Chiefs Trade Inside Division for Former Fourth-Round Pick Neil Farrell
As the Kansas City Chiefs continue to trim down their roster to 53 players in accordance with the NFL roster cutdown deadline on Tuesday afternoon, they're also adding a player from an expected source.
Per a report by Adam Schefter of ESPN, Kansas City sent a sixth-round pick to the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for defensive tackle Neil Farrell Jr.:
In a rare intra-division swap within the AFC West, the Chiefs bring in Las Vegas' fourth-round pick (No. 126 overall) from last April. Farrell, who attended LSU, logged 158 defensive snaps in his rookie campaign with the Raiders and played in nine games overall. In those contests, the 6-foot-4 interior defensive lineman recorded 12 tackles, two quarterback hits and one tackle for loss. He posted a 0.86 Relative Athletic Score during the pre-draft process, grading out as "great" for size but "poor" or not qualifying for everything else.
Carter Landis of Raiders Today recently broke down what should be expected as Farrell enters his second season. Much was team-specific, but here's some of what he had to say:
While Farrell did not have much of an opportunity to showcase his skill-set last season, he has that opportunity in 2023. In his second season under Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham, Farrell can maximize his skills under Graham, who has coached up some of today’s best defensive tackles in the NFL.
Farrell will be only 25 years old when the season begins and still has lots of room to grow as a player. Right now, he is limited to being a run stuffer, but he can stand to improve as a tackler and as an interior pass rusher so he can remain on the field on passing downs.
The Raiders are looking to improve on defense on all three levels, especially in the trenches. They could not stop the run or, outside of Maxx Crosby, get to the quarterback last season. Defenses work in unison with each other, so when one unit is working, others follow suit.
Just minutes after he broke the news on the Chiefs' trade for Farrell, Schefter reported that the team released veteran nose tackle Danny Shelton. Shelton, who stood out in the preseason due to some solid play and a thinner frame, is a vested veteran and will not be subject to the waiver process.
