The 3 most likely wide receiver trade targets for Brett Veach and the Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs are 5-0 and sitting on top of the NFL yet again. While they had a good night offensively overall against the New Orleans Saints, they still struggled to convert in the red zone and questions remain about their depth at wide receiver with injuries to Rashee Rice and Marquise "Hollywood" Brown. With the Chiefs entering their bye week, this is the perfect time for general manager Brett Veach to make a move for a wide receiver.

Rashee Rice is out for the regular season and the postseason as well. While Juju Smith-Schuster stepped up in a big way against the Saints, if this team wants to be a serious contender to complete the NFL's first "three-peat", they will need another proven option in their wide receiver room.

Just a little over a week ago, I laid out ten possible wide receiver trade targets following the Rashee Rice injury. As the NFL rumor mill has churned and the situations of some of the teams that those receivers are on have improved or continued to decline the picture of which targets are the most likely have become more clear. I believe there are now three options that appear to be the clear favorites to end up in Kansas City if Brett Veach does decide to make a move.

1. Amari Cooper, Cleveland Browns

Amari Cooper is 30 years old and a proven number-one wideout in the NFL. He may not quite be at his peak anymore, but he put up over 1,200 yards last season and is still good enough that he would be the best receiver on KC's roster as soon as he walked onto the field. He would need some time to get acclimated to the offense, but with his experience on different teams and in different systems, he shouldn't have any trouble getting up to speed for a playoff run.

Why he's emerged as a frontrunner

The Cleveland Browns dropped to 1-4 on the season and look like a team that has already given up hope in the process. The Deshaun Watson situation seems to be getting worse by the week as he looks like he's mentally checked out on football.

Cooper seems incredibly frustrated by the situation and should jump at the chance to come to a team like the Chiefs. The fact that the Browns converted most of his salary to a signing bonus that wouldn't travel with him if he's traded points to Cleveland being open to dealing him as well.

2. Diontae Johnson, Carolina Panthers

Diontae Johnson is 28 years old and on a one-year deal with the Carolina Panthers. He put up three consecutive 80+ reception seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers between 2020-2022, but awful quarterback play in Pittsburgh last season brought his production down. Now he finds himself in a less-than-ideal situation in Carolina.

Johnson isn't the traditional #1 wideout type, but he's proven he can be an elite short to intermediate possession target that consistently gets open. Johnson's cap hit would be a little too big for the Chiefs currently, but they have ways to clear space, or they could work out a new deal as part of the trade.

Why he's emerged as a frontrunner

When I developed my original ten wide receiver trade targets, I mentioned that Carolina might be hesitant to trade Johnson when he'd so clearly been their top wideout. They may want him there if they decide to play Bryce Young again. However, the Panthers already had two young wideouts getting snaps in Xavier Legette and Jonathan Mingo, and undrafted rookie Jalen Coker added his name to that list just last week. Coker actually led the team in receptions and yards in their week five game.

With the Panthers dropping to 1-4 and having the worst point differential in the NFL through five weeks, they could absolutely be sellers. If they feel they have three young wideouts to build around, they may be open to dealing Johnson.

3. Darius Slayton, New York Giants

If the Chiefs want a proven veteran, but don't want to give up the draft capital it would take to get a bigger name like Amari Cooper or Diontae Johnson, Darius Slayton is the best of the "second tier" options. The 27-year-old has been a consistent producer for the Giants despite having pretty abysmal quarterback play. He's put up over 700 yards in four of his five seasons in New York and is on pace to do so again this season. His cap number is just a little more than what K.C. has in space available, but I'm sure they could find a way to make the numbers work.

Why he's emerged as a frontrunner

This past week, the Giants were able to showcase Slayton's upside for potential buyers. With rookie sensation Malik Nabers in the team's concussion protocol, Slayton stepped up and had 8 receptions for 122 yards and a touchdown. The Giants are 2-3, but don't look like a serious playoff contender this season. Plus, they have a trio of young wideouts in Nabers, Wan'dale Robinson, and Jalin Hyatt that they could use as their top three options if he is dealt.

With Slayton being a lesser name and on an expiring contract, he would definitely be the least expensive option in terms of what the Chiefs would have to give up to get him. That might make an underrated option like Slayton a good fit for the Chiefs.

So there you have it Chiefs fans, those are three frontrunners if KC decides to make a move for a wideout during their bye week. Do you like any of these three options more than the others? Is there someone else you believe belongs on this list? Do you think the Chiefs need to trade for a wideout at all after their performance versus the Saints? I'd love to read your thoughts in the comments below.