The Kansas City Chiefs felt so good about their offensive tackle depth that they flipped one of their options for future draft capital just two months ago. On Saturday, the Chiefs made a trade to bolster the offensive tackle position shortly before active roster cuts are due.
The Ravens agreed to send Diego Pounds to Kansas City as they announced several other roster cuts. The move at least earns them something in return instead of losing Pounds on the waiver wire outright for nothing. The Chiefs sent a conditional 2028 sixth-round choice in return.
For the Chiefs, the decision to trade for Pounds addresses concerns about depth at tackle, where Josh Simmons has missed considerable time with a back injury. Not only has Simmons missed more than a week of practice, but he's also sat out both of the team's last two preseason games. Head coach Andy Reid insists that the issue is short-term, but the Chiefs clearly felt insecure about the overall depth up front.
The Chiefs have acquired Diego Pounds, a tackle with favorable pre-draft grades from analysts.
The move for Pounds comes on the heels of another preseason trade made just days ago, when general manager Brett Veach sent a future seventh-round pick to the New York Giants in exchange for interior lineman Joshua Ezeudu.
Pounds spent his first three collegiate seasons in Chapel Hill with the University of North Carolina before transferring to Ole Miss in 2024. He played his final two seasons for the Rebels and started 15 games at left tackle in '25. He earned third-team All-SEC honors and participated in the Shrine Bowl last winter, where, presumably, Chiefs scouts saw him up close.
The Athletic's Dane Brugler had Pounds ranked as his No. 12 overall tackle with a fourth-round grade. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com had him in the same range, early in Day 3, so the fact that he went undrafted was a bit of a surprise. The Ravens landed him as a prized priority free agent, but the Chiefs are taking advantage of their inability to keep him on the active roster. Every team must submit its final 53-man roster by Sunday at 4:00 p.m. ET.
Two months ago, the Chiefs traded Wanya Morris to the Atlanta Falcons because of the emergence of rookie free agent Kahlil Benson. Together with Simmons, Esa Pole, and Jaylon Moore, the Chiefs felt strong enough about the OT room to trade away their former third-round pick. Now, however, real roster concerns come in for Pole and other competitors like Chu Godrick and Ethan Driskell.
The Chiefs have plenty of roster cuts to make before Sunday's deadline, so the picture with Pounds in the mix will become clear soon enough. Until then, it will be interesting to see who is in and out and what all of this says about Josh Simmons' status to start the season.
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