The Kansas City Chiefs have two first-round picks tonight, and they're strong contenders to do a significant trade.
The draft-day rumors are flying, and the Kansas City Chiefs are considering trading up from the No. 9 pick, according to a report from Nikhil Mehta of ProFootballRumors.com that referenced Albert Breer of MMQB/SI as well as several other prominent sources.
The Chiefs are widely expected to draft either a pass rusher or a wide receiver, although they’ve also done their homework on offensive tackles, according to the report. Kansas City could elect to stand pat, but there are a lot of possibilities in play.
Moving up would involve GM Brett Veach or Andy Reid falling in love with a specific player, then using one of their other eight selections in this draft or a 2027 pick to get who they want. The report also noted that the Chiefs other first-rounder, which is the No. 29 pick, could allow them to get up as high as No. 3.
But a smaller jump seems more realistic and reasonable. The report had the Chiefs targeting the Cleveland Browns pick at No. 6, which would allow Kansas City to jump the Washington Commanders at No. 7 given that the Commanders are rumored to have their sights set on some of the same positions.
The counter-rumor in this game of draft-day intel comes from Adam Schefter of ESPN, who says the Chiefs are “thinking about moving back just as much as they are thinking about moving up.” The logic with this kind of move is that the Chiefs have a top-heavy salary structure, and they need to beef up their thin overall talent pool in a draft that’s full of potential Day 2 contributors.
The possibility of standing pat also comes with plenty of solid possibilities. Teams like the Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles are drafting behind the Chiefs, so if they’re looking to move up to get a player, Kansas City would be in play as a potential target to get a player or more draft capital. Dan Graziano of ESPN also has the New York Giants and Miami Dolphins being targeted for those teams who are looking to move up.
None of this has a lot of meaning right now given the number of possibilities that are in play, especially with the odds of any one of them happening being basically equal right now. The only thing that is certain is that the Chiefs are one of the stronger possibilities to do a deal, and this is a primary storyline to watch as draft day unfolds.