The Chiefs just spent almost nothing to fix a problem that showed up all preseason: an offensive line that couldn't stay in one piece. Kansas City is sending New York a 2028 seventh-round pick for guard Josh Ezeudu, according to Jordan Schultz, who reported the deal was in place late Tuesday night.
Trade: The #Chiefs are trading a 2028 7th-round pick to the #Giants in exchange for G Josh Ezeudu, per sources. Kansas City has been looking to add OL depth and now does so with Ezeudu, who played in 33 games during his tenure with New York.
That's about as cheap as trades get in the NFL, and the price tag says a lot about where both sides stood. Ezeudu was a third-round pick out of North Carolina back in 2022, but he missed the entire 2025 season on injured reserve with a calf injury and was reportedly on the roster bubble in New York. The Giants have now dealt away depth at the position twice in less than a week, per Schultz.
The #Chiefs add a former 3rd-round pick in Josh Ezuedu, still just 26 years old, while the #Giants have felt they had strong OL depth — and now trade their second one in less than a week.
For Kansas City, this isn't a splash move, it's a fire drill. The Chiefs' line got exposed in a Week 2 preseason game against Tampa Bay, when they were forced to start Mike Caliendo at right guard next to Kahlil Benson and the whole unit looked jumbled. With Trey Smith dealing with a hip injury and none of the in-house options — Hunter Nourzad, C.J. Hanson, Pete Nygra, Josh Thompson — fully establishing themselves, GM Brett Veach needed a body who's actually played meaningful NFL snaps.
Ezeudu fits that bill even if he's far from a sure thing. He appeared in 33 games for New York with 10 starts, splitting time between left tackle and left guard, so he brings position flexibility the Chiefs' current depth chart lacks. At 26 and still just three years removed from being a third-round pick, he's a low-risk swing for a team that can't afford to gamble on unproven guys up front heading into the regular season.
The real test comes fast. Kansas City has to trim its roster to 53 players within days, and how Ezeudu is used in that final cutdown will say a lot about whether Veach views him as a stopgap body or an actual answer at guard. Either way, for a team with Super Bowl aspirations, protecting the interior of that line is non-negotiable — and right now, a 2028 seventh-rounder is a small price to pay for peace of mind.