Every team has a glaring need or three at this point in the NFL season. Even a perfectly healthy roster has its weaknesses, and injuries pile up over the course of an 18-week season. But not all roster concerns are considered equal, and two of the most obvious belong to the Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions. Perhaps one can help the other.
The Chiefs are playing multiple fringe talents at wide receiver coming into Week 8 against the Denver Broncos. The Detroit Lions have been looking under every couch cushion for cornerback help since before the season began. That's why the two teams feel like a pretty natural match in the NFL's trade deadline dating game. Here's our proposed trade:
Detroit sends: WR Isaac TeSlaa
Chiefs send: CB Kristian Fulton
The Chiefs' need at wide receiver
The Chiefs are limping at wide receiver coming out of Week 7. Rashee Rice hasn't practiced in weeks due to a hamstring injury suffered in Week 4. His absence has amplified the Chiefs' lack of trusted targets for Patrick Mahomes in the passing game. Tyquan Thornton's ankle injury, also suffered in Week 4, removed the only vertical variable for Mahomes, which further shrinks the field for defenses to cover. The results were ugly versus the Seattle Seahawks.
The truth is that there's no viable trade path for the Chiefs to stretch the field in any reliable way. The Jags are never going to solve a fellow contender's biggest problem (Brian Thomas Jr.). From there, everyone comes with a question mark, including a handful of older targets nearing their expiration date. Does Calvin Ridley move the meter? Do the Chiefs want to pay the price for Josh Downs? Does Dyami Brown really excite anyone? How useful is Laquon Treadwell?
Why Isaac TeSlaa as a trade target
TeSlaa is immediately interesting because his pre-draft metrics were so impressive. His RAS (Relative Athletic Score) was 9.93, a prospect built more like a tight end (6-foot-4, 214 lbs.) with plus athleticism.
Isaac TeSlaa was drafted in round 3 pick 70 in the 2025 draft class. He scored a 9.93 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 29 out of 3816 WR from 1987 to 2025. https://t.co/6qWoPzgVd8 pic.twitter.com/YwK0ftOmwA
— RAS.football (@MathBomb) April 26, 2025
The Lions drafted him in the third round a year ago, which means TeSlaa is a cheap, cost-controlled weapon through the 2028 campaign. He's also a very good blocker, which makes him an instant asset in the ground game, which should be K.C.'s emphasis if they find someone to challenge defenses down the field. Bringing in TeSlaa would give them a real end zone threat and bigger personnel packages suddenly get a lot more interesting.
As for the Lions' side and why they would deal him, TeSlaa is buried in the offensive mix. Jameson Williams. Amon-Ra St. Brown. Jahmyr Gibbs. Sam LaPorta. The Lions aren't lacking for pass catchers and the chance to flip one for a salve in the secondary could be too much to pass up.
The Lions' need at cornerback
Early in the season, the Lions looked desperate at cornerback. D.J. Reed wasn't playing well. Injuries to Ennis Rakestraw and Rock Ya-Sin further depleted the secondary. Roger McCreary has a limited ceiling at nickel. It's been a rough road in the secondary (that included injuries to safeties like Brian Branch and Avonte Maddox as well).
Things are looking a bit better lately, with stronger performances from Reed and the return of Rakestraw. But they're playing with fire if they don't bolster the unit. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN has already mentioned Fulton in conjunction with the Lions before the NFL's trade deadline as well, so the connection isn't far-fetched.
What Kristian Fulton would bring to Detroit
Fulton's usage rate in Kansas City has always been confusing, as if there was a disconnect between the front office and the coaching staff. General manager Brett Veach signed him to a two-year, $20 million deal as a major free agent prize in 2025. However, Steve Spagnuolo rarely played him and he remains a third corner even after a complete renovation of the secondary.
Despite being stuck behind Mansoor Delane and Nohl Williams, Fulton remains a solid starting cornerback (54 career starts) who could immediately slide into a boundary spot in Detroit and shore up the depth chart. That a team can find such immediate, ready-made help at this point feels like a big win. That's also why it would sting for the Chiefs, but everything comes with a cost. The window is immediate for the 4-2 Lions with Jared Goff at the helm, so making a push in the present makes sense here.
Why this Chiefs-Lions trade could actually work
There's real money to work out here (more than $5 million to account for Fulton's cap hit for Detroit), so some negotiations would happen here as well. But if those things are worked out, the truth is that this deal would sting for both sides, which might be an indicator that it works. The Lions traded up to get TeSlaa only a year ago and parting with an asset clearly loved by the front office is tough to see, especially when the trade return is so short-term. The Chiefs would be flirting with real security issues in the secondary and rolling the dice at wideout. But both franchises need to pivot at the season's midpoint to shore up weaknesses, and this keeps both teams' draft quivers full for the long haul.
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