KANSAS CITY – Brett Veach said back in February that the Chiefs would prioritize the defensive line heading into the 2022 offseason.

“On the defensive line, we’ll have some decisions to make,” Veach said. “We’ll always prioritize the offensive and defensive lines. If you look at the track record that coach (Andy Reid) had in Philly and that I have carried over here, it’s always going to be: once you get the quarterback, you’re going to invest in the O-line and D-line….

"I don’t think it’s far-fetched to think that we’ll prioritize the lines like we always do. Knowing that we have a good offensive line in place, defensive line probably makes the most sense. I think the defensive side is one that we’ll probably focus on right off the bat.”

Well, so far, that hasn't been the case. The team lost Jarran Reed and added Taylor Stallworth, the latter being nothing more than a rotational player over the course of his career.

The Chiefs restructured Frank Clark's contract and re-signed Derrick Nnadi, but outside of those moves, it's been largely quiet.

As it currently stands, the Chiefs have 13 players listed at either defensive end or defensive tackle, but only Clark and Chris Jones have shown they can handle business at a high level in the NFL.

The loss of Reed is big. He logged the most defensive snaps out of all Chiefs defensive linemen in 2021 and represented that big run-stuffer who could also get after the quarterback from time-to-time. There are big shoes to fill, there, and it's hard to imagine one of the aforementioned players or a rookie doing so.

Fortunately, the Chiefs could be in line to find someone who can not only replace Reed, but immediately upgrade the pass rush/defensive line in a big way: Falcons defensive lineman Grady Jarrett.

ESPN's Dan Graziano wrote Wednesday that Jarrett could be the subject of a trade during draft week. Jarrett's age and salary, along with the Falcons' rebuilding state, have created the proper circumstances to where the Falcons could look to move the two-time Pro Bowler:

Other potential candidates to be traded during draft week include but are not limited to: Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield, Giants cornerback James Bradberry, Bears quarterback Nick Foles (yes, he's still there!) and Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett.

It makes a ton of sense for the Chiefs to trade for Grady Jarrett

There are three boxes that must be checked in order for a trade to make sense: scheme fit, the cost to acquire the player, and contract details.

All three boxes are checked when it comes to the idea of the Chiefs and Falcons making a trade for Jarrett.

In regard to scheme – Jarrett is a perfect fit. He can play the 3T/4T position, which would allow Jones to continue to move around the defensive line like he has over the last couple of years. Those two on the interior defensive line would give the Chiefs the scariest interior pass rush in the NFL.

Good luck trying to block Jones and Garrett 1-on-1. Your quarterback is screwed unless they have the size of Ben Roethlisberger and the escapability of Mike Vick. That cylinder will get crushed quicker than a bug on a highway and opposing QBs will pay for it every time.

Jarrett would also free up Clark on the outside and whomever wins the opposite EDGE position, making the pass rush even more lethal. He'd also give defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo all kinds of options when it comes to the fronts he deploys in his subpackages.

And the best part? It wouldn't cost the Chiefs much in terms of draft capital.

The Falcoholic's Cory Woodroof wrote about Garrett's situation a week ago and he believes Jarrett will likely cost a second-round pick, at minimum:

Barring a surprise, Jarrett is either going to return to the Falcons with a new contract, or he’s going to be moved before the 2022 season starts, maybe around next weekend’s draft action. He’d certainly be worth at least a second-round pick for a more complete team that would be more than happy to have Jarrett and could afford to sign him to a new deal.

The Chiefs have two picks in each of the first four rounds. There are multiple deals they could propose in order to obtain Jarrett and it's likely they'll still have at least one pick in each round after doing so. Finding the draft capital wouldn't be a problem for the Chiefs, nor would it limit them in the upcoming draft.

And then finally, there are the contract details to figure out. Jarrett turns 29 in May and his services would hypothetically cost the Chiefs around $17.5 million in 2022.

That certainly isn't cheap. The Chiefs do have enough cap room, however, and they can extend Jarrett in order to create more cap room. Jarrett is in the last year of his deal, so an extension would essentially be a requirement. But, the Chiefs can make it work to their advantage.

They could, let's say, give Jarrett a three-year extension worth $45 million. They could then convert, let's say, $10 million of Jarrett's 2022 salary into a signing bonus and proceed to spread it over the four years of the deal. That would drop Jarrett's cap hit to around $10 million for 2022, saving the Chiefs $7.5 million in 2022.

In regard to a long-term scenario, the Chiefs are in a position where they can move on from Clark in 2023 if he doesn't pick up his play, so it's not like a hypothetical Jarrett extension will bog the Chiefs down, either.

Overall, it just makes too much sense and the Chiefs should find a way to trade for Jarrett.

There is one catch with this entire situation

They key with all of this, though is timing. The Chiefs have to figure something out quick if they want to pull this off. If Jarrett is worth a Day 2 selection, then the Chiefs will have to figure something out, well, by Day 2.

That could be a big obstacle, but if the Chiefs want Jarrett bad enough, they'll find a way to get him.

Featured image via Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports