Why the Kansas City Chiefs traded up to draft cornerback Trent McDuffie - Kansas City Chiefs Blog- ESPN

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — As they set their board before the NFL draft, general manager Brett Veach and the Kansas City Chiefs went through the usual exercises, trying to figure how much they would be willing to give up to move up for their favorite prospects.

The Chiefs, who entered the draft with the 29th and 30th picks in the first round, didn't bother with one of their favorite cornerbacks, Trent McDuffie of Washington. They figured he would be selected too early for them to have a realistic chance of trading up to draft him.

The Chiefs then had to scramble as McDuffie fell into their range. They wound up sending three draft picks — No. 29, No. 94 and No. 121 — to the New England Patriots for the right to move up to No. 21 and select McDuffie.

McDuffie was the first cornerback drafted by the Chiefs in the first round since 2015, when they selected Marcus Peters at No. 18. He's the first cornerback the Chiefs have picked before the fourth round since 2016.

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«Trent is a guy who can come in here [and play] Day 1,» Veach said. «He's wired the right way, [has] extreme knowledge of the game, a three‐year player, a three‐year starter.

»It was a position that we wanted to address."

The Chiefs had addressed cornerback in recent years with a collection of low-round draft picks, trades for developmental prospects and low-priced free agents. Veach said that wasn't necessarily the plan.

«It's more circumstance,» Veach said. «Not having a ton of cap space every year and not picking in the top 10, it's hard to just say we're