With general manager Brett Veach calling the shots, the Kansas City Chiefs are always a candidate to move up in the NFL draft if there’s a player they really want.
In 2023, Veach traded up to land wide receiver Rashee Rice, offensive tackle Wanya Morris and safety Chamarri Conner. He also jumped at the opportunity to acquire cornerback Trent McDuffie in round one the offseason before, along with offensive lineman Darian Kinnard — a minor fifth-round trade up — later on.
2024 could be no different if ESPN writer Bill Barnwell is correct. On April 18, Barnwell suggested the Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys as potential trade suitors over the back half of round one. The hypothetical deal?
Chiefs get: No. 24 overall pick.
Cowboys get: No. 32 overall pick, plus a 2024 third (No. 95) and a 2024 fifth (No. 159).
Ironically, one of these selections belonged to Dallas in the first place — pick No. 159 — but the basic theory from Barnwell is that the cap-strapped Cowboys would prefer more opportunities to fill roster holes with affordable talent, rather than a top-25 selection.
As for the Chiefs, there’s a specific position that Barnwell believes this trade would target.
“The defending champs moved up from No. 29 to No. 22 two years ago, when they sent two picks to the [New England] Patriots and landed cornerback Trent McDuffie,” he noted. “The Chiefs were flush with selections then by virtue of the Tyreek Hill trade, which isn’t the case any longer.”
“This [Cowboys deal] would be a move up to address a critical position: left tackle, where Donovan Smith is a free agent and Wanya Morris didn’t impress as a rookie,” Barnwell reasoned. “Jumping the [Green Bay] Packers and [Baltimore] Ravens makes sense if there’s somebody Kansas City trusts to protect Patrick Mahomes’ blindside.”
Cowboys Trade Would Leave Chiefs With 4 Remaining Selections in the 2024 NFL Draft
As Barnwell alluded, the downside of this exchange is that Kansas City is left with just four remaining picks in 2024. And whether they use the No. 24 selection on a new left tackle, a wide receiver or another position entirely, that doesn’t give Veach too many opportunities to retool this roster.
Granted, the Chiefs depth chart has fewer needs than the average team. Outside of OT and WR, one could argue there is room for improvement at cornerback (behind McDuffie), defensive tackle (behind Chris Jones), edge rusher, backup guard and backup running back — but these aren’t substantial issues.
Meaning, if there’s a prospect Veach loves that’s on the board at No. 24, he likely wouldn’t hesitate to make this move.
After all, according to the 2024 NFL trade value chart, Dallas would actually be sacrificing value in this deal. Their pick is worth 740 points, per the Jimmy Johnson draft valuation model, while KC’s collection of draft capital is worth 737.8 points.
A fair deal for both sides, but not an overpay by any means.
Potential Offensive Tackles Available at No. 24 Overall
It’s hard to say who might be available at the Cowboys’ spot in the order, but this is a strong offensive tackle class in round one, so there should be a few options at No. 24.
According to draft experts Daniel Jeremiah (NFL Network) and Mel Kiper Jr. (ESPN), Notre Dame’s Joe Alt is likely to be the top OT off the board in 2024, so it’s pretty safe to say he won’t be there for KC in this trade up scenario.
Neither would Oregon State’s Taliese Fuaga (Jeremiah’s No. 2 tackle prospect), Washington’s Troy Fautanu (a consensus top guard/tackle hybrid), Penn State’s Olumuyiwa Fashanu (a projected top-three pass protector) or Alabama’s JC Latham (a 6-foot-6 “mountain”), in all likelihood.
Instead, this trade would probably target the next tier of O-tackles after the premier group. And the two top candidates in this second group include Oklahoma’s Tyler Guyton and Georgia’s Amarius Mims.
On Wanya Morris’ former teammate, Guyton, Kiper wrote that “physically, Guyton is exactly what NFL teams want in a future Pro Bowl-caliber right tackle.” He’s a tall 6-foot-7 with a “long and rangy” figure according to Jeremiah.
The concern is that he’s a bit raw and inconsistent, especially in a trade up scenario. Jeremiah called Guyton a “work in progress” that has “elite traits and tools,” while Kiper reiterated that he’s “not yet a finished product.”
Guyton also started at right tackle in college, not the blindside.
Mims is another natural right tackle that matches the Oklahoma product in height at 6-foot-7, and he’s just as risky of a prospect.
“[Mims] has very limited starting experience (eight total starts in three years at Georgia), partially due to injury,” Jeremiah scouted. Adding: “While the resume is light, the skill set is impressive.”
Both of these draft scenarios could involve veteran Jawaan Taylor moving to left tackle full-time.
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