Four Chiefs players who could be traded before the season starts

Jaylen Watson, DB

Let's go for a total longshot here.

One year ago, Jaylen Watson was a revelatory find for Veach and his front office staff as a seventh round pick turned starting corner on the boundary who locked up two wins himself in a Super Bowl campaign for the Chiefs. His 99-yard pick-six made him Defensive Player of the Week for Week 2 in a close win over the rival L.A. Chargers, and he also picked up two more interceptions in the postseason—against Trevor Lawrence of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals.

Why would the Chiefs get rid of Watson? Well, they wouldn't. No one should view this entry through that lens—of the Chiefs just trying to find a way out from having Watson on the roster. Instead, this would be about being blown away by an offer at a position bursting at the seams.

Note to other NFL teams: it would be a smart play to try to wiggle someone free from the Chiefs' secondary at this stage given the overwhelming investment of youth, the ability of the front office to find hidden talent, and the coaching staff's penchant for helping players reach their ceiling. Watson could be that guy.

Think of this: The Chiefs aren't dealing L'Jarius Sneed when they're built to compete for a Super Bowl. Trent McDuffie is the superstar here who will be the long-term lockdown option once Sneed likely leaves in free agency. Joshua Williams is a long-term starter with high upside and it doesn't make sense for the Chiefs to deal him (or for another team to value him at the level the Chiefs would).

The Chiefs also just drafted Chamarri Conner and Nic Jones and no team is going to offer them something there either. Yet Reese Taylor got a healthy bonus to crash the party as a rookie free agent, and Nazeeh Johnson has grown into a special teams ace who could secure a roster spot himself as the new Chris Lammons.

If this sounds like a lot of talent, it is. That makes Watson a guy who could potentially be pushed out a starting role one year after claiming one as a seventh-round choice (depending on how Williams is coming along). What if the Chiefs could get a Day 2 pick for him? That's something to consider when the cupboards are already so well-stocked.

Just know that no matter what happens, the roster decisions here at defensive back are going to be the most painful for the Chiefs this summer.