Kansas City Chiefs GM Brett Veach’s ability to one-up Buffalo Bills GM Brandon Beane in the NFL Draft has manifested several times, and it could manifest again in 2025.
Fans can recently point to the trade that resulted in Kansas City landing WR Xavier Worthy and his record-setting performance in Super Bowl LIX. The most brilliant piece of work from Veach came in the 2022 NFL Draft when the Chiefs jumped ahead of the Bills to snag First-Team All-Pro CB Trent McDuffie. Kansas City sent picks 29, 94, and 121 to the New England Patriots for pick No. 21, moving just ahead of Buffalo at pick No. 23.
The move surprised the Bills (see behind-the-scenes video here), leaving them with Florida CB Kaiir Elam at No. 23. That decision didn’t work out for Buffalo, as Elam was just traded to the Cowboys this offseason.
With the 2025 NFL Draft around the corner, it’s important to note that the Chiefs may need to maneuver themselves in front of the Bills again, as they share an interest in one specific draft prospect.
It won’t be the first or the last time this happens for the Chiefs and Bills, but both clubs have a clear interest in the same draft prospect.
The Chiefs met with Florida State DT Joshua Farmer for a formal meeting at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. He’s spoken about possibly joining Fabien Lovett, a former FSU teammate, in Kansas City. Brett Veach seems to be with Farmer on that idea, as he’s kept the line of communication open during the pre-draft process.
Farmer spoke about his pre-draft visits and team interest after the FSU Pro Day. During that press conference, he revealed that the Bills and Chiefs share something in common. He’s been in constant communication with both clubs.
“I’ve got like nine top-30 visits. I’ve talked to all of the top teams. I’ve talked to Cleveland, I talk to the Bills and Kansas City every day,” he said. “Like every day, I talk to the Bills and Kansas City. I talked to Philly yesterday. I’ve got a visit with them. . . I’ve talked to mostly everybody that needs a D-Tackle.”
It’s easy to see why the Chiefs like Farmer. He’s a stout and robust defensive tackle prospect at 6-foot-3 and 305 pounds who has made 25 starts with Florida State over the past two seasons. During that span, the 22-year-old posted 64 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, nine sacks, two passes batted, and one forced fumble. He even models his game after a former Andy Reid-Brett Veach draft pick in Philadelphia, Fletcher Cox.
When do the Chiefs need to be concerned about Buffalo if they want to draft Farmer?
What happens with the Chiefs and Bills in the draft’s first round could influence Round 2. Farmer is not projected to be a first-round draft pick, but should neither team select a defensive tackle (or trade down) in Round 1, Brett Veach must be diligent.
Farmer’s A to Z Sports Expected Draft Range has him landing between picks 64 and 143, but the Bills pick at No. 56 and No. 62 in the second round. Brandon Beane will be aware that both picks are ahead of Kansas City at pick No. 63 in the second round and No. 66 atop the third round.
If the Chiefs want Farmer, they’ll likely have to move up ahead of No. 62 at the very least. The safe bet would be to find a mid-50s trade partner to move up with. The Seattle Seahawks (52), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (53), and Green Bay Packers (54) all make sense.
Of course, Veach and Beane could strike a deal again that sees Buffalo and Kansas City swap picks. However, that seems unlikely after how things went down during the 2024 NFL season and postseason.
