Mel Kiper Jr. reveals how Chiefs will use 2 first-round picks in 2026 NFL Draft

The Kansas City Chiefs are in a rare position for a couple of different reasons as they enter the 2026 NFL Draft.

Not only are they picking in the top-10 -- No. 9, to be exact -- they also have two first-round picks. It's a big chance for them to make a couple of upgrades and bounce back from a brutal season.

ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. unveiled his latest mock draft on Tuesday, which gives a lens into what the Chiefs might do.

MORE: Why the Kansas City Chiefs traded for Justin Fields

Mel Kiper Jr. on Chiefs' No. 9 pick

First, Kiper has the Chiefs go pass rush with the ninth pick, taking Rueben Bain Jr. out of Miami.

"After trading Trent McDuffie and losing Jaylen Watson in free agency, cornerback need some repairsm" Kiper writes. "LSU's Mansoor Delane and Tennessee's Jermod McCoy have to be considerations here. But remember, the Chiefs now have two first-round picks. And Bain would be very tough to pass up at this spot. Despite 30⅞-inch arms that caused quite the stir at the combine, Bain is dominant off the edge. He simply finds ways to get to the QB, whether it's with his speed, power or savviness. He had 71 pressures last season en route to 9.5 sacks and 18.5 tackles for loss."

Bain was a game-changer for the Hurricanes in the College Football Playoff.

The Chiefs would hope he can do similarly in the NFL.

Mel Kiper Jr. on Chiefs' No. 29 pick

The Chiefs got the 29th pick from the Rams when they traded away cornerback Trent McDuffie.

Kiper has them using it to find a replacement with Brandon Cisse, a CB out of South Carolina.

"I teased it earlier, but the Chiefs can't really afford to leave Round 1 without a cornerback," Kiper writes. "I had them going with Rueben Bain Jr. at No. 9, but this pick then has to be about the cornerbacks room, as Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson and Joshua Williams are all gone. Kansas City has signed only Kader Kohou so far to replenish the position. Cisse showed off his explosiveness at the combine, jumping 41 inches in the vertical. He anticipates and closes well, with 12 pass breakups over the past two seasons. He could slide right in to the starting lineup."

It's definitely a position of need, and an easy one to expect the Chiefs to address early in the draft, with two potential chances to do so in the first round.

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