Three under-the-radar trade ideas worth considering for KC Chiefs

The Javon Kinlaw deal

Chiefs trade: 5th-round pick
49ers trade: DL Javon Kinlaw

If you wondered what the 49ers thought of the future of Javon Kinlaw with the team, all you have to do is look at the massive check handed out to Javon Hargrave early in free agency. While the team’s defense was already stout, they’ve been missing what DeForest Buckner provided them in the heart of the defense for the last couple of years and general manager John Lynch was clearly tired of waiting for Kinlaw to pan out.

Kinlaw has had a most unfortunate pro career just far with only 1.5 sacks in three seasons to show for being picked at No. 14 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft. Instead of being the future of the Niners’ defensive front with Nick Bosa, Kinlaw has become a rent-paying tenant on the team’s injured reserve due to ACL reconstruction and continued issues with his knee. The end result at this point is 10 games played in the last two years for Kinlaw with 12 total tackles and 1 quarterback hit.

Enter Brett Veach, a GM who loves a good reclamation project and a man who could also use another pass rusher. Of course, the Chiefs need some sure things because they have a Joshua Kaindoh of their own, but the chance to grab a previously premium asset for pennies on the dollar is the sort of move that Veach has made time and again.

The fifth-round pick here is a complete guess because it’s hard to tell how stubborn the Niners would be about letting him go. But it would make for an intriguing buy-low option on a guy who once drew comps to Chris Jones.