Yasir Durant trade helps KC Chiefs maximize young o-line assets

Six months ago, the K.C. Chiefs offensive line was the sort of patchwork effort that needed immediate attention. These days, the Chiefs have so much young talent up front that they’re looking to trade some pieces before the deadline to get some value back before NFL roster cuts are due.

On Monday,  the K.C. Chiefs were able to flip Yasir Durant for a seventh round draft pick with a late night trade with the New England Patriots, per Herbie Teope.

Durant came to the Chiefs as a rookie free agent out of Missouri following the 2020 NFL Draft. He didn’t make the team out of training camp but stuck on the practice squad, which showed the Chiefs saw real long-term potential in him to develop. It didn’t hurt that Durant has a massive frame even compared to other linemen at 6’6′, 330 lbs.

Coming into this season, Durant, who has since slid inside since his tackle-playing days, had an outside shot at becoming a part of the Chiefs rotation as a backup linemen except that general manager Brett Veach went to work and acquired so much talent that those who were promising talents already on the Chiefs were largely crowded out. Durant is not the only one.

The Yasir Durant trade is good for both the Chiefs and Patriots.

With roster cuts due on Tuesday afternoon, the Chiefs were looking at a glut of potential interior linemen. Starters like Joe Thuney, Trey Smith and Creed Humphrey were holding down the top spots, but even after trading Durant, the team still has Austin Blythe, Nick Allegretti, Mike Remmers, Andrew Wylie, Kyle Long, and Laurent Duvernay-Tardif. (Don’t forget they already cut Darryl Williams as well.)

For the Chiefs to get any draft compensation back for a player who was likely ready to hit the waiver wire is a good return, even if it’s only in the seventh round. Remember, Trey Smith was a sixth round pick and the Chiefs have done well with Day 3 finds in recent years. Even more likely, it’s a pick that gives Brett Veach more draft assets to use to move up and down the draft as he sees fit.

That said, this is also a good move for the Patriots. If Durant hits the waiver wire, the Patriots likely felt that a team higher up in the claim order would get him, so swapping a seventh round choice for some immediate help along the o-line—especially someone so young and coachable whose ceiling is still unknown—is a solid move. And the Patriots have a very good track record with coaching up late-round linemen. If Durant even turns into a useful reserve, that’s a well-used seventh round pick.