The Kansas City Chiefs are uniquely situated in the 2020 NFL draft. After winning Super Bowl LIV, they have pick No. 32 in the draft. That’s only one of the many reasons that the last slot in the first round is coveted. Teams could want to trade up to that spot to get a fifth-year option on a player they really like.
Using our handy trade value chart, I’ve come up with a trade that gets the Chiefs out of the first round. The team doesn’t pick up any extra picks out of this trade, which makes it less exciting. This would be more about saving some salary cap space and positioning the Chiefs at a better slot in the third round of the draft.
The Chiefs would trade picks No. 32, No. 96 and No. 138 (743 in value) to Lions for picks No. 35, No. 85, and No. 149 (745.6 in value). This swap of picks will save the Chiefs roughly $600K in salary cap space when signing their new draft picks, which could be all the difference for a cap-strapped team like Kansas City.
Here’s a look at the players the Chiefs came away with those picks using Mock Draft Simulator on nflmockdraftdatabase.com:
Round 1, Pick 35: Utah CB Jaylon Johnson
A lot of the top cornerbacks were already off the board at pick No. 32, so it made sense to move back with the Lions and pick up a player that I know the Chiefs really like at the position. Johnson played the 2019 season with a torn right labrum and went through drills at the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine prior to having surgery. He’s on track to be recovered from that surgery by June, so it shouldn’t impact his ability to play in 2020.
Johnson had a formal interview with the Chiefs at the combine. There he was able to display his superior football IQ to decision-makers on the team. His game tape checks a lot of the boxes at the CB position. His length is apparent, he uses his eyes well, he has ball skills and he’s physical at the line of scrimmage. This feels like the type of player that can lock things down across from Charvarius Ward for many years to come.