Chiefs' Ideal Two First-Round Picks Address Secondary, Defensive Line Concerns

After the Kansas City Chiefs signed the reigning Super Bowl Most Valuable Player and former Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III to kick off free agency, the team must shift its attention to shoring up both the offensive and defensive lines as well as the secondary. The Chiefs had a horrible season in 2025, but when you think about just how dominant Kansas City has been over the past decade, the season was truly below the team’s standards. And it’s not like the Chiefs were having a good season and then quarterback Patrick Mahomes goes down and then it missed the playoffs; Kansas City was having a bad season long before Mahomes suffered two torn ligaments in his left knee in Week 15.

Adding Walker is a huge step in the right direction, as what plagued the Chiefs offensively was the lack of explosiveness from the running game. Kareem Hunt (free agent) and Isiah Pacheco (Detroit Lions) provided no such burst during the season, and over the last two campaigns, the Chiefs have been the worst team in terms of explosive run rate (worst in 2025, third-worst in 2024). Kansas City was so bad in that department that it was the worst mark of any offense over the past 25 years.

Walker is known for his burst and explosiveness while also being a threat to catch a pass out of the backfield, and this pairing is a match made in heaven. Now Kansas City can set its sights on improving at other positions. With free agency dying down and most of the top players at each position signed, it’s becoming more likely that the Chiefs opt to fill roster holes during the National Football League draft.

The main positions that need to be addressed are right tackle, cornerback and edge. Former Chiefs right tackle Jawaan Taylor was cut to save $20 million in salary cap space during the offseason, a move that wasn’t a surprise for several reasons. He was good in protection but was the most penalized at the position and the Chiefs needed cap space.