KC Chiefs: Exploring a trade for Jaguars pass rusher Josh Allen

The Kansas City Chiefs will have plenty of options this spring to try and replenish a defensive line that struggled to bring down the quarterback in 2021. Despite being one of the top teams in generating pressure this past season, the Chiefs ranked 30th in the league in actual sacks. The pass rush ultimately failed them when it mattered, and when they went up against the Cincinnati Bengals they were only able to bring down Joe Burrow one time while the Tennessee Titans and Los Angeles Rams brought him down a combined 16 times.

In order to fix some of the issues on the defensive line, the Chiefs will need to add youth and athleticism to their pass rush. When 32-year-old Melvin Ingram, who was acquired for a 6th round pick, is your best and most athletic defensive end, that’s a problem.

Luckily, there are a lot of options out there in both free agency and the draft to try and improve the position group. However, maybe there’s even a trade out there for a stud pass rusher who would be worth sacrificing draft capital?

Could the KC Chiefs trade for Jaguars DE Josh Allen?

One player who could pique the interest of Chiefs fans is Jaguars defensive end Josh Allen. Allen had 7.5 sacks along with 71 total tackles and 12 TFLs for Jacksonville this past season. He was the 7th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft and has been one of the better young talents at the edge position since entering the league.

Why would Jacksonville trade him? Well, Allen had been in trade rumors back at the most recent NFL trade deadline when dysfunction in Jacksonville was at an all-time high and the Jaguars may be going through a soft reset with its new regime. If the Chiefs offer a good enough package, they could pry away the young star from the Jaguars especially if Allen might see himself elsewhere long-term.

Obviously, the elephant in the room is what about the draft picks? What would it take to get him and would it be worth it? Allen would likely take a first-round pick to acquire given he is not far removed from being a first-round pick himself (and is still on a rookie contract). A trade similar to the Orlando Brown deal might be able to get the deal done. Jaguars receive a first, Chiefs get a second back and the two teams also swap third-rounders.

Some may not be a fan of giving up yet another first-round pick but let’s look at the draft picks Kansas City gave up the offseason before they won the Super Bowl for Frank Clark. The Clark trade wasn’t quite a win but that type of all-in attitude ultimately propelled the Chiefs to Super Bowl 54 and now you see Rams General Manager Les Snead wearing a “F*** them picks” T-shirt at the Super Bowl parade. They went all in and acquired Jalen Ramsey, Matthew Stafford, Von Miller among others on their way to a Super Bowl. Yes, draft picks are valuable and the Rams will eventually pay the price but it worked.  This is your Super Bowl window, and in this scenario, you’re really only giving up your first-round pick for a young player who is only 24 and was recently a top ten pick himself.

Realistically, who could the Chiefs get at pick No. 30 that could make a Josh Allen impact especially as a rookie? Maybe you get lucky but the Chiefs shouldn’t be aiming to get lucky. They should be aiming to attack the defensive line until there’s not a weakness on it. Allen would be a good start to the overhaul and he would still give you flexibility for the moment because of the rookie contract.

The only negative to acquiring Allen is that he’d be entering the final year of his rookie contract and he’ll eventually want to get paid. The Chiefs are great at managing the cap, but at some point, you can’t just keep handing out big contracts. You have to be able to hit on draft picks that give you multiple years of controlled cost, which is where the “keep the picks” people come in.

There’s an argument for both sides, but if the priority is making this roster the best it can be, then repairing the defensive line is key to getting back to the Super Bowl. A trade for Josh Allen would certainly help make that happen because he is a serious talent who can win with speed and power.