Minnesota traded cornerback Mike Hughes and a 2022…
Minnesota traded cornerback Mike Hughes and a 2022 seventh-round choice to Kansas City for a 2022 sixth-round pick. Hughes gave the Chiefs one useful season, but Minnesota used No. 191 on Jalen Nailor, who developed into a productive receiver with 1,066 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns through 2025. Nailor's multi-year contribution gives the Vikings the better return.
Kansas City Chiefs Received
- player Mike Hughes
- pick 2022 7th round pick (233rd overall, subsequently traded; Dareke Young selected)
Minnesota Vikings Received
- pick 2022 6th round pick (191st overall, Jalen Nailor )
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
Minnesota sent cornerback Mike Hughes and a 2022 seventh-round pick to Kansas City on May 13, 2021, receiving a 2022 sixth-round choice in return. The sixth became No. 191, which Minnesota used on Michigan State receiver Jalen Nailor. The seventh became No. 233 and was later moved again before Seattle selected Dareke Young, making the direct comparison Hughes' one Chiefs season against Nailor's Minnesota career.
Minnesota Vikings Return
The Vikings moved on from a former first-round cornerback whose Minnesota tenure had been interrupted by injuries. Their sixth-round return became Nailor, a developmental receiver who gradually earned a larger role. Through the 2025 season, Nailor had 69 catches for 1,066 yards and 11 receiving touchdowns. His strongest stretch included 414 yards and six scores in 2024 followed by 444 yards and four scores in 2025. That is substantial production from the 191st selection.
Kansas City Chiefs Return
Hughes was useful for Kansas City in 2021. He appeared in all 17 regular-season games, started five, made 47 tackles, forced four fumbles and recorded an interception. He also contributed during a postseason run that reached the AFC Championship Game. Still, his Chiefs stay lasted only one season. The seventh-round component did not become a lasting Kansas City player because the selection continued through another transaction.
Value in Hindsight
Kansas City obtained immediate defensive depth, so this was not an empty return. Minnesota, however, converted a player it was ready to move and a later selection into a receiver who remained with the club for multiple seasons and developed into a meaningful secondary target. Nailor's 1,000-plus career receiving yards and double-digit touchdowns create more cumulative value than Hughes' single Chiefs season.
Final Verdict
Minnesota gets the win, B- to C. Kansas City received legitimate short-term help from Hughes, keeping the gap from becoming large. The Vikings nevertheless turned the exchange into several seasons of Nailor production from a sixth-round slot, giving them the stronger combination of longevity, cost control and on-field return.