It’s been quite the offseason for a team with the longest current streak of NFL playoff appearances. The Kansas City Chiefs could be busy during the draft.
The reigning AFC West champions have used only two first-round selections the past six years dating back to 2016. They would be quarterback Patrick Mahomes in 2017 and running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire in 2020. They have picked exactly six players in each of the past five drafts.
But now the Kansas City Chiefs, due mainly to a trade that saw them send six-time Pro Bowler Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins, have a dozen selections in the 2022 NFL Draft. That includes two in the first-, second-, third- and fourth rounds. So will general manager Brett Veach be “movin’ on up” come next weekend?
Chiefs probably won’t trade up in the 2022 NFL Draft, but never say never
“I don’t probably expect a huge jump up unless something unforeseen happens…,” explained the Chiefs’ executive (via Devon Clements of Heavy.com). “But we’ll be flexible and let the board talk to us.”
It was a sour ending to a 2021 showing that saw the club win a sixth consecutive division title despite a 3-4 start. Andy Reid’s squad squandered a 21-3 second-quarter lead in the AFC Championship Game loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Along with Hill, there have been a lot of changes to the roster. And the focus now is on next week at Las Vegas.
“I think there’s a lot of similarities to the (2021) draft,” said Veach on Friday. “I think we have right around 16 to 18 names on our front board as first-round picks. Picking at 29 and 30, our odds of maybe one of those guys falling isn’t great, but at the same time, we probably aren’t factoring in quarterbacks that most teams do. I’m sure there are quarterbacks worthy of a first-round grade, we’re just obviously not going in that direction.”
The Chiefs have hosted the AFC title game four consecutive years but only have one Lombardi Trophy to show for it. The departures this offseason were notable, especially at wide receiver with Hill, Byron Pringle (Bears) and Demarcus Robinson (Raiders) all elsewhere. But this is a franchise that has posted nine straight winning seasons and made eight playoff appearances since 2013. And a team to keep an eye for the final three days of April.
