Expectations are mounting for a first-round trade-up in the 2023 NFL draft for the Kansas City Chiefs.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Matt Miller and Jordan Reid recently teamed up to cover all the latest 2023 NFL draft buzz and rumors. In their latest article, they posed the question, “Which teams are you hearing could trade up in Round 1?” Reid answered by naming the hosts of the draft in Kansas City.
Check it out:
I have my eye on the Kansas City Chiefs. We saw them trade up for cornerback Trent McDuffie last year (No. 29 to No. 21), and I could see general manager Brett Veach moving up again this year. With 10 draft picks and a roster that doesn’t have many open spots, it makes sense if the team sees an opportunity to land an impact player. Kansas City has holes at offensive tackle and edge rusher, two positions that are plentiful in the first round. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Chiefs move up from No. 31 into the early 20s for a top-tier prospect at one of those spots.
In 2022, Veach moved up to secure McDuffie when he saw him fall to a certain spot. He knew that the Buffalo Bills were interested in the player and that he’d need to move ahead of them. This time around, he’ll need to have a similar acuity when it comes to both prospects falling Round 1 and the teams that could be interested in them.
Offensive tackle and edge rusher could each use another body, be it starting caliber or competition. Reid leaves out the possibility of trading up to acquire another weapon for Patrick Mahomes. That’s something that is always on the mind of Brett Veach. The team bringing in a player like TCU WR Quentin Johnston for a top-30 visit is proof that the thought has crossed his mind too. If a receiver were to fall into that early-to-mid 20s range, I suspect that Veach would too consider a trade-up.
