Revisiting the L'Jarius Sneed Trade: Did KC Get Enough in Return?

The Kansas City Chiefs didn't get a first- or second-round draft pick when they traded L'Jarius Sneed, but did they have any other choice?

Jan 13, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs cornerback L'Jarius Sneed (38) and cornerback Trent McDuffie (22) break up a pass intended for Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill (10) during the second half of the 2024 AFC wild card game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports / Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

After many weeks of speculation, it wasn't a major surprise when the Kansas City Chiefs traded away cornerback L'Jarius Sneed. The return, however, was a bit underwhelming for Chiefs fans after earlier reports had placed Sneed's value higher than a 2025 third-round pick and a 2024 seventh-round pick-swap, which the Chiefs received from the Tennessee Titans in exchange for Sneed.

With the rest of the offseason now in the rearview mirror, who came out on top in the trade?

Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report re-graded the biggest moves of the NFL offseason, including the Sneed trade. Here's how Ballentine looked back on the transaction:

There's a reason why teams hardly ever repeat as Super Bowl champions in the NFL. Beyond year-to-year variance and injuries, the league's salary cap makes it difficult for teams to keep an elite core together.
The Kansas City Chiefs felt that tension this offseason with both defensive tackle Chris Jones and cornerback L'Jarius Sneed up for new contracts. Both have been instrumental in the Chiefs' back-to-back Super Bowl titles, but paying them both would have been prohibitive.
Instead, the Chiefs opted to franchise-tag Sneed before trading him to the Titans. That allowed them to get a third-round pick and move up in the seventh round of this year's draft.
The Chiefs have drafted and developed several cornerbacks in Steve Spagnuolo's time as defensive coordinator. But there aren't many defensive tackles who can impact a game like Jones. Picking the interior defender was the right move.
Meanwhile, the move should be considered a big win for the Titans. Sneed was easily the best cornerback to change teams this offseason, and the Titans had plenty of cap space to sign him to a four-year, $76.4 million extension.
At this stage of the Titans' rebuild, getting a bona fide difference-maker for a third-round pick is a no-brainer.
Chiefs Grade: B
Titans Grade: A

---

I've been tough on other Bleacher Report analysis recently, so I'll start by saying that Ballentine does a good job of setting the scene for how KC got to their situation with Sneed. Add in concern about Sneed's long-term health regarding a nagging knee injury and you can see how the Chiefs' hand was nearly forced this offseason. (I say "nearly forced" because they could have kept or extended Sneed, but it certainly would have drastically impacted KC's financial present and future.) The Chiefs prioritized flexibility and knew they'd still have an elite cornerback on the roster with Trent McDuffie entering his third NFL season. That all makes sense. And yet...

I still can't shake the feeling that this was an unsatisfying end to a tremendous story. I completely understand why the Chiefs accepted the Titans' offer and why a trade was in the cards. I still have some questions about how the Chiefs handled Sneed's market, but with Sneed's demand for a (well-deserved!) new contract, any teams wanting to acquire Sneed had to pay in draft picks and cash — not exactly giving general manager Brett Veach a lot of leverage to work with.

Ultimately, it's unsatisfying because the Chiefs drafted a largely unknown cornerback out of Louisiana Tech in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft and, under the tutelage of defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and defensive backs coach Dave Merritt, developed him into one of the game's most versatile, dangerous, and excellent cornerbacks. In return, the team got... a future third-rounder?

Of course, the true "ending" of Sneed's time in Kansas City wasn't his trade compensation — it was back-to-back championships with Sneed at the middle of KC's defensive evolution. His legacy with the Chiefs will be rightly defined by his Super Bowl rings, not his trade compensation. Now it's up to the team's front office to use the Titans' 2025 third-round pick to keep the dynasty on track next spring.

Read More: Trent McDuffie Hype Continues, Nearly Topping Pro Football Focus Cornerback Rankings