The Browns needed one question answered before making draft-day trade with Chiefs
After the Chiefs traded up in the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday night, there were football observers who believed general manager Brett Veach got “hoodwinked by the Browns” or “head-faked by Washington.”
But the truth is Veach was worried about the Saints taking LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane before the Chiefs. That’s why Veach traded the ninth overall pick, along with third- and fifth-round choices, to the Browns for the right to pick at No. 6.
Two national NFL writers shared the inside story of how that deal came to fruition.
When Veach called, Browns general manager Andrew Berry needed an answer to a question before talking details, Yahoo Sports’ Jori Epstein reported. Were the Chiefs looking to draft an offensive lineman?
Veach said no and then agreed to send those three draft picks to Cleveland, which was looking to take an offensive tackle. That deal ensured the Chiefs would land Delane.
“There’s a lot of trust between the two front offices, which always helps with these trade conversations,” Berry told Epstein. “We felt like we were able to move down from six to nine, get one of our top three targets … (and) pick up some extra draft capital that we could both use and deploy to maneuver around the board.”
Some social-media “insiders” believed the Chiefs made the deal with Cleveland thinking they could get Ohio State pass-rusher Arvell Reese, but the Giants scuttled those plans.
However, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported the Chiefs ironed out trade details after the Giants selected Reese at No. 5.
“As Veach saw it, and after asking around and working with his analytics folks, that basically meant they weren’t getting into the top five,” Breer wrote. “As such, the Chiefs saw four players as likely out of play for them— (QB Fernando) Mendoza, (RB Jeremiyah) Love, Reese and Texas Tech rusher David Bailey. From there, the idea of ensuring they’d get LSU corner Mansoor Delane started to crystallize. ...
“Veach saw above him ... two teams that would be in play to ruin his night. The Commanders needed corner help, but Berry thought they’d lean receiver first. He figured the opposite with the Saints, who lost Paulson Adebo last year and Alontae Taylor this year. Either way, both teams were an issue, and the analytics folks told Veach that Delane’s likely destination was New Orleans.”
And that’s why Veach swooped in and made the deal for Delane.
