Chiefs are already showing why they felt comfortable not taking a wide receiver early in the 2026 NFL Draft
The Kansas City Chiefs took former Cincinnati wide receiver Cyrus Allen on Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Kansas City Chiefs waited to select a wide receiver in the 2026 NFL Draft. Many thought they would grab one early, but ended up selecting four defensive players to start the draft. It wasn’t until after that that they decided to take a wide receiver in Cyrus Allen.
And, there is a reason they did that. The Chiefs firmly believed in the hire they made. Andy Reid brought in a new wide receivers coach, Chad O’Shea, and he’s completely changed the way players are coached. We know that because we’ve already seen a few clips of him.
“That’s where we need to improve on,” O’Shea yelled at practice. “We have to be great at the top of the routes today. Fundamentals.”
This has been a theme of the offseason—accountability. It’s the one word that was repeated a million times when offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy was brought back. And now it’s used with O’Shea. Nothing against former WR coach Connor Embree, but he didn’t yell at the players or bring the same passion as O’Shea does.
“Eyes, I’ve got to see your eyes,” O’Shea yelled at rookie minicamp, when we got our first taste of what he was about. “This should be a track meet to the pole and then under control. Right there. We came out of it, not under control. Shouldn’t be running through the line. We should be able to catch the ball and turn. Eyes up, coming off the ball… We’re here to work. We’re working right now, coming off the ball. Let’s go! See the defense, looking through the defender. Everything is off the go route. Ball key. See the ball. Hands available.”
New WR Cyrus Allen is another reason KC decided to take one on Day 3
Not many in Chiefs Kingdom knew about Cyrus Allen or his capabilities, and that’s probably because everyone expected a Round 1 or Round 2 WR. However, Allen is a baller, and when you watch his film, you can see tools and traits that the Chiefs can definitely tap into.
Allen is a route runner. He gets open, and honestly, that’s what the Chiefs need most. So many times last season, the wide receivers just weren’t open, and it forced the quarterbacks to make mistakes. They need guys who get open and create space. Not only that, they need a wide receiver who can open up the field for both the run and pass games for Travis Kelce.
Allen has a bit of speed to him, too, that we all know the Chiefs covet. I wouldn’t expect a ton from Allen in his rookie year, given we didn’t see much of Jalen Royals last season. However, once he does get on the field, I’d expect him to make some big plays. They like Allen, and he’s one of the two reasons they felt comfortable passing on a wide receiver on Day 1 or 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft