DeAndre Hopkins Trade: What Did the Chiefs Really Give Up to Add a New WR?
The wide receiver position has brought nothing but disappointment for Kansas City Chiefs fans this season, but the front office made a bold move to try to change that on Wednesday.
The addition of former All-Pro wideout DeAndre Hopkins may not completely filll the void left by Hollywood Brown and Rashee Rice's injuries, but it's certainly a step in the right direction for a team that needs to keep its roster Super Bowl-ready at all times.
But while it's easy to focus on what the Chiefs gained, it's also worth looking at what they gave away in the deal. Seeing "conditional fifth-round pick" as the cost of adding Hopkins makes it feel like he was almost free — that terms feels nearly meaningless in October. Let's take a closer look at what that really means though.
The actual conditions of that pick have yet to be announced, so here's a breakdown of the fifth- and sixth-round picks the Chiefs have made in recent years, providing some more concrete context on what it cost to add Hopkins.
Year | Round | Pick | Player | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2024 | 5 | 159 | Hunter Nourzad | C |
2023 | 5 | 166 | B.J. Thompson | LB |
2022 | 5 | 145 | Darian Kinnard | OT |
2021 | 5 | 162 | Noah Gray | TE |
2021 | 5 | 181 | Cornell Powell | WR |
2020 | 5 | 177 | Mike Danna | DE |
Year | Round | Pick | Player | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2024 | 6 | 211 | Kamal Hadden | CB |
2023 | 6 | 194 | Keondre Coburn | DT |
2021 | 6 | 226 | Trey Smith | OG |
So this gives us a sample of sixth fifth-round picks and three sixth-round picks for the Chiefs over the last five years. And the group has been a pretty hit-or-miss collection.
The obvious winners in the group are Trey Smith and Mike Danna. Both have developed into every-game starters for the Chiefs. Danna is third on the team in sacks since 2022 with 12.0, and Smith has already started 56 regular season games since being drafted.
Beyond those two (maybe with the exception of Noah Gray), there aren't many noteworthy names. And this is typically what we see out of those day-three picks. You get mostly depth/special teams players, you get some total busts who never contribute much in the NFL, and you get a handful of solid starters.
So getting Hopkins for a conditional fifth feels like he's basically free, and like that's an obvious win for the Chiefs. But getting Hopkins in exchange for a 20% chance of hitting on the next Mike Danna or Trey Smith? That's a different story.
I'm not saying that this means the trade wasn't a good one, but the context of what the Chiefs are actually giving up to rent a 32-year-old wide receiver for the remainder of the season is important to have when judging it.
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