Brett Veach Predicts a Trade-Heavy First Round, and Kansas City Is Ready to Deal

The Kansas City Chiefs general manager is expecting chaos in the best way possible next Thursday. During his annual pre-draft news conference, Brett Veach made it clear that teams should buckle up for a night full of movement on the clock. "There'll probably be a lot of trades," Veach said. Translation: don't get comfortable in your seat.

A Draft Class That Breaks the Usual Pattern

Here's why Veach thinks this year is going to look different from your typical draft night. Most analysts expect only one quarterback, Indiana's Fernando Mendoza, to go in the top 10. That's unusual. When you don't have multiple franchise quarterbacks competing for early picks, teams start thinking differently about how to build their rosters.

Add to that the fact that some of the top prospects don't play premium positions. Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles, Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, and Ohio State safety Caleb Downs are all talented guys, but they're not the kind of blockbuster positional values that typically lock teams into their draft strategy. That flexibility opens the door to negotiation.

Close Grades = Trading Opportunities

Veach's real insight is about how tight the evaluation is this year. "The grades are going to be so close from some of these offensive tackles and D-ends and receivers," he explained. What that means in plain English: a guy projected to go at pick 15 might slip to pick 25 because he's nearly identical in value to someone a team actually wants at 20. Or vice versa. Guys mocked lower could jump up for the same reason.

"There's not this huge gap and huge fall off," Veach said. Without star power like a Will Anderson Jr. or Myles Garrett type pulling teams toward certainty, general managers will get creative to move around and chase their targets.

The Chiefs Have a Playbook for This

The Chiefs themselves aren't strangers to draft-day trades. Since Veach took over in July 2017, Kansas City has executed several deals in the days before and during the draft. Expect them to be one of the active teams next Thursday if an opportunity surfaces.

"Fans will be in for a treat," Veach promised. Next Thursday night at the draft, keep your phone ready and your expectations high. This could get wild.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.