With the 2026 NFL draft approaching, Andy Reid finds himself in a position where he will be facing one of the most challenging offseasons ever for the Kansas City Chiefs. Patrick Mahomes has indeed been phenomenal, but people have begun seeing Mahomes as an attempt by the Chiefs to hide their flaws. Reportedly, there are still clear gaps in the roster that need fixing, and with Mahomes coming off a physically demanding season, the pressure is even higher. Right now, the Chiefs’ front office is at a crossroads.

“It’s like the draft after they traded Tyreek, they have to nail it.” Nick Wright said, per Starcade Media. “Patrick Mahomes is not the only reason they’ve been to 5 of 8 Super Bowls. I don’t look at this Chiefs team as having holes all over the place. They desperately need a pass-rusher. They need to acquire a WR or have Rashee get back on track and remake the secondary as a whole. The people that are talking about offensive line are out of their mind.”

Patrick Mahomes once again carried the offense. Still, the offense lacked consistency, especially at wide receiver, where no one managed to cross the 1,000-yard mark. During the 2025 regular season, Hollywood Brown led the group with 49 receptions for 587 yards and 5 touchdowns in 16 games. Rice was right behind him, putting up 53 catches for 571 yards and 5 scores in just 8 games.

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Where Do the Chiefs Still Lack Elite Talent?

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Most draft projections are lining up with Wright’s view. The Chiefs are expected to focus on cornerback, edge rusher, and wide receiver.

The secondary has taken a hit after losing Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson to Los Angeles. Even though they brought in Kader Kohou, cornerback still feels like their biggest need going into the draft, according to the official website of the NFL.

There are already a few names being linked to them. LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane, Miami defensive end Reuben Bain Jr., and Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson have all come up as strong fits. There are also other pass rush options like Zion Young, and many projections are connecting the Chiefs to David Bailey as well.

So while there are definitely some gaps that Andy Reid needs to address, the bigger conversation around this team is only getting louder. Danny Parkins has already shared a bold take on Mahomes and the Chiefs, which just adds more pressure as the draft gets closer.

Danny Parkins says Mahomes is hiding the Chiefs’ weakness

The Kansas City Chiefs had a really tough 2025 season, finishing with a 6-11 record. It was their first time missing the playoffs since 2014.

The season got off to a bad start. They went 0-2 and never really recovered, ending up third in the AFC West. The biggest setback came in Week 15 against the Los Angeles Chargers when Mahomes tore his ACL. That injury ended his season, finishing with over 3,500 yards and 22 touchdowns. He had surgery the next day to fix both his ACL and LCL. Without him, the team clearly struggled and missed the playoffs for the first time since he became the starter.

On April 9 and 10, 2026, the First Things First panel talked about the Chiefs’ future. Analyst Danny Parkins shared a strong opinion.

“If you have the best QB in the world, it’s a great deodorant for a lot of problems on your team,” Danny Parkins said.

He called the roster “subpar top to bottom” and said Mahomes has been covering up bigger issues.

Clearly, there are issues like the departure of key players, including L’Jarius Sneed and Trent McDuffie, weak depth, age issues within his squad, especially with players like tight end Travis Kelce (36) and defensive tackle Chris Jones (31), who were becoming worn out from years of high-level action in numerous Super Bowls.

Moving forward, as we approach the 2026 offseason, all eyes will be on the Chiefs’ ability to address the problems surrounding Mahomes.