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Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes will be the centerpiece of the Chiefs second dynasty.
The Kansas City Chiefs are working through some internal conflict on how to best utilize their top assets in the NFL draft, with the ongoing injury and rehabilitation of quarterback Patrick Mahomes at the center of the discussion.
Head coach Andy Reid offered an update on Mahomes’ health status on Monday, April 21, three days before the Chiefs go on the clock at No. 9 overall, followed by No. 29 late in Round 1 and No. 40 in early Round 2 on Friday.
“He goes to meetings, he can lift,” Reid said, per Pro Football Talk. “That’s the phase he is in right now, so we will just see. [We’ll] play it by ear and see where he is at.”
“He’s doing great,” Reid continued, “but we just have to be smart with this thing.”
Andy Reid Badly Wants Chiefs to Select Offensive Lineman With Top-10 Pick in NFL Draft
GettyKansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid.
The three-time Super Bowl-winning coach is also concerned about being smart with regards to the draft, which insider Todd McShay of the Ringer said recently involves securing a starter at offensive tackle.
“I am told, again on really good authority, Andy Reid is hell-bent … on figuring out this offensive line and protecting a quarterback who is the epicenter of everything that is success,” McShay said.
However, McShay added that Chiefs general manager Brett Veach might move up to the No. 3 pick via a trade with the Arizona Cardinals, who are looking to move out of that spot, and/or otherwise consider taking an edge-rusher wherever Kansas City makes its first selection.
McShay didn’t imply there is any unhealthy back-and-forth happening between the top figures in the Chiefs’ front office and on its coaching staff, but the differing points of view create an interesting juxtaposition within the organization about what the best way to rebuild the dynasty is after Kansas City’s first losing season since 2012.
McShay said NFL executives he’s talking with expect a run at offensive tackle to begin somewhere in the teens and continue through the mid-20s. That might mean if the Chiefs don’t go Reid’s preferred route with their first pick, they could miss out on fortifying a position the head coach believes is crucial to Mahomes’ success, and the success of the team, in 2026 and beyond.
NFL Insider Predicts Chiefs to Select Wide Receiver or Pass-Rusher With No. 9 Pick in NFL Draft
GettyWide receiver Jordyn Tyson of Arizona State.
Peter Schrager of ESPN, a longtime league insider, predicted on Monday that Kansas City will not go with an offensive lineman inside the top 10.
“I don’t think they go [Kenyon] Sadiq, the tight end, I don’t they go offensive line at nine,” Schrager said. “I think the Chiefs are one of the wide receivers or one of the pass-rushers, if they fall. And then [safety] Caleb Downs and [cornerback] Mansoor Delane if they’re on the board — possibilities as well.”
Wideouts potentially in play for Kansas City include Carnell Tate of Ohio State, Jordyn Tyson of Arizona State and Makai Lemon of USC. It is far from a guarantee that any of the top three edge-rushers — Arvell Reese of Ohio State, David Bailey of Texas Tech and Rueben Bain Jr. of Miami — will still be available when the Chiefs go on the clock at No. 9.
Max Dible covers the NFL, NBA and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns. He covered local and statewide news as a reporter for West Hawaii Today and served as news director for BigIslandNow.com and Pacific Media Group’s family of Big Island radio stations before joining Heavy. More about Max Dible
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