Breaking Down Veach’s Draft-Weekend Trades With Chiefs

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – This offseason has already featured a record number of NFL trades, two engineered by Brett Veach.

And in 12 days, the NFL draft is reportedly expected to include more trades than usual. The odds of Veach and the Chiefs lasting the entire draft weekend without at least one trade are equal to those of Jack Stack taking burnt ends off its menu.

The expectation among many NFL teams is that the 2026 draft will be one of the more trade-heavy drafts in recent memory, according to multiple league sources.

Specifically, on the defensive side of the ball — EDGE, CB and LB are all strong/deep — while WR is typically… pic.twitter.com/NhNQJiM91T
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) April 8, 2026

So, in the spirit of anticipation, here’s a look back at Veach’s 18 draft-weekend trades as Chiefs general manager.

Moving up, down

Of those 18 trades, 14 have pursued players to move up. Only four of the 18, including last year’s simple swap of 31st and 32nd selections prior to drafting Josh Simmons, have been to move down and acquire more picks.

The additional fifth-rounder Veach got from Howie Roseman and the Eagles in that Simmons trade? Veach used the pick, a fifth-rounder in 2025, to trade up in that fifth round and draft Jeffrey Bassa. Obviously, Veach is one of the NFL’s most aggressive general managers.

simmons, kelc — Aug 9, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Josh Simmons (71) and tight end Travis Kelce (87) against the Arizona Cardinals during a preseason NFL game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Day 1 vs. Friday and Saturday

Only three of the 18 have happened during the first round. In addition to the Simmons deal with Philadelphia (Roseman took Jihaad Campbell) at the end of Round 1 in 2025, Veach also moved up four spots in 2024 to take Xavier Worthy at No. 28. Veach moved up eight spots in 2022 to take Trent McDuffie. The remaining 15 have come on Day 2 (eight trades) and Day 3 (seven trades).

mcduffi — Nov 20, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) looks to pass as Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie (22) defends during the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Averages

In eight drafts as general manager, Veach has averaged 2.25 draft-weekend trades. He’s averaged approximately one trade per day on Friday and Saturday, and one every three years on Night 1 (however, he's made first-round trades each of the last two drafts). Expect Veach and the Chiefs to be as aggressive as any team, especially considering they’re armed with nine selections.

Best trade

Ironically, Veach enters this draft with more capital than any year since 2022. That March, he sent Tyreek Hill to Miami for a slew of picks. Then, on Night 1 of the draft, Veach used some of those picks in a deal with New England to move up and draft McDuffie at 21 overall. An All-Pro and two-time Super Bowl champion after only four years in the NFL, McDuffie went to the L.A. Rams in a trade last month for a déjà vu slew of picks. McDuffie also promptly signed the most lucrative cornerback contract in NFL history.

mcduffie, hil — Jan 13, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill (10) runs the ball ahead of Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie (22) during the first half of the 2024 AFC wild card game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

In 2022, the full trade included Kansas City sending New England its first-rounder that night (No. 29, Cole Strange), a third-rounder (94th overall, subsequently traded and eventually quarterback Matt Corral) and a fourth-rounder (121st overall, eventually Jack Jones). Jones joined the 49ers as a free agent on Friday.

Worst trade

A year after Veach championed the Chiefs to move up in the first round and take a polarizing quarterback named Patrick Mahomes, Veach had full control of the draft for the first time in 2018. … And he quickly made the worst draft-weekend trade of his career to date.

Without a first-round pick in 2018 (sent to the Bills in the Mahomes trade a year earlier), Veach struck a deal with the Bengals on Day 2. He moved up eight spots in the second round to draft defensive end Breeland Speaks – Veach’s first selection as Chiefs general manager. Speaks wound up playing only 16 NFL games, all during that 2018 rookie season.

In exchange for the Speaks selection, Veach also acquired Cincinnati’s third-rounder that year and chose linebacker Dorian O’Daniel with the 100th overall selection. O’Daniel played four years with the Chiefs but started only one game, with one career sack. The Bengals, meanwhile, used the Chiefs’ second-rounder to take Pro Bowler Jessie Bates at 54 overall, and used Kansas City's third-rounder to take Malik Jefferson at No. 78.