Kansas City and New Orleans exchanged seventh-round positions…

The Pick Swap

The transaction was a straightforward seventh-round exchange. Kansas City received the 208th overall selection, and New Orleans received the 228th overall selection. Pro Football Reference lists the same movement from both team perspectives, while draft-transaction records trace the two selections to the players ultimately chosen.

Kansas City's Bet

Moving up twenty spots allowed the Chiefs to target Desmond Kitchings. At that point in the draft, the cost of moving is naturally limited because both selections are late seventh-rounders. Kansas City therefore gave up little in pure draft value to secure its preferred player.

New Orleans' Outcome

The Saints selected Kevin Houser at No. 228. Houser became a long-term specialist for New Orleans and spent years handling long-snapping duties for the franchise. Finding that kind of durable role player at the end of the draft is a strong result, especially after moving down rather than up.

Why the Player Outcomes Matter

A late-round pick swap can look almost neutral on the trade chart, so the best way to distinguish the sides is what each club actually did with the opportunity. Kansas City got the higher slot, but New Orleans produced the player with the longer and more stable contribution.

Final Verdict

New Orleans Saints Win. New Orleans earns a B because it moved down twenty spots and still landed a durable specialist. Kansas City receives a C+ because the move-up cost was small and the process was reasonable, but the higher selection did not create the same sustained value.

Kansas City's move up produced no comparable roster value, while New Orleans found an unusually durable specialist after moving down. Houser's long tenure made the lower selection substantially more productive than Kitchings, and the Saints achieved that outcome without paying additional capital. The realized player comparison clearly favors New Orleans.