Kansas City Chiefs GM Brett Veach reveals he sought to take a WR earlier in the 2023 NFL draft
The wide receiver position has been a major focal point in the Kansas City Chiefs' frustrations this season. 28 of the team's league-leading 44 dropped passes came at the hands of a wide receiver. Even though the Chiefs are set to compete in Super Bowl LVIII, Brett Veach's biggest critics feel he didn't do enough […]
The wide receiver position has been a major focal point in the Kansas City Chiefs' frustrations this season. 28 of the team's league-leading 44 dropped passes came at the hands of a wide receiver.
Even though the Chiefs are set to compete in Super Bowl LVIII, Brett Veach's biggest critics feel he didn't do enough at the wide receiver position ahead of the 2023 NFL season. Asked about the selection of Rashee Rice and how things played out this offseason, Veach revealed some telling information about free agency and the 2023 NFL draft.
"Yeah, we're always trying to get Pat (Mahomes) offensive help, no matter what people think or say," Veach explained. "It was a unique free agency and there wasn't a lot to choose from and you're picking last in the draft. So, we took what we had and we invested in some veteran defensive players. We brought Charles (Omenihu) in, Drue (Tranquill) in, and Mike Edwards in. Then, we did try to get a receiver earlier in the draft. Didn't work out. But we were patient and that's what you need to do. Just be patient and disciplined. Thankfully, it worked out. Rashee (Rice) has done great, but you don't have to give 15 much. You give him a little and he'll do the rest."
Free agency certainly didn't go the way they had hoped with players like Odell Beckham Jr. and DeAndre Hopkins landing with other teams. When the draft came around was there a player the team wanted at pick No. 31 or did they have a trade-up in mind?
Here's what we know:
The Chiefs tried to trade up with the Cowboys
On the night of Round 1 of the 2023 NFL draft, Dallas turned down a trade offer with Kansas City. Team reporter Kyle Youmans revealed that the Cowboys turned down a deal that would have allowed the Chiefs to move up five spots to acquire pick No. 26. Apparently, Dallas thought that Kansas City was interested in Michigan DT Mazi Smith, who they ended up selecting with that pick.
Both Georgia edge rusher Nolan Smith and Oklahoma OT Anton Smith were still available at that spot, but there was a four-team run on wide receivers from pick No. 20 through pick No. 24. The only other receivers available that were selected between Pick No. 20 and No. 55 when they took Rashee Rice was Jonathan Mingo (Panthers) and Jayden Reed (Packers).
It seems unlikely that this trade would have been to move up for a receiver, but the fact that we know they were looking to move up here suggests that perhaps they were aiming for one of the four players selected during that run on wide receiver. Those include Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Seahawks), Quentin Johnston (Chargers), Zay Flowers (Ravens), and Jordan Addison (Vikings). Perhaps Veach's smirk and the reason he made that comment was that they were targeting Flowers in a trade-up and just defeated his team to advance to Super Bowl LVIII. He did have a pre-draft throwing session with Patrick Mahomes down in Texas after all.
It all seemed to work out for Kansas City in the end. Veach and his staff stuck their guns and landed Rice, who cleared as the most productive rookie wideout in franchise history. Perhaps, however, the team will revisit their desire to get better at the wide receiver position in what is considered a deep 2024 NFL draft class.
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