The Kansas City Chiefs announced on Apr. 25 the selection of wide receiver Cyrus Allen with the No. 176 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Allen joins the Chiefs after a notable collegiate career, most recently at the University of Cincinnati, where he led the Big 12 Conference with 13 touchdown receptions during the 2025 season. He recorded team highs in catches (51) and receiving yards (674), earning Second-Team All-Big 12 honors.
Prior to his time at Cincinnati, Allen played for Louisiana Tech and Texas A&M. Over two seasons at Louisiana Tech, he caught a total of 68 passes for 1,278 yards and eight touchdowns. He then transferred to Texas A&M for one season before finishing his college career at Cincinnati. In total, Allen appeared in 44 games with 36 starts and amassed career totals of 137 receptions for 2,221 yards and scored a combined total of 22 touchdowns.
Allen demonstrated versatility as a receiver throughout his college years by showing an ability to separate against both man-to-man and zone coverages during his final season. Dane Brugler from The Athletic said: “Despite his lack of size, he shows outstanding body control to adjust and frame the football mid-air, and his drops declined each season.” Advanced metrics supported this assessment by highlighting Allen’s separation abilities against various defensive schemes last year.
During his last collegiate season, Allen primarily played out of the slot position on offense but also has experience playing as an outside receiver from previous years. The majority of his snaps—406 out of a total of 430—came from the slot in his final year; however, he lined up outside on most plays during earlier seasons.
Allen grew up in New Orleans where he admired Odell Beckham Jr., according to The Athletic’s Dane Brugler. After beginning as a three-star recruit at Louisiana Tech, Allen now prepares to start his professional journey with Kansas City.
