The most exciting three days of the NFL offseason are quickly approaching as April 23 to 25 marks the league's 91st annual draft. Rooms in team buildings stay lit in the wee hours of the morning, as general managers, coaches, and scouts alike will have their say in who is chosen to lead a franchise.
For the Chiefs and general manager Brett Veach, this draft is, well, different. The stakes have never been higher to nail on the pool of picks the team has built. Another 6-11 season will not be tolerated, and the people inside 1 Arrowhead Drive know it all too well.
The team has been more hesitant to be as forward-facing and upfront as usual in pre-draft meetings and conversations with media, something that is most certainly tactic and strategy more than happenstance. Nobody, not even the most respected draft analysts, can get a read on what Veach and Co. are cooking up.
There is one theory, however, that may be wondering about the shadows as a possible explanation for all the calculated confusion. There's a decent chance that the Chiefs could be cooking up a trade, and it wouldn't be surprising if it involved offensivelineman Jaylon Moore.
Chiefs May Be Dangling Jaylon Moore in Trade Talks Behind Closed Doors
In NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah’s latest mock draft, he had Utah offensive tackle Spencer Fano going to Kansas City at ninth overall. It was an interesting selection to say the least, but Jeremiah had his reasons.
"Fano can start immediately at right tackle and eventually kick inside to guard if necessary. The Chiefs will have excellent information on him because of Andy Reid's relationship with former Utah head coach (and former BYU teammate) Kyle Whittingham."Daniel Jeremiah, NFL Network
The Chiefs have major needs elsewhere at edge rusher, wide receiver, and now, after the departures of both Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson, an early addition at cornerback in the draft is a real possibility. I’m not sure what to make of all this buzz around the Chiefs taking a tackle at nine overall, a selection so high that, during the Patrick Mahomes era, hopefully never happens again, and we go back to picking at 32.
What I do believe it to be is a major smokescreen that the Chiefs have been talking about behind the scenes, that they are interested in trading projected starting right tackle, Moore. It’s a lie that would make sense for other teams to believe from the Chiefs, as trading Moore would free up over $14 million in cap space with only $3.7 million in dead money, according to OverTheCap.
This false belief instilled by Kansas City might force a tackle-needy team early in the first round to trade up ahead of the Chiefs to grab a guy like Fano or Miami (FL)'s Francis Mauigoa for fear that they would have done the same. When in reality all the Chiefs are trying to do is make sure a guy like OSU's Carnell Tate or the Hurricanes' Rueben Bain Jr. falls into their laps at Pick No. 9, as I don’t think for a second Veach has any intention of trading Moore or drafting a tackle early.
If this is me mega-minding my way into oblivion after spending countless hours poring over draft strategy, then I apologize. But if this theory comes to pass, when a team jumps ahead and grabs a tackle for fear of the Chiefs parting with Moore and subsequently replacing him, just for the Chiefs to get a completely different player and position, then you’ll think back on this article.
Then we can all talk about what a masterclass of a draft technician Brett Veach really is.