The Kansas City Chiefs have an outside shot of landing a top edge-rusher with the No. 9 pick in next week’s NFL draft, but considering general manager Brett Veach’s comments Thursday, the team may be considering at a more aggressive strategy.
Veach noted during a pre-draft press conference on April 16 that he expects considerable trade action in Round 1.
In response to his comments, ESPN’s Matt Miller floated a trade pitch between Kansas City and the Arizona Cardinals that would move the Chiefs up to No. 3 overall and secure a shot at Arvell Reese of Ohio State, David Bailey of Texas Tech or Rueben Bain Jr. of Miami: the consensus top tier of pass-rushers in the 2026 class.
Trade picks 9 and 29 for picks 3 and 65. That gets it done. And they’d still have pick 40.
“IF the Chiefs wanted to move up to 3 … trade picks 9 and 29 for picks 3 and 65,” Miller posted to X. “That gets it done. And they’d still have pick 40.”
Chiefs GM Brett Veach Believes Round 1 Will Be Full of Trades
GettyKansas City Chiefs GM Brett Veach.
Veach stated that the draft will be a delightful one for fans because of all the movement he expects.
“I think that the fans will be in for a treat next Thursday,” Veach said. “Because I think the grades are gonna be so close from some of these tackles and [defensive] ends and receivers that a lot of these guys that are mocked high may go a little lower, and a lot of these guys that are getting mocked a little lower may go a little higher.”
“There will probably be a lot of trades,” he continued. “When you don’t have two or three franchise quarterbacks and a Will Anderson or a Myles Garrett, I think it does lend itself to open up to a lot of fun and excitement.”
One can interpret Veach’s comments in several ways regarding what Kansas City might do.
On one hand, if the first-round prospects at OT, DE and WR — all positions of need for the Chiefs — are truly that close, perhaps the team will be content to let the best player fall to them at No. 9 where they can perhaps get value on someone they graded inside the top five.
Another view is that Veach is selling a bill of goods and has a specific player at a specific position in mind that Kansas City wants more than any other. In that case, the Chiefs could be movers who go up the board to land an elite edge-rusher.
Chiefs Most Likely to Trade Up for Pass-Rusher
GettyPass-rusher David Bailey of Texas Tech.
Kansas City also needs a right tackle, and there is considerable depth at that position if not an overwhelming No. 1 prospect (Miami’s Francis Mauigoa is generally regarded as the top OT in this class, though not universally).
The Chiefs are in the same boat at receiver, where OSU’s Carnell Tate is the most likely to come first off the board, though others believe Jordyn Tyson of Arizona State or USC’s Makai Lemon is the best pass-catching prospect.
Considering the players available and Kansas City’s greatest needs, trading down and amassing another early Day 2 pick might be the best path forward.
But a pass-rusher is probably what the Chiefs need most of all, and the gap between those top three prospects and the rest of their peers is arguably the largest of any position.
There is no guarantee that Reese, Bailey or Bain falls to No. 9 overall. So if Kansas City decides it it’s pass-rusher or bust next Thursday, Chiefs fans can reasonably expect some excitement in the form of movement up the board.
Chiefs Draft-Day Trade Pitch Nets Elite Edge After GM Veach’s Comments