Ranking Brett Veach’s player trades as Kansas City Chiefs GM
By Jacob Milham
11. The Mike Hughes trade
Chiefs receive: 2022 seventh-round pick, CB Mike Hughes
Vikings receive: 2022 sixth-round pick
Amongst Veach’s many first-round reclamation projects, trading for cornerback Mike Hughes is probably the most underwhelming.
Hughes had an injury-marred tenure with the Minnesota Vikings, who drafted him 30th overall in the 2018 NFL Draft. Hughes had only seven starts in 24 games across three seasons, a poor return on Minnesota’s draft investment in him. Hughes showed promise in his 2019 campaign, where he played in 14 games with three starts. During that season, he recorded 45 tackles and had his best year in coverage. But, allowing a 91.9 passer rating at a 62% completion rate with only one interception is hardly a banner year.
Hughes suffered a neck injury after only four games in 2020, and that was the final straw with the Vikings’ leadership. But Hughes was still just 24 years old and needed a change of scenery. Veach was happy to oblige.
The two teams swapped Day 3 picks, and Hughes got his second chance. Hughes was not an immediate starter but did play significant snaps for Kansas City in 2021. He played in all 17 regular season games, with five starts. But, Hughes remained a liability in coverage, allowing a 100.7 passer rating and five receiving touchdowns. His four forced fumbles and 47 tackles are both career highs, but some of Hughes’ coverage snaps were painful to watch. If Hughes hadn’t taken a postseason snap, he would have helped Kansas City more in 2021. He allowed three touchdowns and a 127.6 passer rating in only two games, not seeing the field in the AFC Championship game.
Hughes made the 53-man roster but was hardly a help on defense. Thankfully, the Chiefs did not lose much draft capital for his lone year with the team.