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What Chiefs fans learned about Brett Veach in 2022 NFL Draft

By Matt Conner

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MAR 01: Brett Veach, general manager of the Kansas City Chiefs speaks to reporters during the NFL Draft Combine at the Indiana Convention Center on March 1, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MAR 01: Brett Veach, general manager of the Kansas City Chiefs speaks to reporters during the NFL Draft Combine at the Indiana Convention Center on March 1, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – OCTOBER 16: Trent McDuffie #22 of the Washington Huskies looks on before the game against the UCLA Bruins at Husky Stadium on October 16, 2021 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – OCTOBER 16: Trent McDuffie #22 of the Washington Huskies looks on before the game against the UCLA Bruins at Husky Stadium on October 16, 2021 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) /

Veach can invest big at corner

One of the biggest shocks about the Chiefs’ draft class of 2022 came with the announcement of their first selection at No. 21 overall. After trading up with the New England Patriots, the Chiefs chose Washington Huskies cornerback Trent McDuffie. And if you heard an audible gasp, it was likely the collective response of Chiefs Kingdom to a first-round cornerback.

Over the last few years, the Chiefs have been experiencing a steady drip of lost talent at cornerback only to find Veach and his staff replacing them effectively with low-level investments on the fly. Charvarius Ward was a former rookie free agent flipped to the Chiefs for reserve lineman Parker Ehinger. Bashaud Breeland was a one-year veteran flyer re-signed in free agency. Mike Hughes was acquired from the Vikings for a late-round pick swap.

L’Jarius Sneed and Rashad Fenton are important contributors on the current roster who were both day three draft picks. Veach found Sneed in the bottom of the fourth back in ’20 and Fenton was a sixth-round selection in 2019. Deandre Baker is also going to contribute in ’22, and he was signed as a former first-round pick on the cheap after being jettisoned by the New York Giants.

In short, the most that Veach had ever spent at cornerback felt like either a one-year deal worth a few million bucks or a fourth-round pick for Sneed. He traded away Peters, didn’t want to keep Kendall Fuller or Steven Nelson, and it seemed as if the Chiefs could just put anyone in the secondary and it would be fine.

Consider our surprise, then, when the Chiefs landed McDuffie. Not only did they take a cornerback in the first round but they even traded up for him. Crazy! Only time will tell whether the investment pays off, but the tape on McDuffie had him positioned as one of the top 3-5 corners in the entire draft for good reason. He’s well-coached at Washington with killer instincts and elite quickness and hips. And the reason Veach went up to get him is that he said he never thought McDuffie would fall into range at No. 21.

It just goes to show that Veach will chase the best value, and if that happens to keep him from going all-in on a corner for a few years, so be it. He won’t force the issue even if it appears to be a need.

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