Kansas City Chiefs fans are gearing up for the NFL Draft, excited to see what their defending AFC Champions will add to help the franchise continue its reign over the conference.
A 15-2 record last season and a run through the AFC once again would not indicate the need for much change, especially coming off Super Bowl victories in the previous two seasons. But their loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX back in February made for a bit of a wakeup call.
The Chiefs are likely still good enough to return to the postseason and reclaim the AFC West division. But their contenders are gaining pace, meaning Kansas City must improve heading into 2025.
This has been a relatively quiet offseason though, maintaining some key pieces while losing others to free agency. So capitalizing on the three days at the draft are crucial.
Kansas City will have a good player waiting for them at No. 31 in the first round, but could they instead set the tone with an aggressive play to get into the top 10?
Joe Summers of KC Kingdom put together a trade urging the Chiefs to move up to No. 8, swapping first rounders with the Carolina Panthers. The Chiefs would add a 2025 third and next year's first to sweeten the deal.
With this move, Kansas City would look to assess their offensive line needs or add a defensive piece. To give up this draft capital, the Chiefs are banking on the selection of a player who becomes a foundational asset for the franchise. There is certainly some risk there.
However, the Chiefs have succeeded in a similar venture before, trading up from No. 27 to No. 10 to get Patrick Mahomes in 2017. That aggression clearly worked out.
As of now, a trade seems unlikely both because of the Chiefs' content in staying where they are but also with other teams not pushing the activity on any trades just yet.
Again, Kansas City should still be in position to land a quality player that checks their boxes in the first round. But if an opportunity presents itself, history shows that an aggressive play cannot entirely be ruled out.
