Depending on which general manager you listened to on Thursday, you'd think next week's draft might be the most unpredictable in recent history.
Chiefs GM Brett Veach certainly thinks that could be the case.
"I think that the fans will be in for a treat next Thursday because I think some of the grades are going to be close for some of these tackles, D-ends and other receivers," Veach said Thursday. "That a lot of these guys that are mocked high may go a little low and a lot of these guys that are getting mocked lower may go a little higher because they're so close this year and it's not this huge gap and big fall off. Even with the offensive linemen, there's traits that you like and there's some things all these guys need to clean up and work on, but I think that the grades are so close that it'll come down to the scheme fit, the coach's analysis, the vision (and) the fit for these guys.
"I think it should be an entertaining night and there will probably be a lot of trades and that's what I think with a draft like this, when you don't have two or three franchise quarterbacks and a (Texans DE) Will Anderson Jr. or a (Browns DE) Myles Garrett, it does lend itself to open up to a lot of fun and a lot of excitement. From a fans perspective, they should have a lot of fun next Thursday."
Veach finds himself in an uncommon position, selecting inside the top 10 for the first time since Kansas City drafted Patrick Mahomes with the 10th pick of the 2017 draft -- Veach's first as the club's personnel chief. He has needs to fill, too, and could have options depending on how the draft unfolds.
Judging by his Thursday comments, it sounds as if Veach is preparing for any and every possibility.
"I think it's certainly a unique draft. When we were at the combine, I had mentioned that when you have a couple of those positions at the 'non-premium positions' up there being really high, it leads to different paths in regard to what you want to take," Veach explained. "The position we are in, I think we have some talent on our team and our expectation every year is to go out there and try to win our division and make the playoffs and have a chance to compete for a championship. With that being said, there's a lot of areas to improve on our roster, on both sides of the football."
From the outside, it appears as if Veach is handling his own choose-your-own-adventure novel. In the last seven mock drafts published on NFL.com, the Chiefs have been paired with players from three different positions: offensive tackle (Miami's Francis Mauigoa or Utah's Spencer Fano), edge rusher (Miami's Rueben Bain Jr., with one mock requiring a trade up to No. 6) and cornerback (LSU's Mansoor Delane, the consensus top player at the position).
"I think it does open up that No. 9 pick to go in any one direction," Veach continued. "Certainly, we'll see how the first five or six picks go. I think whether it's the defensive back field, the offensive line, edge rusher, receiver, again we need help in all of those areas. I do think that we will be in a position there to get one of those players and then add throughout the course of the draft. I think where we're at with our roster you can't eliminate any one need because there are a lot of them."
Offseason turnover hit the Chiefs harder than some teams, a reality often confronted by perennial contenders. The issue entering 2026, though, is this Kansas City team isn't coming off a deep playoff run. The Chiefs didn't even qualify for the postseason, yet they had their top two corners poached by the Rams (with Veach willingly parting with Trent McDuffie via trade and Jaylen Watson signing a three-year deal), amicably parted with starting right tackle Jawaan Taylor and watched safety Bryan Cook leave for Cincinnati. Of their offseason additions, only one represents a likely upgrade -- Super Bowl LX MVP Kenneth Walker III -- leaving plenty of room for improvement in a world in which the pressure has not decreased.
"I like to think that each year presents a new challenge and when you have Pat (Mahomes), there's that mindset that you always have a chance to go out there and compete for a championship and compete for a division title," Veach said. "The tricky part is trying to maintain that standard, but also keep an eye on the future and knowing that Pat's still going to be here for a long time. We always have to build this thing out and build through the offense and defensive line and that's where it starts."
Veach is ready to strike gold amid the chaos. We'll see if he can return to Kansas City with newfound treasures next weekend.
