AFC playoff contenders make things hard for the Chiefs to wheel and deal during the NFL Draft

As the 2024 NFL Draft gets closer, the Kansas City Chiefs are coming up with multiple different strategies in order to get the players they want.

For the second consecutive year the Chiefs are picking at the tail end of the first round thanks to their back-to-back Super Bowl victories. However, success comes at a price. Kansas City has faced some challenges in recent drafts when it comes to moving around and making deals with other teams.

While speaking to the media on Friday, Chiefs GM Brett Veach answered if it was difficult to do business with other AFC playoff contenders during a draft.

"I think yes, and no," Veach said. "I think that if a team, if it can benefit them, I think they're always going to pick up the phone and call and be willing to work. I don't think a team is going to diminish their ability to do something they really want to do just because it's the Chiefs. I do think, though, that the ability to deal with certain teams. . . I mean, it's always been understood that if you're going to deal with a team in your division, there's a little bit more of a premium. But I think just some of the AFC teams, in general, that are consistent playoff performers – the Buffalo’s and the Cincinnati's and the Baltimore's – it's probably a little bit harder to deal with those teams. And even if they do pick up the phone, I think some of their asking prices are a tick higher. So, I think we get hit with a little bit more interest, but I think that there's always a way to make a deal, but I think certain teams will probably up the price a little bit.

The Chiefs have certainly made some huge moves in recent drafts that have burned the rest of the league, particularly the Bills. It was Buffalo that traded with the Chiefs in the 2017 NFL Draft that allowed K.C. to move up and take quarterback Patrick Mahomes, changing the course of the NFL forever.

In the 2022 NFL Draft the Chiefs traded up from No. 29 to No. 21 in the first round with the New England Patriots and selected cornerback Trent McDuffie. In doing so the Chiefs leapfrogged the Bills, who were also trying to trade up for McDuffie. Instead, Buffalo selected cornerback Kaiir Elam, who has already been cut from their roster. McDuffie had an All-Pro season in 2023.

It isn't impossible that the Chiefs can do business with other teams during the draft, but AFC playoff contenders will definitely have their guards up. They will also be very aware of who the Chiefs could be targeting and if they plan to trade around. If K.C. does make a move during the draft, there's a good chance it will be with an NFC team.

It's understandable that not many teams are interested in helping to strengthen the Chiefs any more than they already are. We saw a recent example of that this offseason when the Pittsburgh Steelers traded receiver Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers. The Chiefs reportedly had strong interest in Johnson, but the Steelers didn't want to deal him to K.C.

Veach did not rule out a possible first round trade in next week's draft, but everything will have to fall correctly in place. The Chiefs attempted to trade up last year but couldn't find a partner. Unpredictability is a part of the game of the draft, and Veach are among the best at having their bases covered.