The Kansas City Chiefs added to their secondary on Thursday, acquiring cornerback Mike Hughes in a trade with the Minnesota Vikings.
Here are five things to know about the veteran defensive back.
1. Hughes was a first-round pick in 2018.
The Vikings selected Hughes with the No. 30 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, making him the third cornerback taken that year behind only the Browns' Denzel Ward (No. 4 overall) and the Packers' Jaire Alexander (No. 18).
Hughes is the second former first round pick to join the Chiefs' cornerback group of late, as Kansas City signed 2019 first-rounder Deandre Baker (No. 30 overall that year) last season.
2. He's appeared in 24 games over the course of his young career.
Hughes made 24 appearances with seven starts during his three-year tenure with the Vikings, recording 13 passes defensed, three forced fumbles and two interceptions.
Injuries have limited his time on the field, as he tore his ACL in Week 6 of his rookie campaign and battled a neck injury that caused him to miss all but four games in 2020. Now a member of the Chiefs, Hughes has an opportunity at a fresh start in Kansas City.
3. His first career game was a memorable one.
Hughes didn't waste any time getting his hands on the football to begin his career, picking off San Francisco 49ers' quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in Week 1 of his rookie season.
With Minnesota leading by seven points early in the third quarter, Hughes intercepted Garoppolo and returned it 28 yards for a touchdown to extend the Vikings' advantage.
It was the definition of a strong start to Hughes' career while also demonstrating his potential as a playmaker when healthy.
4. Hughes has experience as a return man, too.
The five-foot-10, 189-pound Hughes has fielded both kickoffs and punts during his career. He handled six total kicks during his rookie season (4 kickoffs, 2 punts) before serving as the Vikings' primary punt returner in 2019. He fielded 14 punts that season, averaging 7.4 yards on those returns.
Hughes was effective as a return man in college as well, finding the end zone three times (2 kickoff returns, 1 punt) for UCF in 2017.
5. He helped lead UCF to an undefeated season in 2017.
Hughes was a member of the University of Central Florida squad that went 13-0 back in 2017, tallying 11 pass breakups and four interceptions over the course of the season. He saved his final pick for when it counted most, recording an interception in UCF's thrilling victory over South Florida late in the year. In fact, Hughes also scored the game-winning touchdown in that matchup when he returned a kickoff 95 yards in the closing minutes of regulation to help preserve UCF's perfect season.
He was named a Second Team All-American for his performance that year, catching the attention of the NFL in the process. That led to Hughes' early selection in the 2018 Draft, and after three years in Minnesota, the former first-round pick is headed to Kansas City.
