The Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams made a trade on Wednesday, but not many are expected to turn up.
The Chiefs traded superstar cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams for the No. 29 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. The Chiefs now have two first-round picks, plus a fifth- and sixth-rounder from the Rams, as well as a 2027 third-rounder.
Los Angeles needs to reset the cornerback market for McDuffie, who is one of the best defensive backs in the NFL and is looking for a new contract.
Earlier this offseason, Kansas City restructured franchise quarterback Patrick Mahomes to free up cap space. The Chiefs also released veteran offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor, which would save them nearly $20 million in cap space.
The Chiefs have already lost McDuffie and Taylor this offseason. Travis Kelce may be retiring. Even if he does return, it’s likely he’ll be on a team-friendly contract as his production has fallen off in the second half of his career.
The Chiefs have two first-round picks and significant cap space. The problem is… What are they loading for?
Mahomes is in his prime. That’s good news. But Andy Reid’s offense never felt right last year. And now Mahomes is set to return from a season-ending injury. This offseason, many people, including Kansas City, retooled their offense and supported Mahomes’ recovery. Instead, the Chiefs cut a Super Bowl champion offensive tackle and traded away one of the game’s best corners.
With the 9th and 29th overall picks in the NFL Draft, the Chiefs have plenty of ammunition to trade. Legendary defensive tackle Chris Jones isn’t getting any younger. Could the Chiefs move up a few spots in the draft for a franchise EDGE like Ohio State’s Arvell Reese or Texas Tech’s David Bailey?
If the Chiefs are considering moving up at No. 9, perhaps they could target Ohio State’s Carnell Tate, who could immediately become one of the best wide receivers on the roster, if not the best. Rashee Rice is constantly getting into trouble, and the rest of the room is filled with question marks.
Alternatively, the Chiefs could trade for a proven commodity.
The calls to pry a disgruntled AJ Brown away from the Philadelphia Eagles feel like a late first round draft pick. By trading McDuffie, the Chiefs will have an additional first-round pick if they want to trade an established wideout.
Maxx Crosby is also expected to make a move. And while the Las Vegas Raiders would never trade him to their AFC West rivals, the thought of Crosby outside the division would make the Chiefs more confident about doubling down on offense.
The NFL playoffs without the Chiefs felt strange. They now have enough ammunition to take several different routes to get back on stage this offseason.
