Projecting Week 1 roles for Kansas City Chiefs’ seven selections in NFL Draft
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Mansoor Delane is expected to fill Trent McDuffie’s Week 1 role as a starter.
- Woods projects as a rotational early-down defensive tackle rather than a Week 1 starter.
- Nussmeier is slated to be the Chiefs’ Week 1 third quarterback on the 53-man roster.
With the Kansas City Chiefs through their annual rookie minicamp, the team now turns its attention to phase two of the offseason — and eventually phase three.
Phase three’s six organized team activity (OTA) sessions begin Tuesday, May 26, with the first practice scheduled to be open to the media Thursday, May 28.
That open session will be the first time media members have the opportunity to see the seven Chiefs draftees practicing among veteran players, so now makes for the perfect opportunity to gauge how they may fit into the team’s Week 1 plans.
Round 1 (No. 6): cornerback Mansoor Delane
When you take a player with a top-6 pick in the NFL Draft, that player needs to be a guaranteed Day 1 starter, especially considering he was the first cornerback off the board. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is historically cautious with rookies, but that can’t matter for Delane.
Based on comments from the Chiefs, they would ideally like to see Delane fill Trent McDuffie’s exact role, where he can seamlessly move inside and outside based upon Spagnuolo’s call. The Chiefs could wait on that as he develops, which is why they were intentional in signing slot cornerback Kader Kohou and drafting Jadon Canady.
The CB battle to watch doesn’t involve Delane; it’s between Kristian Fulton and Nohl Williams.
Week 1: Starting cornerback
Round 1 (No. 29): defensive tackle Peter Woods
The selection of Woods indicates that, in the best-case long-term scenario, the Chiefs can burn fewer snaps for 31-year-old Chris Jones early in the season, saving the best of the six-time All-Pro for important games down the stretch and the postseason.
With the signing of Khyiris Tonga and drafting of Woods, Kansas City has given itself some viable early-down options. Ideally, Omarr Norman-Lott returns healthy, and Woods can come off the field on passing downs as he develops that part of his game. Even if that’s the plan, it’s probably still unlikely Woods will start Week 1. Defensive line coach Joe Cullen will be responsible for getting him there as soon as possible.
Week 1: Rotational early-down defensive tackle
Round 2 (No. 40): defensive end R Mason Thomas
Kansas City threw a bit of a curveball when it selected Thomas in the second round, as he is the lightest and shortest pass rusher general manager Brett Veach has taken in the draft.
The reason the Chiefs went away from the norm is they would like to reintroduce that pure speed rush into their plan, and the benefit for Thomas when it comes to playing time is he may immediately be the best option to do so.
Thomas had 15 1/2 sacks during his final two seasons at Oklahoma. Should that college upside translate quickly, it could lead to a ton of early playing time, even if he wouldn’t be considered a traditional starter.
Week 1: Rotational passing-down defensive end
Round 4 (No. 109): cornerback Jadon Canady
Looking at last year’s defensive snaps, Spagnuolo favored Chamarri Conner in the slot, and he never seemed ready to trust Jaden Hicks as a starting-caliber safety.
Whereas Delane spent most of his time in college outside, Canady spent most of his time inside, where Pro Football Focus graded him as the 10th best cornerback in the country.
Even though Woods and Thomas were taken before him, I see a more instant path to playing time for Canady because of the above points about Conner and Hicks. Spagnuolo would love to see Canady win the nickel job early because of what it could mean for the rest of the defense.
I’m not sure that happens right away, but in the meantime, it gives Dave Toub a four-phase special teams piece.
Week 1: Rotational nickel cornerback with heavy use on special teams
Round 5 (No. 161): running back Emmett Johnson
The one thing Johnson enters his pro career with is time, as the Chiefs took care of their running back room through free agency by signing Kenneth Walker and Emari Demercado.
Those signings will allow Johnson to develop his pass-protection skills, which the team has acknowledged will be an area of growth. Zoning in on Walker’s contract, the Chiefs have a significant cap commitment to him the first two years of his three-year deal. They could move on after 2027.
In Johnson, they have a developmental back who head coach Andy Reid could use in his third-down offense. Johnson also will provide a safety net if Demercado or Brashard Smith were to miss time. Week 1: Developmental running back with occasional passing looks
Round 5 (No. 176): wide receiver Cyrus Allen
Offseason camps are non-contact passing camps, so take this with a grain of salt, but Allen was the most impressive player during the two media looks last weekend at rookie minicamp.
Similar to Canady (on defense), Allen lived in the slot during his final collegiate season at Cincinnati. Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy are the obvious top options, and it’s noteworthy that Tyquan Thornton expressed a desire for more playing time during what became a brief free-agency campaign.
That leaves Allen as competition for second-year receiver Jalen Royals, who couldn’t find the field in 2025. With Allen as the fourth or fifth option Week 1, it would be optimal if he can find a role as one of the team’s kick returners.
He registered 12 returns for 247 yards during his first two college seasons (2022-23) at Louisiana Tech.
Week 1: Fifth option at receiver with occasional three-wide receiver looks; potential kick returner
Round 7 (No. 249): quarterback Garrett Nussmeier
The Chiefs thought Nussmeier’s upside was too good to pass up in Round 7, especially if he can develop into a serviceable backup for Patrick Mahomes over the next calendar year. Though Nussmeier’s ambitious ceiling might be pushing Justin Fields enough to make this year’s QB2 spot a conversation, he fits better as a cost-controlled backup in 2027.
If Mahomes is ready, which we’re growing to expect, the Chiefs may ultimately decide he needs to be on the active 53-man roster to avoid practice-squad poaching. That will make projecting spots 49 to 53 at other positions way more interesting in late August.
Week 1: Third quarterback who is protected on the 53-man roster
This story was originally published May 7, 2026 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Projecting Week 1 roles for Kansas City Chiefs’ seven selections in NFL Draft."
