KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs are in unfamiliar territory. After a stunning 6-11 collapse in 2025, general manager Brett Veach holds the No. 9 overall selection. You have to go back almost a decade to find the Chiefs drafting this high. The franchise is desperate for immediate, day-one contributors, making the Kansas City Chiefs 2026 NFL Draft strategy a massive talking point across the league. With the NFL Combine officially wrapped in Indianapolis, the board is starting to crystallize. The target? A lethal running back or a ferocious edge rusher. Here are four names moving up the war room board.
Jeremiyah Love locked down the RB1 spot in Indianapolis. He stepped onto the Lucas Oil Stadium turf and blazed a 4.36-second 40-yard dash. That kind of speed forces defensive coordinators into panic mode. The Chiefs need explosive plays from the backfield to take the pressure off Patrick Mahomes. Love brings three-down versatility and devastating contact balance. The only problem? He might not make it to No. 9. The Titans are eyeing him at No. 4, and if he vanishes early, Kansas City has zero alternative options worthy of a top-ten selection at the position.
Opposing offenses spent the last few years trying to keep pace with Mahomes in shootouts. Kansas City needs defensive linemen who can end drives late in the fourth quarter. Enter David Bailey. The Texas Tech standout boasts elite burst and a massive frame. He explodes off the line of scrimmage, instantly putting offensive tackles on their heels. While his run defense needs some polishing, his pure pass-rushing traits scream double-digit sacks. Bailey likely goes early, but a slight slip puts him right in Veach’s lap.
Rueben Bain Jr. brings pure violence to the trenches. He racked up 20.5 sacks in his college career and dominated the 2025 College Football Playoff. However, his draft stock took a wild turn last week. Bain’s arms measured a historically short 30 7/8 inches at the Combine. Scouts are sweating over his lack of length against NFL tackles. Despite the physical limitations, Bain consistently wins with a low center of gravity and bone-rattling power. If Kansas City calls his name at nine, Steve Spagnuolo will likely kick him inside on obvious passing downs to exploit slower, heavy-footed guards.
NFL front offices traditionally avoid drafting off-ball linebackers in the top ten. Sonny Styles might force an exception. The Ohio State product tore up the Combine testing, matching Jeremiyah Love with a class-leading 94 overall Next Gen Stats score. Styles covers massive amounts of grass and erases throwing lanes over the middle. If the Chiefs decide to ignore premium positions like offensive tackle or edge rusher, Styles offers the highest floor of any defensive prospect on the board.
“None of the teams seem to be too concerned with it. I will just talk the talk and walk the walk. Nobody is really asking me about it.”
— Rueben Bain Jr., on his Combine arm measurements
Nailing the No. 9 pick dictates the entire AFC West hierarchy for 2026. The Chiefs crashed hard last season, completely missing the postseason while the 14-3 Denver Broncos ran away with the division crown. Veach cannot afford a developmental project. Whether it is Love injecting pure speed into the offense or Bain tearing through the pocket, the rookie must start Week 1. Free agency opens next week, and the front office’s immediate signings will directly telegraph their intentions for April 23 in Pittsburgh.
