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Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach could orchestrate a blockbuster trade in round one of the 2026 NFL Draft.
With round one of the 2026 NFL Draft is just one night away, a respected league insider sparked new Kansas City Chiefs trade rumors involving the Dallas Cowboys. And folks, if KC general manager Brett Veach can pull this off, it’d be a complete masterclass on his part.
At pick No. 9 of the 2026 NFL Draft, ESPN insider and touted draft expert Peter Schrager has the Chiefs trading down with the Cowboys. It’s a fairly simple deal.
With both franchises owning the rights to two first-round picks this year, and the Chiefs’ two picks bookending the Dallas picks, Schrager predicts the teams will swap both. So, Kansas City would forgo picking at No. 9 to move up from No. 29 to No. 20. Full terms:
Chiefs get: No. 12, No. 20.
Cowboys get: No. 9, No. 29.
Per Schrager, Dallas would then select LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane, who many see as the clear No. 1 cornerback in this class.
On the flip side, the Chiefs get their guy at No. 12. For the past several months, it feels like KC has been connected to Miami defensive end Rueben Bain Jr.
Schrager believes Bain could fall all the way to No. 12, and in this prediction, he does.
To complete this proposed show of brilliance from Veach and the Chiefs front office, Schrager then has Kansas City filling another need at No. 20: wide receiver.
Another player commonly labeled a KC fit has been Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. The physical and versatile yards-after-catch threat mirrors Chiefs star Rashee Rice in many ways, at least on the field, and given Rice’s steady uncertainty off the field and upcoming extension dilemma, Cooper could be the perfect replacement.
Finally, the Cowboys close out this deal with UCF edge rusher Malachi Lawrence.
Peter Schrager Explains Final Chiefs NFL Draft Prediction Involving Cowboys Trade Rumors
GettyMany expect the Kansas City Chiefs to draft Miami defensive end Rueben Bain Jr.
Schrager did give a brief explanation for each of his final mock decisions. The respected insider is known for making fairly accurate predictions based on the NFL rumors that he’s been hearing, and that’s the same judgment he used to put together this Chiefs-Cowboys trade.
“OK, our first trade! I could see this happening,” Schrager wrote at No. 9. “After allowing 377 yards per game and letting opponents convert on third down 47.3% of the time — ranking among the worst in the NFL in both — Dallas has to get one of the top defensive prospects. It’s a necessity. But there’s no guarantee any of them — [Caleb] Downs, Delane, Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. et al — will still be there at No. 12. This is a chance to guarantee getting one of them and still have another first-round pick.”
As for the Bain selection, Schrager wrote: “The Chiefs have done their homework on the edge rushers near the top of this class, and I could even see them trading up instead of down if [David] Bailey or [Arvell] Reese slid just a little bit more. But moving back three spots (while moving up nine spots later in Round 1) and still getting a top-three edge rusher in the class? It’d be a huge win for Kansas City. Bain had 9.5 sacks last season and could slot in opposite George Karlaftis.”
Why Omar Cooper Jr. Is the Perfect WR Fit for the Chiefs
Later, Schrager discussed the Cooper pick at wide receiver. He described the pairing as an “A-plus first round” for Kansas City.
“This would be an A-plus first round for the Chiefs, with Bain and then Cooper,” the ESPN insider stated.
“Patrick Mahomes is coming off a torn ACL, and the receiver room has some issues,” he continued. “Cooper caught 13 touchdowns last season, and I’ve heard some comps to Deebo Samuel for his toughness and versatility.”
Similar to Rice, Travis Kelce, and other KC stars, Cooper is a get-the-ball-in-his-hands-and-go type receiver. We’ve seen head coach Andy Reid gush over playmakers like this in the past, especially ones with strength and speed.
Cooper has those traits, and he’d be the ideal fit for this KC offense.
Michael Obermuller covers the NFL as an Associate Editor for Heavy Sports, where he began writing in 2021. His areas of focus include the NFL breaking news operation, Kansas City Chiefs, New York Giants, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Pittsburgh Steelers, with expert knowledge on each based on years of coverage. Michael is an NYC area native and Quinnipiac graduate. More about Michael Obermuller
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