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TUCSON, ARIZONA - SEPTEMBER 18: Running back Kevin Daniels #22 of the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks scores a 12-yard rushing touchdown past cornerback Treydan Stukes #20 of the Arizona Wildcats during the second half of the NCCAF game at Arizona Stadium on September 18, 2021 in Tucson, Arizona. The Lumberjacks defeated the Wildcats 21-19. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
The Kansas City Chiefs have substantial draft capital in the 2026 NFL Draft after the team decided to trade away All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie to Los Angeles Rams in exchange for the 29th overall pick, in addition to fifth and sixth round picks in this year’s draft and a third rounder in 2027.
With Kansas City’s first pick, #9 overall, the Chiefs are projected to pick one of a small group of players that include edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. and cornerback Mansoor Delane.
But with pick #29, it feels like all bets are off, and analysts are very much split on how general manager Brett Veach and head coach Andy Reid will approach the important early-round selection.
In his final mock draft of this year’s cycle, just one day before the start of the first round of the draft on April 23, NFL Network’s lead draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah made a rather surprising prediction for Kansas City.
Chiefs Could Double up at Secondary in the Draft
Pick no.9 saw them take Delane – far from a shock. But with no.29 he sees the franchise zagging whilst other teams zig and take defensive back Treydan Stukes.
For the majority of the pre-draft process Stukes has not been widely recognized as a clear first round player by the majority of NFL insiders and draft analysts, but late in the process it appears that Jeremiah believes that the Arizona man could make a late surge and climb into the back end of the first round of the draft, with KC being a potential destination.
“There’s been a lot of buzz around Stukes, and I think he has a good chance of going in Round 1.” Jeremiah wrote on Wednesday April 22.
“He can play nickelback or free safety, and a lot of teams believe he could line up outside, too. He’s been very impressive in interviews with teams. There are similarities to Trent McDuffie in terms of intelligence and versatility. Kansas City quickly fills its secondary needs with the additions of Mansoor Delane and Stukes.”
Daniel Jeremiah Mocks Treydan Stukes to the Chiefs
Interestingly, not only does Jeremiah suggest that KC will draft Stukes at #29, but that they will do this in conjunction with the selection of Delane at #9.
Intuitively, for a roster that has immediate needs at edge rusher, the secondary and receiver; and could look to fill likely core 2027 needs at tackle and tight end in this draft; doubling down on one area of the team may not appear to make a lot of sense.
Especially considering that the Chiefs have been very apt at finding and developing high-level corners as late as Day 3 of the draft in the past. Cornerbacks like La’Jarius Snead and Jaylen Watson have become plus-starters and borderline Pro Bowl-caliber players in the NFL after being drafted on Day 3 of their respective drafts in 2020 and 2022.
But at the same time, the secondary is easily the biggest problem area for Kansas City on the roster right now. And adding Delane – the consensus best cornerback in the draft by a mile – and a completely different type of corner/secondary man like Stukes, who in many ways resembles a taller version of the recently-departed McDuffie, might just be the best way to quickly turn around a depleted position group immediately.
Daniel Arwas Daniel Arwas is a sports writer who covers the NFL for Heavy.com. Daniel began his career in sports writing in 2022 and has covered the NFL and college football for Gridiron Heroics and The Hammer. More about Daniel Arwas