Kansas City Chiefs Replace a Top Star in ESPN’s New NFL Mock Draft

ESPN’s latest NFL mock draft points to the Kansas City Chiefs setting up succession plans for one of the greatest players in franchise history. For the first time since Andy Reid took over as head coach of the Chiefs 13 years ago, the team suffered through a losing season in 2025. However, the one bright side to their streak of playoff appearances ending is that the team gets to make a selection in the top 10 of the NFL Draft .

Since the season ended, the franchise has been linked to a variety of elite prospects with its No. 9 pick, including Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love, Ohio State receiver Carnell Tate, and LSU star Mansoor Delane. The latter would make a ton of sense to fill the void left on the edge of the defense after they traded cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams earlier this month.

However, ESPN’s Mel Kiper believes the Chiefs will look to replace a different star from 2025 with the 9th overall pick. “Yes, Travis Kelce is back in Kansas City. But he’s turning 37 next season, and quarterback Patrick Mahomes needs playmakers in this offense.

Kenyon Sadiq is as explosive and versatile as they come,” he wrote in ESPN’s latest NFL mock draft . Will 2026 be Travis Kelce’s final season with the Chiefs? Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images Despite speculation that he might go on a free agent tour this month, Kelce signed a new three-year deal with the Chiefs that could be worth as much as $54.