New Chiefs Trade Proposal Targets Former First-Round Sack Artist

Getty Washington Commanders edge rusher Montez Sweat celebrates a sack in 2020.

The NFL Draft is sometimes referred to as the Super Bowl of the offseason. It’s not just a way to retool for the future though, it’s a way to acquire talented veterans that other franchises could be looking to replace with younger assets.

For a championship contender like the Kansas City Chiefs, a veteran trade is always worth considering, and NFL reporter Kenneth Teape of NFL Analysis Network suggested a new KC trade scenario on April 24 — where they sacrifice draft capital for 26-year-old pass rusher Montez Sweat.

“One situation that [the Chiefs] should be keeping an eye on is with the Washington Commanders,” Teape voiced. “They have a big decision to make in regard to the fifth-year option on Chase Young’s rookie contract. After that, attention will turn to Montez Sweat.”

He went on: “Sweat had his fifth-year option exercised by the team last offseason and he responded with another strong season. He registered 8.0 sacks, 14 tackles for loss and 28 quarterback hits, starting all 17 games. That performance earned him an excellent 86.4 overall grade from PFF.” Below was the proposal:

• Chiefs get Montez Sweat and 2023 No. 215 pick (late sixth rounder).
• Commanders get 2023 Nos. 31 (first) and 134 picks (late fourth rounder).

Why Would the Chiefs Consider Trading 2 Picks for Commanders’ Montez Sweat?

The reasoning — should general manager Brett Veach choose a route like this — is relatively simple. Many consider this to be a weak draft class with somewhere around 20 first-round talents depending on who you ask.

The Chiefs obviously have the 31st pick and may not get a shot at a true high-end prospect if they aren’t willing to trade up. Enter Sweat, a former first-round pass rusher in 2019 who has a proven track record of consistency in this league (five or more sacks and 13 or more quarterback hits in all four NFL seasons, career-high nine sacks in 2020).

Washington’s deep and expensive defensive linemates (Young, Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne) make Sweat expendable, and friendly ties between head coaches Andy Reid and Ron Rivera should help facilitate this discussion.

“For the Chiefs, it feels like a matter of time until they make a trade of some kind,” Teape reasoned. “They have 11 selections in the 2023 NFL Draft, so combining some of those in a trade package would make a lot of sense.”

He added that “there likely won’t be a player available at No. 31 that can have as immediate of an impact as Sweat. He is a great pass rusher and stout defender, evident by his PFF grade. Adding him to replace [Frank] Clark would help take some pressure off of [George] Karlaftis in his rising role and [newcomer Charles] Omenihu on the edge.”

Sweat is set to hit free agency in 2024, so Kansas City would need to lock him up long-term if they make this deal. In the meantime, the sack artist will be playing on a fully guaranteed $11.5 million fifth-year option in 2023 according to Over the Cap. He turns 27 in September.

NFL Draft EDGE Candidates for Chiefs at No. 31 Overall

Let’s say the Chiefs decide to stay put at No. 31 overall, or trade up, below are a few of the options that they could draft instead of trading for someone like Sweat.

Clemson’s Myles Murphy was called the “favorite” for Kansas City at defensive end in round one — per Chiefs media member Nick Jacobs. He was a “consistently productive” collegiate athlete with “excellent size/traits” according to NFL Network scouting expert Lance Zierlein.

Big-bodied defensive lineman Keion White has also been mocked to KC in round one, a player with the ability to move inside on passing downs. Zierlein called White athletic, physical and versatile, but noted that he was still in the “developmental phase” of his career.

Turnover machine Will McDonald IV (Iowa State) and local Kansas State prospect Felix Anudike-Uzomah could also make sense for the Chiefs at their current spot in the order.

Via trade, Georgia’s Nolan Smith could be a viable target too — unlikely to make it to No. 31 — and LSU’s BJ Ojulari is another challenger at the end of round one. The latter has a successful brother (Azeez Ojulari) that is currently playing with the New York Giants.