Could Kansas City Chiefs swing a draft-day deal? These three national experts think so
The Kansas City Chiefs will enter the NFL Draft later this month as one of eight teams with two first-round picks, and they’re tied with Jacksonville with the most overall choices at 12.
Although their roster has changed since last season, this is a team that has played host to the last four AFC Championship Games, so they’re retooling, not rebuilding. The Chiefs likely don’t need a dozen picks.
Could they package draft picks to move up in the draft, which is April 28-30 in Las Vegas? Three national NFL writers believe that could happen.
Here’s a closer look at what’s being said about the Chiefs, who have the 29th and 30th overall picks in the first round.
Pro Football Focus’ Trevor Sikkema wrote a story with six draft-day trades he’d love to see.
One of those deals involves the Chiefs (or Packers) trading a first-round pick for Seahawks wide receiver D.K. Metcalf.
This is an excerpt from that story: “The Seattle Seahawks said they don’t intend to trade D.K. Metcalf, but they said the same about quarterback Russell Wilson, now a Denver Bronco. Reports suggest Metcalf could be had for the right price. Both the Chiefs and Packers have an additional first-round pick for losing their former receivers. Seahawks fans would tell you that’s not enough, and maybe it’s not — but I don’t think either team will pay more than that. But given that Metcalf is in the final year of his rookie deal and whoever trades for him will have to pay him handsomely shortly after, maybe both sides can reach a fair agreement.”
ESPN’s Todd McShay was on “Get Up” and said the Chiefs’ abundance of picks makes them a natural choice to move up in the first round.
“So you’re telling me Kansas City needs 12 picks? They don’t have room for 12 guys to come in and compete for spots,” McShay said. “I think you get aggressive. They now have picks 29 and 30, package some other picks, additional picks you have in later rounds, go up and get the receiver you need. (Alabama’s) Jameson Williams is the closest thing to Tyreek Hill in this draft and with the speed not only vertically, but also after the catch he will give you that that big-play element that they’re going to miss without Tyreek Hill. So it makes sense to me.
“And if you sit there 29, all the other receivers, Jameson Williams will be off the board, Jahan Dotson from Penn State will be gone, you’ve get teams at Green Bay, Tennessee in front of you that need wide receivers. I think Christian Watson from North Dakota State would probably be the best-case scenario if you sit at 29 Why not package those additional picks? Go up and get a difference-maker.
“Yeah, you may lose the first month of the season because he’s coming off that ACL injury but when he gets healthy and he gets right, come late in a late season playoff run, you’re gonna have a dynamic difference-maker and when he was healthy, he was the No. 1 receiver in this class and I had him as a No. 6 overall prospect.”
Chad Reuter of NFL.com wrote about six first-round draft trades that he believes would make sense.
In this story, the Chiefs would trade both of their first-round picks (Nos. 29 and 30) to the Baltimore Ravens for the 14th overall pick and No. 110 in the fourth round.
Here is part of what Reuter wrote: “Even after signing Marquez Valdes-Scantling and JuJu Smith-Schuster, Reid and GM Brett Veach may have interest in adding a speedy receiver like (Ohio State’s Garrett) Wilson or Williams to the mix. With further needs at edge rusher and cornerback, Kansas City could make this deal well in advance of the draft with the knowledge it will gain a true first-round talent at one of those spots, regardless of how the first 14 picks shake out.”
Bonus: Moving down
Peter Schrager shared his mock draft on “Good Morning Football” on the NFL Network and he had the Chiefs moving down with one of their two first-round picks.
Schrager has the Chiefs sending the 30th pick to the Seahawks, but he didn’t share any details what a trade would entail.
This story was originally published April 7, 2022 at 9:30 AM.
