Orlando Brown traded to KC Chiefs in exchange for draft picks

The Kansas City Chiefs have finally found their long-term left tackle of the future by trading their first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft along with other future picks to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for Orlando Brown Jr. and other draft assets.

Brown is now heading to K.C. in exchange for four total picks going from K.C. to Baltimore. The Chiefs will reportedly add two more picks back to their own stable of selections to go alongside the premiere addition of Brown.

With the trade, the Chiefs now put their single biggest pursuit of the offseason behind them. The Chiefs came out of the gate in free agency chasing Trent Williams only to find their advances didn’t work as he re-signed with the San Francisco 49ers. Instead of going with a lower-tier free agent, re-signing someone like Eric Fisher after he recovers from an Achilles injury, or going with a rookie performer, the Chiefs paid for a proven performer and will now have to foot the bill for an expensive contract extension.

The Chiefs went to work at left tackle because they released Fisher shortly after their season ended in a frustrating loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV. With Fisher’s injury in the AFC Championship, an already devastated offensive front was overwhelmed by the Bucs front line. Fisher’s injury added to a long list that also included Mitchell Schwartz, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif (who opted out), Lucas Niang (who also opted out), Kelechi Osemele and more.

This offseason, the Chiefs have already radically remade the offensive line by signing Joe Thuney away from the New England Patriots and luring Kyle Long back out of retirement. The team also signed center Austin Blythe and let Austin Reiter walk in free agency. Niang and Duvernay-Tardif are also back after a year away from the game.

Brown made it clear that he wanted to play left tackle more than he wanted to remain with the Ravens organization, which is why he became expendable in the first place. He’s a dynamic performer at right tackle who played the left side last year in the wake of Ronnie Stanley’s injury but with Stanley returning, Brown wanted to find a new home to play the left side. He will get paid like a left tackle, too, and it’s likely only a matter of time until the Chiefs reach an extension with him.

Brown, who is already a two-time Pro Bowl player at the age of 24, has played in all 48 games in his first three seasons in the league.