The 2025 NFL Draft is roughly two weeks away. And for Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach, this will be his eighth draft in the GM chair. He and his staff have helped Kansas City find cheap, young talent to join their high-paid stars.
Former Veach draft picks like Creed Humphrey and Nick Bolton have done well enough to earn second contracts with the team. Meanwhile, recent selections like Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy each saw some success as rookies with a strong finish.
In other areas of Brett Veach’s draft classes, the Chiefs have not been shy about moving around the draft board. And in terms of individual trades on draft weekend, Veach has proven quite willing to make a bold move or two during the three-day affair.
Could that trend continue with this year’s selections? Or will Veach opt for a different path? Let’s dive into the draft pick trade history since he became Kansas City’s general manager, while focusing on picks in the first three rounds being moved.
Before we get into the draft trade theme that Kansas City has developed under Brett Veach, it is important to look at the assets they have shipped out for key players. Adding outside additions for draft picks is a move that the Chiefs have turned to a fair amount. With these, K.C. has hoped for quick fixes by adding players they believe can fill a massive need. And in other instances, the Chiefs knew a massive piece being shipped out could help them usher in a new era.
When the Chiefs added talent for the first Super Bowl title
The Chiefs acquired a couple of day two picks in the 2019 NFL Draft when making trades involving players. Marcus Peters was traded to the Los Angeles Rams in 2018, and a future second-round pick in 2019 was part of the haul from Los Angeles. That pick turned into 63rd overall in 2019, which Kansas City used to select safety Juan Thornhill.
Elsewhere, the Chiefs moved a few of their own picks to the Seattle Seahawks just before the 2019 NFL Draft for pass rusher Frank Clark. Along with Clark, though, Kansas City received a third-round pick from Seattle. That pick was No. 92 overall originally. But the Chiefs would move up slightly with that pick to select defensive tackle Khalen Saunders.
Veach and the Chiefs were involved in more player trades that incorporated draft picks in the swap, affecting the following three drafts. They added a future second-round pick in 2020 when trading away Dee Ford after franchise tagging the pass rusher. That turned into the Willie Gay selection at No. 63 overall in 2020.
Just before the 2021 NFL Draft, the Chiefs traded for offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. Part of the swap was a first-round pick and a third-round pick going to the Baltimore Ravens, though Kansas City did get a second-rounder back that year from the Ravens. That turned into the Nick Bolton selection at No. 58 overall.
Veach has moved on from homegrown pieces
The Tyreek Hill trade netted the Chiefs an extra first-round pick and a second-round pick as a portion of that surprising swap. The first-rounder from Miami was used in another trade, as K.C. moved up from 29 overall to 21 overall after agreeing to a trade with the Patriots in 2022 to select Trent McDuffie. And later that year, they traded with New England again, moving from 54 overall to 50 overall to take wide receiver Skyy Moore.
And in a deal that affects this year's draft, the Chiefs received a future 2025 third-round pick after moving L'Jarius Sneed last offseason in a tag-and-trade scenario. With the Tennessee Titans struggling mightily last year, Kansas City ended up with the 66th overall pick from the Sneed deal, the second pick in round three.
Trading theme on draft weekend
The overall draft trade theme from Brett Veach and his staff is pretty clear. Kansas City has generally moved up in the draft order when swapping picks on draft weekend. It was easy to remember some of those swaps. Yet, it is pretty staggering that the Chiefs have never traded down on draft weekend under Veach—not once.
2018 saw them trade up twice. They moved up eight spots for defensive lineman Breeland Speaks and moved up 11 spots for defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi on day two. In 2019, they moved up five measly spots to add wideout Mecole Hardman. You have the aforementioned trade for Saunders that year.
The move up for McDuffie in 2022 grabbed headlines because Veach and his staff had generally added cornerbacks late in the draft. In 2023, the Chiefs once again dealt up twice, as far as picks involved in the first three rounds go. K.C. jumped up eight spots to take wide receiver Rashee Rice and jumped up three spots to take tackle Wanya Morris.
Just last year, the Chiefs traded up twice again in the first three rounds. The NFL world reacted hysterically to the move in 2024's first round, because the Buffalo Bills were doing draft-trade business with Kansas City yet again. That swap led to the selection of Xavier Worthy. And in round two last year, the Chiefs technically jumped up one spot to secure Kingsley Suamataia.
Could Veach and his staff continue trend or start a new one?
The 2025 NFL Draft is a bit of an odd year. It is viewed as a weaker draft class overall, compared to recent options. But even still, there are deeper position groups, some of which are needs that Kansas City could look to fill. The Chiefs could add from a deep running back pool and an exciting defensive line group.
Will they move around the draft board yet again? The circumstances or views surrounding this year's class could put a wrench into things. However, there are many teams in the back of the first round that Kansas City could look to leapfrog by moving up. And if the board does not fall how they like, it is a point in time where the Chiefs could be helped by adding more selections and trading down for the first time ever.
Whichever path they take, do not be surprised to see Brett Veach wheel and deal on draft weekend.
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