When the Kansas City Chiefs traded star defensive back L’Jarius Sneed to the Tennessee Titans, few fans thought that the team got enough in return for one of its most outstanding players.
In the move, Kansas City sent Sneed to Tennessee in exchange for the Titans’ third-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft and a pick swap that involved 2024 seventh-round selections.
On Sunday, Tennessee ended its regular season campaign with a 23-14 loss to the Houston Texans, which dropped the Titans’ record to 3-14, which tied for the league’s worst mark.
As such, the Chiefs are now set to make the No. 66 selection in the 2025 NFL draft using the pick they gained by trading Sneed to Tennessee.
The Chiefs used the franchise tag on L’Jarius Sneed to buy a window to trade him to another team.
In turn, KC receives the 66th pick in the 2025 draft from the Titans. https://t.co/MpQtTMVftK
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) January 6, 2025
Early draft picks in the middle rounds are among the most valuable assets that a football team can have, especially while they are actively contending for titles and generally picking later in each round.
By receiving the No. 66 selection instead of, say, the No. 96 pick (the final non-compensatory pick in the third round), Kansas City maximized the value of the trade that sent Sneed to the Music City.