2 Trades Chiefs Can Still Make, Before or After Draft

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A.J. Brown and Jonathan Greenard are still on their teams as of Wednesday afternoon. They’re probably not planning get-together parties with their neighbors this fall, however.

Since the Super Bowl, NFL teams have completed more trades than any spring in league history. According to Adam Schefter, the 19 trades this month are three more than last March. That figure doesn’t include the unofficial Maxx Crosby deal between Baltimore and Las Vegas, and there’s still a month before the draft.

crosby, mahome — Nov 29, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) scrambles from Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) during the second half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

“There’s been a gradual uptick in the number of trades that have been made each year over the last 10 or so years,” Schefter explained on Tuesday’s edition of the Adam Schefter Podcast. “This league has become bolder, more daring, more aggressive. The general managers have become younger. Teams have done a better job at locking in the younger players to make the free-agent pools less attractive … which means trades.”

Brett Veach has made two of them, significant deals that sent Trent McDuffie to the Rams to acquire four draft choices, and a trade with the Jets to acquire Justin Fields. And the Chiefs’ general manager might not be done.

The Chiefs are in a unique trade window with regard to two younger players, edge rusher Felix Anudike-Uzomah and safety Jaden Hicks.

Anudike-Uzomah for 2027 fifth-round pick

While Anudike-Uzomah missed the 2025 season with a hamstring injury, and he has just four sacks in 38 NFL games, he’s still within a maximum-value window. The Chiefs’ first-round selection (31st overall) in the 2023 draft, Anudike-Uzomah has shown flashes of potentially turning a corner. He posted a tackle for loss in Super Bowl 58 against San Francisco and also sacked C.J. Stroud in a playoff game.

Last August, Veach procured a sixth-round 2027 pick from the 49ers for Skyy Moore. The general manager then flipped that selection to the Jets this month to acquire Fields. Surely, at least one team would be willing to surrender a fifth-rounder in next year’s draft, or even a sixth-rounder in 2026, for a former first-round selection in Anudike-Uzomah.

Nov 10, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) is sacked by Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah (97) at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

His value could decrease after next month’s draft, when the Chiefs are expected to select at least one edge rusher among their nine selections.

Hicks for a 2027 sixth-round choice

Like Anudike-Uzomah, Hicks is still within his highest-value window. A fourth-round pick in 2024, 133rd overall, Hicks posted a team-leading three interceptions as a rookie. However, his coverage skills seemed to slip significantly in Year 2. Steve Spagnuolo had him on the field just 43 percent of defensive snaps in 2025, preferring Chamari Conner (98 percent) more often.

And in addition to unrestricted free agent Alohi Gilman, the Chiefs are expected to add another safety in the April 23-25 draft. Now seems to be a good time to move Hicks.

“Trades have helped other teams win the Super Bowl,” Schefter said. “Trades have become trendy. They’ve become something that is not passe, like teams are willing to try to be bold and aggressive. And when it's a copycat league, one team is being bold, your other teams better be bold, too.

“It has led to more trades than ever before. It's happened at the trade deadline. It's happening at the start of the league’s new year.”