Getty Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid.
The Kansas City Chiefs could opt to trade up in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft to get a player that is falling on their draft board, similar to what they did in 2022 to acquire cornerback Trent McDuffie.
Sports Illustrated’s NFL insider Albert Breer says the Chiefs are looking to do exactly that and potentially have two players in mind that are worth trading up for.
“The Chiefs are one of the few teams that has already made calls about moving up. And while teams that have talked to them feel like, at least for now, Kansas City is seeing if it can find a discounted way to go up the board, Brett Veach and his crew aren’t doing it for nothing,” Breer wrote on April 24.
“Targets? I’ve heard [Zay] Flowers connected to the Chiefs. (He worked out with Patrick Mahomes in Texas last week.) The other name was [Jahmyr] Gibbs. Now, Andy Reid’s taken one running back in the first round in 24 drafts as a head coach and that one (Clyde Edwards-Helaire) hasn’t really worked out. Still, listening to others talk about Gibbs’s fit with Mahomes and Reid can be convincing. ‘I wouldn’t want to be in the AFC West,’ said one NFC exec, ‘if Gibbs winds up in Kansas City.'”
If the defending Super Bowl champions do stay put at pick 31, Breer says two players to watch are Tennessee wide receiver Jalin Hyatt and Michigan defensive tackle Mazi Smith.
Chiefs Being Linked to Jahmyr Gibbs Is a First
As Albert Breer mentioned, Boston College receiver Zay Flowers worked with Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and other Kansas City players in Texas during the pre-draft process. So, it makes sense that the Chiefs might want to be aggressive and trade up to acquire Flowers, who might have left a good enough impression on Mahomes to the point where the star QB told Kansas City’s front office it should draft him.
But the Chiefs potentially trading up to draft Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs is a unique narrative that has not been heard yet during the pre-draft process.
ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler recently told ESPN Radio’s Dari and Mel that some NFL teams have Gibbs as their top-rated running back, ahead of Texas’ Bijan Robinson. Robinson, despite being a running back, is a surefire first-round pick this year due to his elite physical traits and well-rounded play. So, that would mean that some NFL teams also view Gibbs as a first-round pick. If Breer’s report on the Chiefs is true, then they are one of those teams.
The question that remains is how far the defending Super Bowl champions would have to trade up to acquire either Flowers or Gibbs — if a trade-up is required — and how much it would cost to get there. Though the Chiefs are reportedly already making calls about a potential trade-up, they might wait until the draft begins and players start coming off the board before they officially try to make a move.
Twitter Reacts to Albert Breer’s Report
Twitter users reacted to Albert Breer’s report on the Chiefs.
“Gibbs is an excellent receiver and could probably take a lot of snaps in the slot,” one Twitter user wrote. “I of course would rather see them draft at least 10-15 other players before him. He at least wouldn’t be another CEH.”
“We just saw the Chiefs win a SB with a 7th round rookie as the lead back,” another user wrote. “If anyone thinks Veach’s answer to winning another one is taking a RB in the first round, I want what they’re smoking.”
@ConcernsChief we just saw the Chiefs win a SB with a 7th round rookie as the lead back. if anyone thinks Veach’s answer to winning another one is taking a RB in the first round, I want what they’re smoking
“I don’t like taking a RB early but if you’re gonna do it Gibbs is the guy,” another user wrote.