The Las Vegas Raiders were able to take a big step in the right direction on Thursday. They made things official by selecting Fernando Mendoza No. 1 overall in a move that the entire NFL world saw coming for several months.
They were not the only AFC West team to improve on the first day of the draft, however. While the Los Angeles Chargers curiously selected Akheem Mesidor in a move that ignored their key needs, the Kansas City Chiefs were among the biggest winners of the day.
Kansas City began the draft by using a third- and fifth-round pick to move up three spots and grab Mansoor Delane, followed by selecting Peter Woods with their second first-round pick. After a down year, Kansas City has retooled and once again has the look of one of the league's toughest teams.
Las Vegas Raiders have to deal with an improved Kansas City Chiefs team going forward
The Chiefs had a rare down year in 2025, finishing 6-11 and missing the postseason for the first time since 2014. While Patrick Mahomes played 14 of those games before suffering a torn ACL, there was hardly any doubt that Kansas City would bounce back when he recovered.
Anyone who was in the camp that the Chiefs would repeat last season's struggles should feel a lot less confident following the first day of the draft. While they likely didn't need to move up to land Delane, Kansas City was in a position that not many teams selecting in the top-ten find themselves in.
Just one year removed from a Super Bowl appearance and two years removed from back-to-back titles, the organization remains in win-now mode despite landing a top pick. That encouraged general manager Brett Veach to get aggressive in ensuring that he landed the draft's top cornerback.
Upgrading the cornerback room figured to be his top priority after trading Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams and losing Jaylen Watson in free agency. The Chiefs made sure they would do exactly that, even if it cost them two additional picks.
They later added Woods, who will get to play alongside one of the league's top defensive tackles in Chris Jones. That move should help improve a pass rush that tied for the seventh-fewest sacks last season. Those are two tough matchups for new Raiders center Tyler Linderbaum.
While Kansas City's defense was elite in 2025, finishing sixth in scoring and tenth in total yards allowed, it did lose key pieces this offseason. Their moves to navigate the first day of the draft should help that unit remain among the league's best.
Of course, they will ultimately go as far as Mahomes takes them, and his injury recovery looms large. Still, their moves on Thursday ensured that the Raiders will continue to have a tough opponent to deal with twice a year in the AFC West, at least on that side of the ball.
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