KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- In the past two days, the Kansas City Chiefs have traded in a fourth-round draft pick in 2019 for a former second-round pick, and a 2018 fifth-round pick for a former first-round pick.
Paying pennies on the dollar as the Chiefs did in acquiring linebacker Reggie Ragland from the Buffalo Bills and offensive lineman Cam Erving from the Cleveland Browns is a great way for the Chiefs to go about their business. If they are right about their two newest players, the Chiefs have in Ragland their eventual replacement for Derrick Johnson and in Erving a starting interior offensive lineman.
If they're wrong on both? That's where the risk comes in because the Chiefs are running low on future draft picks.
The Chiefs in April sent next year's first-round pick to the Bills so they could move up this year and draft quarterback Patrick Mahomes II. Mahomes would be worth far more than that price if he becomes the player the Chiefs envision, but they're still without that pick in 2018.
Fourth- and fifth-rounders are less vital, of course, but not without value. The Chiefs last year in the fourth round found an offensive lineman, Parker Ehinger, who was starting as a rookie until he injured his knee. In the fifth round last year they drafted Tyreek Hill, who quickly became one of their most valuable players.
The Chiefs have made it more difficult for themselves in the next couple of drafts to move up in a given round for a player they covet. They packaged some picks this year so they could move up in the third round and draft running back Kareem Hunt.
That's a trade the Chiefs may not be able to make in the next two years and the type of player they may have to do without. So while dealing for former high-draft picks is not a bad strategy for the Chiefs, they need to be right about the players they are acquiring more often than not.
