Dec 14, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) passes against the Los Angeles Chargers during the fourth quarter at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Position Chiefs Will Target in Trade Up From No. 29

Originally posted on Kansas City Chiefs on SI
By Logan Lazarczyk | Last updated Apr 12, 2026 5:17 AM ET

The Kansas City Chiefs enter the 2026 NFL Draft with a surplus of picks after accumulating additional capital by trading All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams.

One of the selections gained from moving the 25-year-old cornerback was the 29th overall pick. With two first-round picks, the Chiefs could be aggressive and pursue prospects who are sliding down the board. While Kansas City is unlikely to move up from No. 9, the aforementioned pick could be in play in trade discussions.

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Over the weekend, NFL draft analyst Todd McShay discussed the Chiefs as a potential candidate to trade up in the first round.

McShay's Thoughts

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"Kansas City could [trade up], they have nine picks. They have three in the first two rounds," McShay said. "I also feel like they are resetting a little bit. I think they need another weapon. I think they need a tight end to back up - in addition to a wide receiver - they need a tight end to start prepping 'this is it for [Travis] Kelce. Quite honestly, Kelce was good, he was productive, but they need a difference maker."

Takeaways and Reaction

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While trading up is something that general manager Brett Veach should consider, doing so for a tight end seems desperate. Oregon's Kenyon Sadiq has been universally viewed as the TE1 in this year's draft class, but quite frankly, the production file is underwhelming. Vanderbilt's Eli Stowers is the TE2 in this class, but he is not worth a first-round pick.

Instead, if the Chiefs decided to move up, targeting a receiver makes much more sense. The wide receiver prospects are a polarizing group. Carnell Tate is one of the safest wide receivers in recent memory, but his ceiling is unknown, and investing a top-10 pick on a potential WR2 is a bit rich. Jordyn Tyson, who is the most talented pass catcher in this draft, has been marred by injuries throughout his collegiate career. Then there is Makai Lemon, whose production profile is as good as it gets. However, his interview process during the pre-draft process was puzzling, to say the least.

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Those receivers are slated in tier-one at the positional value in this class, but if one were to plummet down the board in round one, it would be Tyson. If that ends up being the case, the 6-foot-2, 203-pound wideout is a player Kansas City will consider trading up for.

That being said, the Chiefs have a slew of needs entering the draft, and overstepping, overpaying, and missing on a selection after hypothetically trading up is a disastrous scenario they must avoid.

This article first appeared on Kansas City Chiefs on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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