Jonathan Greenard is the biggest prize left for the Kansas City Chiefs, at least when referencing potential pass-rushing help.
While the Chiefs have myriad roster concerns, even after the first wave of free agency, no position is in greater need of immediate impact than defensive end. Mike Danna was released in February. Charles Omenihu left in free agency. George Karlaftis is the only player on the roster who would even cross the line of "respectable starter", and hopes for Ashton Gillotte's continued development is the only other ray of light on the depth chart.
If that sounds dire, it is, which is why ESPN's Bill Barnwell is showing some good sense in a recently unveiled first-round mock draft that featured trades at each pick. For the Chiefs' pick at No. 9 overall—one of two selections in the round—he has Kansas City putting together a deal with the Minnesota Vikings for the chance to employ Greenard.
Before getting into such a potential deal for the Chiefs, here's what Barnwell has laid out in terms of a potential trade. He has the Chiefs sending No. 9 overall and former first-round choice Felix Anudike-Uzomah in exchange for Greenard and Minnesota's first- (No. 18) and third-round (No. 97) selections.
The Vikings side of the trade
Most things in life come down to money, and this is no different. Greenard wants to be paid more than he's currently making, since his four-year, $76 million deal signed in 2024 is looking pretty nice as the market continues to rise. That said, his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, has stated publicly that his client is looking for a reworked deal, and that makes things dicey not only for Minnesota but for any interested team like K.C.
Greenard's demands are interesting because he's coming off of yet another injury-shortened campaign. A shoulder concern limited him to 10 games a year ago, and his injury history was part of the reason why the Houston Texans let him walk to Minnesota in the first place. And rumors have persisted that the Vikings are open to trading him.
What further complicates the picture for the Vikings is their current cap situation. Other than the Chiefs, they came into the offseason with the least amount of cap space available and, at the present time, only three franchises have less cap space than the Vikings at $4.8M.
With Dallas Turner as an impressive pass rusher waiting in the wings, the Vikings might be better off punting on a valuable veteran to pick up extra draft capital.
The Chiefs' side of the trade
At No. 9 overall, Kansas City may be on the outside looking in at the top pass-rushing talent available in this year's draft class. Miami's Rueben Bain Jr., Texas Tech's David Bailey, and Ohio State's Arvell Reese could all be off the board in the first four picks, which means general manager Brett Veach would have to work out a trade to import edge help anyway. Ian Rapoport recently posted a report saying he believed K.C. will have to move up in the first round, which further bolsters this idea.
Yet even if the Chiefs decided to move up into the top of the draft, it's coming at a considerable cost in two ways. A move up to, say, No. 4 with the Tennessee Titans is still going to cost nearly $50M over four seasons, and there are no guarantees with any of this year's top edge prospects. From arm-length concerns to tweener status to usage questions with the Chiefs, there are reasons to doubt such a move up the draft board.
Greenard's health record is a concern, and fans might point to the fact that he'll be 29 years old before the season begins as another reason to stay away. But Greenard remains one of the league's better pass rushers when healthy, and there's a premium to be paid for such players. Greenard's 12 sacks and 42 pressures in 2024 earned him a Pro Bowl nod, but he posted even better metrics last season despite putting up only total sacks on the year—with an improved pass rush win rate (15.2% to 16.6%) and pressure rate (15.9% to 18.1%) than before.
When all is said and done
The Chiefs need Week 1 help on the edges, more so than any other position. Yet acquiring such help will come at a cost—either by trading up for a prospect or by dealing draft capital for outside assistance. Greenard comes with questions, like anyone else, but the impact is unquestioned, which is just what K.C. needs at this point.
Veach would have to cook the books a bit to make the finances work, but there are plenty of restructuring opportunities left to make it happen. But the chance to still come away with two first-round picks and a premier pass rusher is too great an opportunity—if the Vikings will go for it.