Chiefs shore up defense early in draft, give Patrick Mahomes some offensive help in later rounds

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs are either adhering to the well-worn cliche that defense wins championships or they have a whole lot of faith that quarterback Patrick Mahomes can return as good as ever from two torn ligaments in his left knee. The Chiefs loaded up on defense during the NFL draft his week, using their first four selections over the first four rounds on that side of the ball. They traded up in Round 1 to land cornerback Mansoor Delane sixth overall, added defensive tackle Peter Woods later in the first round, grabbed pass rusher R Mason Thomas in the third round and safety Jadon Canady early in the fourth. Those were all positions of need, especially after the Chiefs traded away top cornerback Trent McDuffie and lost fellow starter Jaylen Watson in free agency. But it also left Kansas City without a whole lot of early help for Mahomes and the offense. “I thought it was important that we address the defense,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “I mean, that's an important side of the ball. As much as I love the offense, that's an important side of the ball, and we had some vacancies we need to take care of.” The Chiefs had already filled their biggest offensive hole in free agency, landing former Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker with a three-year, $43.05 million contract. They added a backup in the fifth round of the draft Saturday when they selected Emmett Johnson, who led the Big Ten with 1,451 yards rushing last season at Nebraska. Late in the day, the Chiefs supplemented their wide receiver group by drafting Cincinnati's Cyrus Allen. Yet it was clear from the moment Kansas City packaged three picks in a deal with to move up from No. 9 to No. 6 and grab Delane that the Chiefs were focused on defense. The standout from LSU was widely considered the best cornerback available. Woods should be able to learn alongside perennial Pro Bowl defensive tackle , Thomas should provide some depth on the edge, and Canady should help make up for the loss of safety in free agency. “I truly believe that defense wins championships, let alone with the offense we already have,” Delane said Thursday night. “The league is such a passing league, and everybody wants to score points. I'm here to shut it down.”