In a new seven-round mock draft, the Kansas City Chiefs trade up in the first round for a wide receiver while going offense-heavy in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The 2024 NFL Draft is just around the corner, and the Kansas City Chiefs are currently set to make their first selection at the end of the first round on Thursday night. However, in a new seven-round mock draft by Jordan Reid of ESPN, the Chiefs don’t wait until No. 32 to grab their newest wide receiver.
To kick off KC’s action in the mock draft, Reid has the Chiefs sending picks No. 32, 95, and 159 to the Dallas Cowboys for pick No. 24 so the Chiefs could select the fifth wide receiver off the board.
“Kansas City GM Brett Veach isn’t shy about moving up for prospects that he likes in Round 1,” Reid writes. “We’ve seen it in past years, with K.C. trading up for players such as Patrick Mahomes and Trent McDuffie. So why not do it again for a reliable pass-catcher? And Dallas would likely be game for this considering it has seven picks and could use the draft capital to tackle some needs.”
After making the jump, Reid has the Chiefs selecting Texas wide receiver Adonai Mitchell at No. 24 overall.
“Mitchell is a perfect fit in the Chiefs’ scheme and can play inside or outside for them,” Reid writes. “He’s one of the most efficient receivers in this class, as 82% of his catches last season went for either a first down or a touchdown. I was impressed with his combine performance, too. He’d be a dynamic downfield option for Mahomes. Plus, after the Chiefs had 38 drops in 2023, Mitchell’s sure hands would be welcomed. He had just five drops over his 35-game college career.”
The Chiefs paid a premium for that selection, but not as much as they had to give up in other aggressive trade-ups throughout mock draft season. Still, that price means the Chiefs don’t hold a selection between picks No. 65 and No. 130, cutting KC down to just two top-100 selections and one Day 2 pick. By losing the earlier of their pair of fifth-round picks in the Mitchell trade-up, the team is likely acknowledging that they wouldn’t be able to trade up again later in the draft without dipping into next year’s resources.
At the end of the second round, Reid has the Chiefs getting help on the offensive line from a player with local ties: Kansas offensive lineman Dominick Puni.
“There are many scouts who believe Puni could play all five positions up front,” Reid writes. “But if they target him on Day 2, I think the Chiefs might opt to at least try him at tackle before potentially moving him inside. He didn’t allow a sack over two seasons as a starter.”
Reid rounds out his mock with the Chiefs’ three remaining selections: Arizona tight end Tanner McLachlan at No. 131, South Dakota cornerback Myles Harden at No. 173, and Utah safety Sione Vaki at No. 221.
