What? The Kansas City Chiefs?
But... why? Wait a second, the Chiefs? What?
The whole venue was stunned.
The 2017 NFL Draft had barely begun, and already it was this intense?
Just moments earlier, the Cleveland Browns had made an unusually straightforward choice, opting for Myles Garrett, the undisputed top defensive player of the year. For once, they weren't chasing headlines but making a grounded, logical choice to address their roster needs, hinting at a real strategy.
But then, the typically steady, low-profile Kansas City Chiefs broke the calm. They executed the first major move of the draft, trading up to the second pick, and instantly sent every team's plans into a scramble. Every franchise from the third spot onward suddenly had to rethink.
Analyzing the pre-draft projections, it was expected that the 49ers would focus on bolstering their defense, most likely selecting Stanford's defensive end, Solomon Thomas.
The Chiefs, meanwhile, had been linked to wide receivers and cornerbacks, with LSU's cornerback Tre'Davious White or Alabama's tight end O.J. Howard being logical targets—especially considering they originally held the 27th pick and would typically wait their turn.
In the Ravens' war room, General Manager Ozzie Newsome was just as dumbfounded, blurting out, "What?"
With an expression of shock and confusion, he turned to head coach John Harbaugh, "John, has Andy Reid lost it? And Brett Veach is going along with it?"
"Second pick… for Lance?"
The move didn't make sense.
Newsome knew Lance was an exceptional player, without question. But a projection around the tenth pick was more reasonable—ideal, even. If Carolina took Lance at eighth, Newsome would applaud them. If Jacksonville used their fourth pick for Lance, he'd consider it reckless. If Cleveland had taken him first overall? Pure madness.
But for the Chiefs to trade up to the second spot for a running back? They were paying a high premium for a position whose value in the 2016 landscape was heavily debated. It was an unpopular gamble.
Harbaugh felt a twinge of anxiety but managed to rein it in. Then, clarity hit him, tingling from his toes to his scalp, "Wait, no. They're going for a quarterback."
Newsome blinked, and the pieces fell into place, making the whole puzzle finally fit—
If the Chiefs had traded up for a quarterback, it would indeed make sense. Trading for a future franchise quarterback was worth the investment, and while this year's draft class wasn't packed with quarterback talent, fewer contenders meant lower competition, giving Kansas City a prime shot at picking their guy at a reasonable cost.
Newsome exchanged a look with Harbaugh, the understanding clear in their eyes—the old master, Reid, had faked them out.
But why the second pick and not the first?
Newsome quickly deduced, "Chicago."
The Chicago Bears held the third pick.
Since the draft camp, despite their attempt to keep things under wraps, anyone paying attention could see the Bears were zoning in on quarterbacks.
Chicago's QB, Jay Cutler, had been with the team since 2008. He wasn't a poor player—his performance generally hovered above league average, and he could deliver stellar moments. But his Achilles' heel?
Consistency under pressure.
Cutler had a habit of throwing interceptions at critical moments, turning key games into nightmares and dooming any hope of postseason success.
After a lackluster season plagued by injuries, the Bears and Cutler agreed to part ways, officially ending his contract in March.
Rumors had it that Cutler was considering retirement.
So, with their starting quarterback seat vacant, the Bears' intentions couldn't have been clearer: they were ready to build a new era with a fresh rookie quarterback at the helm.
And the Chiefs had intercepted them.
A shocker, truly—a move no one in the league could've foreseen.
So, were the Chiefs eyeing Mitchell Trubisky or Deshaun Watson?
Meanwhile, in Kansas City's war room, the debate was already in full swing—
"Trubisky!" "Watson!"
Each staff member voiced their thoughts and opinions. Veach, excited and nervous, felt his mind racing—
He hadn't expected the 49ers to actually accept the trade. In exchange for this year's first and second rounds, plus their first-round picks for 2018 and 2019, they'd successfully grabbed San Francisco's second spot.
This was a monumental trade.
Finally, the Chiefs would have a chance to secure a rookie quarterback for the future. How many years had it been since they'd drafted a first-round quarterback?
Even though the decision was made, adrenaline continued to pulse through the room. But they had to settle down—they were on the clock. In ten minutes, they'd need to submit their pick, or this hard-won trade would go to waste, a potential media fiasco by morning.
Taking a deep breath, Veach turned to Reid. "Coach, your thoughts?"
Reid sat still, chewing gum, arms folded, his face deep in contemplation.
Ultimately, his passion won out. "Lance."
The room fell dead silent, everyone turning to Reid as though they'd just witnessed a ghost. The air practically thickened with question marks.
What had they just heard?
Reid knew he was taking a massive risk. A first-round pick for a running back was already viewed as risky, and choosing one in the top three was nearly unheard of. But he trusted his gut and was willing to overhaul the plan completely.
He was ready to take the leap.
The others were shocked—not because they hadn't scouted Lance, but because their focus had always been on quarterbacks. Reid's decision seemed to come out of nowhere.
Veach, although not shocked, felt his heart skip a beat. Trading up by three years' worth of first-round picks, plus this year's second round, just to draft a running back would make them the league's laughingstock.
Even if they were set on reaching for Lance, it didn't have to be this high. They could've worked out a trade with Chicago at the third spot, just ahead of Jacksonville.
Instead, they'd burned through a stockpile of draft picks and nearly $20 million of their salary cap.
Veach took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay calm. "Coach, we have to pick a quarterback—Trubisky or Watson?"
Reid didn't answer right away, deep in thought as if he hadn't even heard the question.
Tick-tock, tick-tock. The countdown kept ticking.
"Chicago's on line four."
"Bears GM Ryan Pace is on line four."
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