As the minutes ticked down to the end of the NFL trade deadline, the Kansas City Chiefs struck a deal, agreeing to acquire Josh Downs from the Colts. In exchange for Downs, the Chiefs sent fourth- and fifth-round picks to Indianapolis, and now Downs is going to be donning the red and gold.
As Arrowhead Addict's own Matt Conner wrote, "[T]he Chiefs have secured a proven receiver with a demonstrated history of handling a sizable target share." Downs will immediately provide Patrick Mahomes with a reliable weapon to throw to, and that's something that hasn't necessarily been the case in quite some time.
But let's put the impact of trading for Downs to the side and turn our attention to the draft picks given up here. It took two Day 3 selections to land the Colts receiver, so what does Kansas City's draft stock look like for next year's event?
Chiefs' 2027 draft capital after Josh Downs trade
Here are the picks K.C. is currently projected to hold in the 2027 NFL Draft, per Tankathon. The exact draft order and compensatory selections are subject to change.
- Round 1: Original pick
- Round 2: Original pick
- Round 3: Rams' pick from Trent McDuffie trade
- Round 3: Original pick
- Round 5: Projected compensatory pick
- Round 6: Falcons' pick from Wanya Morris trade
- Round 6: 49ers' pick from Skyy Moore trade
- Round 7: Bills' pick (via Colts) in Josh Downs trade
- Round 7: Projected compensatory pick
The Chiefs still own their first- and second-round picks along with two third-round selections, setting them up well for the first two days of next year's draft. They won't be on the clock for a bit on the third and final day of the draft, but that's okay. Day 3 is usually about throwing darts and hoping they land anyway, so this was a solid deal for Brett Veach.
Plus, the Chiefs have plenty of sixth- and seventh-rounders, so Veach will have the ammo to move up if he likes a player's value on the draft board. All in all, it's hard to be too upset, considering the Chiefs only parted with fourth- and fifth-round picks and now have a dependable wide receiver for their future Hall of Fame quarterback to throw to.
Of course, Downs is scheduled to hit free agency after the season, so the Chiefs will have to decide whether he's worth another investment if they want this to become more than a short-term rental.
Josh Downs immediately improves Chiefs offense
The more important thing here is that the Chiefs needed help offensively, and Veach went and got someone to make it happen. He also didn't break the bank to do it.
Downs has never been a 1,000-yard receiver in his career, but he's also never had a quarterback like Mahomes throwing the ball to him. In his years with the Colts, his quarterbacks have been Anthony Richardson, Gardner Minshew, Joe Flacco, Daniel Jones, Philip Rivers, and Riley Leonard. Not a great group there.
Even with the lack of production from the quarterback position, Downs has still been impactful for the Colts. His best year was in 2024, when he caught 72 passes for 803 yards and 5 touchdowns. If the Chiefs can get that kind of output from Downs, this trade will be a massive win for the Chiefs—while still keeping their ability to build a long-term foundation intact.
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