Getty Former LSU wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr.
Just two years ago, the Kansas City Chiefs leapfrogged the Buffalo Bills on Day 1 of the NFL Draft to select cornerback Trent McDuffie, who the Bills admittedly would have taken with the 23rd overall selection (they took CB Kaiir Elam with that pick instead).
Now that the Bills have traded away star receiver Stefon Diggs and lost Gabe Davis to free agency, it’s clear that the team needs more receivers. That makes them an obvious favorite to select a pass catcher in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
But could the Chiefs yet again leapfrog their AFC rivals and take a player of interest to Buffalo? Using PFF’s mock draft simulator, I devised a scenario in which the two-time defending Super Bowl champions move in front of the Bills in the draft to select one of this year’s top receiver prospects.
In this mock draft, Kansas City traded the No. 32, No. 131, and No. 159 picks to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for the No. 26 pick. This put the Chiefs one spot ahead of the Arizona Cardinals (via Houston) and two spots ahead of the Bills.
PFFScreenshot of PFF’s mock draft simulator.
With the 26th overall pick, the Chiefs selected LSU receiver Brian Thomas Jr.
Why This Move Would Make Sense for Chiefs
The main reason this move would make sense for Kansas City is the current makeup of its receiver room.
Despite signing Marquise “Hollywood” Brown this offseason, the Chiefs still need a tall field-stretcher who can play along the boundary.
Yes, Brown can challenge defenses deep and play along the boundary. But he does not have the size (5-foot-9, 180 pounds) nor the contract length (one year) to ensure Kansas City has a long-term option that fits those aforementioned needs in the receiver room. Thomas, on the other hand, would fit that mold perfectly given his size (6-foot-3, 209 pounds), speed (4.33 40-yard dash), and what his contract would look like (4-5 years if drafted in the first round).
Adding Thomas to Kansas City’s receiver room would give quarterback Patrick Mahomes his first true X-receiver in the NFL.
Why This Move Wouldn’t Make Sense for Chiefs
The only reason this move wouldn’t make sense for the Chiefs is Thomas could potentially be long gone by the 26th pick.
With teams like the Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Cincinnati Bengals picking in the teens, there’s a good chance that one of those teams or another team could select Thomas.
If that did happen, then the best receivers on the board would be players such as Adonai Mitchell, Troy Franklin, and Ladd McConkey. Though all of those players are very talented and projected to be Day 1 contributors in the NFL, I don’t believe any of them are worth trading up for in the first round.
Based on consensus projections, Thomas won’t be available by pick 26. So, this trade is more of a pipe dream at this point. But it’s nevertheless a fun exercise to see how Kansas City could spoil Buffalo’s hopes yet again during the draft.
The 2024 NFL Draft begins on April 25 in Detroit, Michigan, and will be available to watch on ESPN, ABC, and NFL Network.