The Kansas City Chiefs came into the 2016 NFL Draft holding two picks within the first 125 selections, and after trading back with the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday night, they now have three picks within the first 105 selections.
It was a great move for the Chiefs, who traded their first (No. 28 overall) and seventh-round (No. 249 overall) picks to the San Francisco 49ers for their second (No. 37 overall), fourth (No. 105 overall) and sixth-round (No. 178 overall) picks.
With this move, the Chiefs picked up an additional selection to give them eight total for the weekend.
Kansas City Chiefs selections in 2016 NFL Draft | |
1st round |
TRADED TO 49ERS (28 overall) |
2nd round |
Pick No. 37 overall |
Pick No. 59 overall | |
4th round |
Pick No. 105 overall |
Pick No. 126 overall | |
5th round |
Pick No. 162 overall (from Seattle) |
|
Pick No. 165 overall |
6th round |
Pick No. 178 overall |
Pick No. 203 overall | |
7th round |
TRADED TO 49ERS (249 overall) |
"We think the true depth of this draft lies in between the second, third and fourth rounds," general manager John Dorsey said after Thursday night's first round. "There were some options that we had at times to go up. We had a lot of phone calls to go back. We felt at the end of the day when we measured everything this was strategically the best move for us moving forward.
"I think I got a pretty good deal. I'm happy with the deal."
The 49ers moved up to select Stanford guard Josh Garnett with the No. 28 pick.
The idea of picking up more picks is something that makes sense, as Dorsey has said all along that he liked the depth in this draft, particularly along the offensive and defensive lines.
![042816-Dorsey.jpg](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_editorial_landscape_mobile/t_lazy/f_auto/chiefs/tbkorqtoceaqw03pxjxl.jpg)
With more firepower heading into Friday and Saturday, Dorsey and company have plenty of options on where to go from here.
The last time the Chiefs traded back in the first round was in 2011, when they slid back six spots in the first round with the Cleveland Browns and picked up an extra third-round pick, which they used on linebacker Justin Houston.
That obviously turned out pretty well for the Chiefs.
"I had three or four scenarios I had worked on during the course of the week leading into this," Dorsey added. "At the end of the day, I'm very satisfied. There are some good players left right now."
It's the first time since Dorsey arrived in Kansas City four years ago that he's traded back in the first round, but it's not the first time he's done this in his career, and the results of doing so have turned out pretty well in the past for him.
Back in 2008 with the Green Bay Packers, Dorsey was part of the personnel staff that traded back from No. 30 to No. 36 so that the New York Jets could move up and get tight end Dustin Keller.
The Packers received the No. 36 and No. 102 picks in that trade.
That second-round pick (No. 36) was used on receiver Jordy Nelson, who has had a pretty good career thus far and helped the Packers win Super Bowl XLV, earned a Pro Bowl berth in 2014 and has more than 6,000 yards receiving with 49 touchdowns in his career.
It's fair to say that trade worked out well for Dorsey and the Packers.
Turning these second, third or fourth-round picks into successful contributors is something Dorsey has had success with even dating back to last year's rookie class, which contributed more total snaps played than any other team in the AFC.
"If you historically study those particular picks, over the life of that pick, meaning the career of that player, they usually pan out the same," Dorsey explained of picks in the third or fourth rounds. "That's a wide variety, but those are the pockets that they fall in to.
"That 105th pick—that's a really good position to be in because again, at round four, to me, that's a sweet spot."
When asked if there was anything that surprised him about the first round, Dorsey was quick to mention one of the big storylines of Thursday night.
"Yeah, that (UCLA linebacker) Myles Jack is still on the board," he said. "He's a good football player and I'm sure he'll go early tomorrow."
Jack was considered by many experts to be a top-five pick in this draft, but questions about his knee, which caused him to miss most of the 2015 season because of a torn meniscus suffered in September, and potentially more serious complications down the road, have caused him to slip.
"There are more things lingering than people realize," Dorsey added. "It's not for [Jack's] play on the field, because he's a wonderful player on the field. Let's make no mistake."
Now with two picks in the second round on Friday at No. 37 and 59, Dorsey is planning to re-group with his staff on Thursday night and get things set for what should be an exciting day with plenty of good players still on the board.
"I want to sit back and get with the personnel guys and I want to talk through some things," Dorsey said. "I want to sit down with the medical staff and thoroughly go through all the different processes and I'll be able to assess that a lot better tomorrow."
Although a player wasn't selected, it's easy to see why Thursday night was a win for the Chiefs.