makes sense to boost the offense with a selection, and Tate accomplishes that goal more easily than the alternative pick of Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa.

29. Kansas City Chiefs (from LAR)

Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee

With Trent McDuffie now traded to the Rams and Jaylen Watson entering free agency, the Chiefs have a glaring hole at corner. If we’re going strictly by talent, McCoy is a top-10 prospect in this class. But he hasn’t played a game since 2024, missing all of last season after suffering an ACL tear in January 2025. We’re still not sure where he’s at in his recovery, as he did not participate in testing or drills at the combine. But McCoy is an easy mover who has squeaky-clean technique. All eyes will be on Tennessee’s pro day on March 31, when McCoy is expected to participate in a full workout.

McCoy also shares an alma mater with Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes; both attended Whitehouse High School in Whitehouse, Texas.

40. Kansas City Chiefs

T.J. Parker, Edge, Clemson

The Chiefs have preferred strong, well-put-together defensive ends who understand how to set an edge against the run. Parker provides that along with pass-rush upside and fits the mold of what Kansas City has gravitated toward in the past.

With wide receivers and the secondary addressed, the Chiefs still have the 40th pick to add one of the many intriguing defensive linemen in this year’s draft class. Many of them fit in Kansas City’s defensive scheme, like T.J. Parker from Clemson.

He registered as 6 feet 3 1/2 inches tall and 264 pounds with 33 1/8-inch arms at the Combine, then ran the 40-yard dash in 4.68 seconds with a 10-yard split that tied for the fifth-best time among the edge-rushing prospects.

Production is a key indicator when evaluating defensive linemen entering the NFL, and Parker passes that test, along with being a strong fit and a high-level athlete relative to players built like him.