If you asked most anyone outside of Colorado before the start of last season who would win the AFC West, not many would have picked the Denver Broncos. If you had asked any football fan who would finish third in the division, almost no one would have said the Kansas City Chiefs. If you said that they would eventually finish 6-11 with a top-ten draft selection, no one would have believed you.
Despite that, the Broncos won the West at a staggering 14-3, while the Chiefs slipped to 6-11 and ended the season in an absolute free fall. Their roster is generally viewed as one of the worst in the league, and the impending rehab of quarterback Patrick Mahomes' knee provides no clarity for the future of the team. The only thing the Chiefs absolutely have going for them is the ninth pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, which represents the potential for a new generation of the Mahomes Chiefs.
The Chiefs have a slew of holes on their roster: their offensive line is mediocre at best, even considering how good center Creed Humphrey is; they lost two of their best corners in the offseason; the pass rush is brutal outside of George Karlaftis; and they have almost no depth across the defense.
Signing running back Kenneth Walker III will help the offense. Still, in a division that is about to have Fernando Mendoza, Bo Nix, and Justin Herbert competing for the top quarterback spot, there should be a clear priority at ninth overall in the draft. A recent mock draft would have the Chiefs completely ignore the defense in the top ten, and it would be beautiful for the Broncos.
This mock draft selection for the Kansas City Chiefs would be a dream scenario for the Denver Broncos
In Mel Kiper's most recent mock draft for ESPN, the Chiefs are mocked to select Arizona WR Jordyn Tyson, a move that would be incredible for the Broncos. Tyson is an incredible talent, no doubt, but has struggled to stay on the field during his time in college, and that is not a trait that typically goes away when going from the college game to the pros.
He missed five games over the past two seasons after tearing his ACL, MCL, and PCL as a freshman in 2023, limiting him to just three games. In total, Tyson played just 33 games over four years in college, only playing ten or more games once (2024). The Chiefs have an incredible chance to begin revamping their roster around the back-half of Mahomes' Hall of Fame career, and selecting an injury-prone player at a non-need position would be a brutal misstep.
Their receiver group isn't great, but it is far from the biggest reason they crashed back to reality in 2025. Rashee Rice had off-the-field issues, and Xavier Worthy has not progressed as much as they would have liked, but the group was far from the Chiefs' biggest reason Kansas City missed the playoffs.
The Chiefs selecting a wide receiver, who they would likely treat as their third wide receiver at best, while ignoring the corner and defensive line spots, would be a major win for the Broncos. The Chiefs absolutely need to crush this draft, and a misstep such as this one would be a great sign for the Broncos.
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