Chiefs GM Brett Veach Expects 'A Lot of Trades' as 2026 NFL Draft Approaches

Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach met with local reporters via Zoom on Thursday for his annual pre-draft press conference — and his message was clear: prepare for a wild night. "It should be an entertaining night," Veach said. "There'll probably be a lot of trades." With the 2026 NFL Draft now just one week away (April 23rd in Pittsburgh), Veach explained that this year's prospect class is unusually flat in terms of top-end talent, which he believes will lead to more movement than usual.

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Veach noted that most analysts expect only one quarterback, Indiana's Fernando Mendoza, to be selected in the first ten picks — a stark contrast to years where multiple franchise QBs are available. "I think the fans will be in for a treat next Thursday because I think the grades [on prospects] are going to be so close," Veach explained. "A lot of these guys that are mocked high may go a little lower and a lot of these guys that are getting mocked a little lower may go higher because I think they're so close this year. There's not this huge gap and huge fall off." He added that the absence of a "generational" pass-rusher like Will Anderson Jr. or Myles Garrett further opens up the board.

The Chiefs find themselves in an uncommon position: picking ninth overall for the first time since selecting Patrick Mahomes tenth in the 2017 draft. Kansas City also owns the 29th pick after trading All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams last month in exchange for a package of draft capital with the 29th selection at its center. Veach acknowledged the team has needs at multiple positions, including offensive line, edge rusher, and receiver, and that the proximity of the top prospects makes the ninth pick difficult to project. "Whether it's the defensive back field, the offensive line, edge rusher, receiver — we need help in all of those areas," Veach said. "You can't eliminate any one need because there are a lot of them."

Veach's history suggests the Chiefs won't simply sit still. He has repeatedly executed trades in the days leading up to the draft, including moving up from 29th to 21st in 2022 to select McDuffie — just weeks after orchestrating the blockbuster that sent Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins. "It's just trying to work the board and trying to find out how many of those 10-15 guys that you have in that really-want list can you position yourself to get," Veach said. The Chiefs currently have 215 prospects on their draft board. "We're at 215 [prospects on their draft board this year]. You're going to have 10-15 guys that you really want to get. It's just trying to work the board."

Among the prospects Veach specifically referenced as being difficult to rank were Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles, Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, and Ohio State safety Caleb Downs — all players who don't fill what Veach considers "premium positions." Several league executives echoed that sentiment this week, with one NFC GM telling ESPN that this year's class "has no clear top-five players, and after about pick 15 it really doesn't matter who you pick." That sentiment was reflected in a chaotic CBS Sports mock draft this week that featured five first-round trades, including the Dallas Cowboys trading up into the top ten.

Veach declined to confirm whether the Chiefs were actively fielding trade calls for the ninth pick, but his public comments left the door wide open. "I think it does open up that No. 9 pick to go in any one direction," Veach said. "We'll see how the first five or six picks go. I think whether it's the defensive back field, the offensive line, edge rusher, receiver, again we need help in all of those areas." With a week to go, expect the calls to keep coming — and Veach to keep listening.