Brett Veach completes first-ever trade, still catching Skyy Moore four picks later

More than a month after the Kansas City Chiefs decided to switch franchises to trade wide receiver Tyreek Hill, team fans were very eager to hear a wide receiver called up in the NFL Draft.

That energy was sustained throughout Round 1 (as the Chiefs took two defensive players), spilling over into Day 2 and Round 2.

It is then that the unthinkable come.

With George Pickens of Georgia still on the board, Brett Veach made the first down trade of his career as CEO.

“It was exciting,” Veach said with a smile during his post-Day 2 press conference. “I told Clark (Hunt) – everything was checked off my to-do list, and the only thing that was left for me was a trade, so it was a special moment, and we took some time to celebrate that.”

For the second day in a row, the Chiefs found a trade partner in the New England Patriots, this time giving them their pick at No. 1. 50 and dropping four slots to No. 54 while earning a fifth round.

“We were in the mindset that if we can get a fifth-round pick and be active [Saturday] between 4 and 7 would be something we would be interested in,” Veach explained. “It worked perfectly where we were cool with a little movement – ​​nothing crazy – and it made sense.”

Three of the next four picks were receivers — the Patriots selected Tyquan Thorton from Baylor, the Pittsburgh Steelers selected Pickens, then the Indianapolis Colts selected Alec Pierce from Cincinnati.

Left on the board was Skyy Moore of West Michigan, who the Chiefs took with the No. 1 pick. 54.

“It was a nice setup for us to go down four spots, get that fifth-round pick [for Saturday] and then to have a guy in Skyy Moore who obviously we would have taken there at 50,” Veach said. “It worked and you have to hold your breath there. They’re going to be begging me to trade all the time now, so that’s a good thing and a bad thing, I guess, all at the same time.

---

“I’m paired with the best quarterback in football.”

Veach picked up the phone and called Moore, who was waiting to hear from him enough draft party.

“Skyy is unique,” Veach said, now describing the 5-foot-10, 195-pound receiver. “He’s smaller, but he plays big. He has longer arms. He was a running back who went wide. It was funny watching his tape because it seemed like we were watching it forever until he dropped a pass. His ball skills are excellent. It can escape media coverage. He plays big enough that you can use him outside, use him inside, he had a good run after the catch, a great boy. Intelligent. Take an offense very quickly.

Moore isn’t as fast as Hill, coming in just a bit slower with a 4.41 dash for 40 yards, but the Chiefs have fallen in love with his reliability, which seems to be a staple among their new passers.

The Chiefs also value his ability to absorb instruction, a key as a receiver entering Andy Reid’s offense.

Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images

“He’s reliable,” assistant general manager Mike Borgonzi said. “He’s going to follow the right paths. He’s going to execute them correctly and he’s going to catch the ball. I think that’s the one thing you always stress about with wide receivers – the first thing is catching the football. And that’s the one thing that stands out with Skyy is any opportunity – contested holds, he was catching the football. And for an undersized guy, he wasn’t afraid to go through the middle. So all things came together for us and we felt he was going to be a really productive player in our offense.

“Tyreek was just a super versatile guy, obviously super fast,” Moore said when asked about the inevitable comparison to the former leader. “[He] was just able to be the spark for this offense when you needed it. Honestly, I feel like I can come in and play the same role, but with my own twist. And to be the best teammate possible.

Moore’s best fit may be working in the lunge, racking up yards after the catch. In his senior year in college football, he had 95 receptions for 1,292 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Veach thinks he brings something different to the table than Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Mecole Hardman and JuJu Smith-Schuster.

“I think there are times when you might be looking for something, but we have guys like MVS who have size and speed,” Veach explained. “Mecole has speed. JuJu is big, so I feel like we have a good combination, and now we just want to add the best player, regardless of height or size – just guys who we think are going to be able to come in and contribute right now. Skyy is definitely one of those guys.

Moore enjoys the room he walks into — not just because of his fellow receivers, but also the quarterback. The West Michigan product explained that he couldn’t join a better situation in the National Football League.

“I feel like he’s the best quarterback in football,” Moore said of Patrick Mahomes. “He’s the best quarterback in football right now. Like I said, it’s a blessing to be on this team. There are 32 teams in the NFL, and I’m paired with the best quarterback in football. It’s just a blessing.

The funny thing is, Moore didn’t expect to hear from the Chiefs, as he was being chased more aggressively by the Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars. Moore had spoken to the Chiefs about the Scouting Combine but didn’t necessarily think he would land in Kansas City.

“It was really just normal conversation,” he recalls. “It made sense. I always knew the pick would make sense. But it was never special treatment from the Chiefs…they weren’t rushing me the most when it came to the Zoom call. or tours and everything. I would say now that it’s a blessing to be part of such a great organization.

From the start, the Chiefs wanted the player – a former running back who had shown great progress over the past three years learning the receiver position.

“It’s impressive to see what he’s done here over the past three seasons,” added Borgonzi. “He had a monster year last year… The one thing you see with him – he’s reliable. He’s a very fluid road runner – he gets in and out of his breaks very quickly and he’ll be a very good asset for this attack.