The Kansas City Chiefs are in unfamiliar territory. After a Week 14 loss dropped them to 6-7, the reigning AFC powerhouse finds itself on the outside looking in when it comes to the postseason picture. And with the odds of a playoff berth sitting at just 15%, fans in Kansas City might want to start paying closer attention to something they haven’t had to worry about in years: the NFL Draft.
If the season ended today, the Chiefs would hold the 14th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft - their highest selection since Patrick Mahomes became the face of the franchise. That’s a sentence few thought they'd be reading in December. But here we are.
To put it in perspective, Kansas City hasn’t had a non-playoff draft slot since 2017 - the year they traded up with Buffalo to land a quarterback named Mahomes with the 10th overall pick. That move changed the course of the franchise. Now, with a top-18 pick all but guaranteed, they’re in position once again to add a premium piece to the puzzle.
Let’s take a quick look at where they stand in the current draft order:
2026 NFL Draft Order (Top 15, post-Week 14): 1.
Giants (2-11)
2.
Raiders (2-11)
3.
Titans (2-11)
4.
Browns (3-10)
5.
Saints (3-10)
6.
Commanders (3-10)
7.
Jets (3-10)
8.
Cardinals (3-10)
9.
Rams (via Falcons, 4-9)
10.
Bengals (4-9)
11.
Vikings (5-8)
12.
Dolphins (6-7)
13.
Ravens (6-7)
14.
Chiefs (6-7)
15.
Cowboys (6-6-1)
So yes, the Chiefs currently sit at No. 14 - a spot that could net them a true difference-maker. Whether they use that pick to draft a young talent or flip it for a proven veteran remains to be seen, but either way, it’s a rare opportunity for a team that’s spent the better part of the last decade picking near the bottom of the first round.
It’s a strange feeling, no doubt. Since Mahomes took over as starter, the Chiefs have been perennial Super Bowl contenders.
Even in the Alex Smith era before him, Kansas City was a regular in the playoff mix. But this season has been a different story.
Between offensive inconsistencies, a few uncharacteristic mistakes, and a tougher AFC landscape, the Chiefs haven’t looked like the juggernaut we’re used to seeing.
Still, this isn’t a death sentence - far from it. Sometimes, a reset in the form of a top-15 draft pick is exactly what a team needs to reload. And with Mahomes still very much in his prime, the Chiefs have a window that’s wide open - they just need to retool around their franchise cornerstone.
There’s still time for things to shift over the final stretch of the season, but unless Kansas City goes on a run and gets some help, that top-18 pick is likely to stick. What they do with it could shape the next chapter of the Mahomes era.
For now, the focus turns to the future - not something Chiefs fans are used to doing in December. But with the right move in April, that unfamiliar feeling could quickly become the start of another championship run.