Chiefs mock draft projection involves trade for national champion WR originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Kansas City Chiefs don't currently have the most sure-thing receiver room.

The 2026 NFL Draft class is strong at the WR position as usual, and the Chiefs may have a chance to benefit if they play their cards right.

In a new mock draft by ESPN's Peter Schrager on Wednesday, he has the Chiefs landing a first-round wideout, but not in one of their original draft slots.

First, he has them swing a deal with the Dallas Cowboys. Both franchises enter Thursday with two first-round picks, and Schrager has them just swap the pairs.

That would leave Dallas with Nos. 9 and 29, and the Chiefs with 12 and 20.

He then has the Chiefs take Reuben Bain out of Miami with the 12th pick before getting Omar Cooper Jr. at the 20th slot.

Cooper is the national champion wide receiver from Indiana.

"This would be an A-plus first round for the Chiefs, with Bain and then Cooper," Schrager writes. "Patrick Mahomes is coming off a torn ACL, and the receiver room has some issues. Cooper caught 13 touchdowns last season, and I've heard some comps to Deebo Samuel for his toughness and versatility."

MORE: Shedeur Sanders sets the bar for NFL Draft craziness

The pick with which the Chiefs would get Cooper is actually the one that originally went to the Cowboys from the Green Bay Packers in the Micah Parsons trade.

With this mock draft trade, the selection would move again.

The Chiefs could hardly draw up a better first round than Bain and Cooper, as Schrager writes. They'd sure love if Thursday night played out just the way it did in this mock draft by the ESPN insider.

There's a key twist to Kyler Murray's Vikings contract

Travis Kelce's new Chiefs contract has a simple retirement plan

Replacement refs could impact Aaron Rodgers' retirement decision

Browns may have officially won the Travis Hunter trade