Brett Veach got Eagles to give up better draft pick than they intended in trade
The Eagles entered the 2025 NFL Draft with four picks in the fifth-round alone, so it’s little surprise that Philly general manager Howie Roseman was ready to part with one in a trade.
As the first round was coming to a close, the Eagles swapped first-round picks with the Chiefs. Because the teams were in Super Bowl LIX, they had the final two choices on the opening night.
Philadelphia sent the No. 32 pick and the 164th overall pick in the fifth round to the Chiefs for the 31st overall pick in the first round.
The Eagles’ Instagram account took viewers into the team’s war room on the first night of the draft, and Roseman was working hard to move up from No. 32.
Roseman called Chiefs general manager Brett Veach and offered up the Eagles’ first-round pick and the 168th and final pick in the fifth round.
“I’m giving you a free pick, you can do whatever you want after it,” Roseman told Veach. “I’m not trading it. If you want to trade it you can. I’m telling you what side (of the ball) I’m picking.”
At some point, that fifth-round pick turned into No. 164 overall, a little better than position than mentioned in the initial call with Veach.
That might have been what led Roseman to say: “I don’t know. I don’t know, Veach.”
Whatever the case, Roseman sweetened the original deal, albeit only slightly, and the teams made the trade. The Eagles selected linebacker Jihaad Campbell, while the Chiefs picked left tackle Josh Simmons.
If you like behind-the-scenes looks at moves being made by NFL teams, then this is for you.
The Chiefs used that 164th pick and a 2026 seventh-round choice to move up to the 156th pick, where they selected linebacker Jeffrey Bassa.
This story was originally published May 7, 2025 at 10:09 AM.
