SMC'S MOCK DRAFT

SMC'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON JAN 9, 2026

9

  • SMC DRAFTING FOR THE
    Chiefs
Draft Selections
Makai Lemon Head Shot
PICK: 13 RND: 1 (KC)
Makai Lemon
WR USC
Kenyon Sadiq Head Shot
PICK: 29 RND: 1 (KC)
Kenyon Sadiq
TE Oregon
Joshua Josephs Head Shot
PICK: 40 RND: 2 (KC)
Joshua Josephs
DE-EDGE Tennessee
Michael Taaffe Head Shot
PICK: 74 RND: 3 (KC)
Michael Taaffe
S Texas
Mikail Kamara Head Shot
PICK: 93 RND: 3 (KC)
Mikail Kamara
DE-EDGE Indiana
Keionte Scott Head Shot
PICK: 109 RND: 4 (KC)
Keionte Scott
CB Miami
Keylan Rutledge Head Shot
PICK: 146 RND: 5 (KC)
Keylan Rutledge
OG Georgia Tech
J'Mari Taylor Head Shot
PICK: 176 RND: 5 (KC)
J'Mari Taylor
RB Virginia
Draft Picks Received
Makai Lemon Head Shot
PICK: 13 RND: 1 (LAR)
Makai Lemon
WR USC
Kenyon Sadiq Head Shot
PICK: 29 RND: 1 (LAR)
Kenyon Sadiq
TE Oregon
Mikail Kamara Head Shot
PICK: 93 RND: 3 (LAR)
Mikail Kamara
DE-EDGE Indiana
Draft Picks Traded
Francis Mauigoa Head Shot
PICK: 9 RND: 1 (LAR)
Francis Mauigoa
OT Miami
Players traded away
Head Shot
Trent McDuffie
CB
Draft Grade — Chiefs
Overall D
ValueB NeedB+ TradesF FutureB-
The Chiefs let Scott fall into their laps, and walked away with a D.

You can lose a draft before you make a pick. The Chiefs did it at the trade table, overpaying to chase players the board did not price nearly as high.

Every board in the league had Kamara lower, and that gap is the story. They will regret leaving quarterback for another day if the season turns on it. They banked enough surplus on Scott to cover a lot of smaller sins.

Add it up and it is a weekend the front office will hope everyone forgets, quarterback very much included.

Pick Analysis
Pick13 Rnd1 Makai Lemon
In the 13th overall pick they get a weapon on the perimeter. The biggest hole, addressed.
Pick29 Rnd1 Kenyon Sadiq
In Round 1, Pick 29 they get a red-zone target to build around, outstanding value to boot. Exactly the need they had to hit.
Pick40 Rnd2 Joshua Josephs
They read the board right and Joshua Josephs was the payoff at No. 40. A need, and now a little less of one.
Pick74 Rnd3 Michael Taaffe
They let Michael Taaffe come to them and pounced at pick 74. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
Pick93 Rnd3 Mikail Kamara
A big swing on Mikail Kamara at the 93rd pick, well ahead of any board in the building. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Pick109 Rnd4 Keionte Scott
They barely believed it either: Keionte Scott still on the board at the Round 4 slot. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
Pick146 Rnd5 Keylan Rutledge
Keylan Rutledge in slot 146 lands just on the right side of the ledger. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Pick176 Rnd5 J'Mari Taylor
Nothing to complain about; J'Mari Taylor went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.