Chiefs Baked in Critical Draft Flexibility This Year

The true cost of trading up for Williams

And because they didn’t want to wait for him at 95, they traded up 10 spots to get Williams at 85. they lost the ability to move. Turns out, Williams after one year looks like the best selection of the entire Chiefs draft.

But the cost to get him was painful, not in price but in flexibility. Veach gave New England that No. 95 choice as well as a sixth-rounder in 2026.

Running back paid the price

Running back wrote the check for the trade. The position was deep but because the Chiefs gave up that late third-rounder and they lacked the ability to trade up again, they watched the worst-case scenario unfold.

Kansas City gambled that one of the running backs in a deep class would still be available in the fourth round, when the Chiefs were next on the clock at 133 – 48 picks after they chose Williams.

But between Williams at 85 in Round 3 and Jalen Royals, their selection at 133 in the fourth round, there was a run on running backs. Six players flew off the board, all impressive backs.

Bhayshul Tuten started the run, going to Jacksonville at 104. Cam Skattebo joined the Giants one pick later. Trevor Etienne (114 to the Panthers), Woody Marks (116 to the Texans), Jarquez Hunter (117 to the Rams) and Dylan Sampson (126 to the Browns) came off the Chiefs’ board.

The Chiefs were paralyzed, powerless as they watched six backs disappear. Tuten and Skattebo each scored seven touchdowns as rookies. Marks registered 911 yards from scrimmage, including 703 on the ground. All three of those players are promising starters in 2026.

Suddenly, all they had in their offensive backfield were incumbents Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt. And the inability to draft a player like Tuten, Skattebo or Marks created the need to pursue Kenneth Walker last month.

The Chiefs were the first team to land a free-agent running back, setting the market with the Super Bowl MVP at three years and $43.05 million, with $28.7 million guaranteed.

Not this year. Veach has armed himself with nine choices, his most since he drafted 10 in 2022. And with those assets comes flexibility.

Veach has made 18 draft-weekend trades since becoming general manager before the 2018 draft. He’s traded down only four times. But he has more flexibility than he’s ever had this year. How the board falls and how he moves up or down this month is a fascinating undercurrent to watch.