Chiefs Reportedly Attempted to Trade With Cowboys to Get Mazi Smith
After some wild shakeups in the first half of the 2023 NFL Draft's opening round, the second half also featured quite a few surprise developments. One of them was four wide receivers in a row flying off the board, which was particularly of note for a team like the Kansas City Chiefs. The mid-20s also saw some movement, and even more was allegedly in talks to take place.
Per Dallas Cowboys staff writer Patrik Walker, the Chiefs called the Cowboys and inquired about trading for pick No. 26. Once Dallas found out that Kansas City was interested in Michigan defensive tackle Mazi Smith, however, those talks evaporated and Smith became a Cowboy:
There was quite a bit of buzz surrounding Smith as a legitimate round-one candidate for the Chiefs, as the run-stuffing interior defensive lineman could've served as a complement to Chris Jones and was mocked to Kansas City quite often in the days and weeks leading up to the draft. Nevertheless, he's a good fit in Dallas and went right around where his projected draft range was set (late on Day 1).
The Chiefs moving up five spots in the draft wouldn't have cost them a ton in terms of serious capital, but it also would've left them a bit less flexibility for either Day 2 or Day 3 of this year's draft. The team is happy with its ultimate selection after standing pat at 31st overall, going with Kansas State defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah. Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt stepping up to the podium to close out the first round of a draft his city hosted made for a picturesque ending to an epic night in Kansas City, so while the trade fell through, neither side is regretting it in the aftermath.
