Chiefs, Titans' Depth Chart, Salary Cap, NFL Draft Picks After DeAndre Hopkins Trade

The Kansas City Chiefs reportedly got quarterback Patrick Mahomes a veteran weapon in the passing game Wednesday morning, agreeing to a trade with the Tennessee Titans for wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.

ESPN's Adam Schefter was the first to report that the trade was on the verge of happening, and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport later reported that it was agreed upon and the Chiefs would be sending the Titans a conditional fifth-round draft pick that can become a fourth rounder.

Once the trade becomes official, the Chiefs' offensive depth chart will be as follows:

QB: Patrick Mahomes / Carson Wentz

RB: Kareem Hunt / Samaje Perine / Carson Steele / Clyde Edwards-Helaire

WR1: DeAndre Hopkins / Mecole Hardman

WR2: Xavier Worthy / Skyy Moore

WR3: JuJu Smith-Schuster / Justin Watson

TE: Travis Kelce / Noah Gray / Jared Wiley / Jody Fortson

LT: Wanya Morris / Kingsley Suamataia

LG: Joe Thuney / Mike Caliendo

C: Creed Humphrey / Hunter Nourzad

RG: Trey Smith / C.J. Hanson

RT: Jawaan Taylor / Ethan Driskell

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Meanwhile, the Titans' offensive depth chart now looks like this with Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd being solidified as the team's top two wideouts after D-Hop's departure"

QB: Will Levis / Mason Rudolph

RB: Tony Pollard / Tyjae Spears / Julius Chestnut

WR1: Calvin Ridley / Treylon Burks (IR)

WR2: Tyler Boyd / Jha'Quan Jackson

WR3: Nick Westbrook-Ikhine / Colton Dowell

TE: Chig Okonkwo / Nick Vannett / Josh Whyle / Thomas Odukoya

LT: JC Latham / Leroy Watson IV

LG: Peter Skoronski / Andrew Rupcich

C: Lloyd Cushenberry III / Daniel Brunskill

RG: Dillon Radunz / Daniel Brunskill

RT: Jaelyn Duncan / Nicholas Petit-Frere

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Per Spotrac, the Titans now have over $20.7 million in salary cap space after parting ways with Hopkins. Spotrac also lists the Chiefs as being $4.4 million over the cap, which suggests an agreement would have to be made for the Titans to eat some of Hopkins' contract in order for Kansas City to remain cap compliant.

Assuming the fifth-round pick dealt in the Hopkins trade does not become a fourth, the Chiefs are set to enter the 2025 NFL draft with their own first-, second-, third- and fourth-round picks. They also own the Titans' third-round pick and two seventh-round picks.

As for the Titans, they have their own first-, second-, fourth-, fifth- and sixth-round picks, plus the Chiefs' fifth and a seventh-round pick from the Green Bay Packers.

Despite getting very little production from the wide receiver position last season aside from then-rookie Rashee Rice, the Chiefs won their second consecutive Super Bowl.

Even in the wake of winning it all, the Chiefs front office clearly realized the receiving corps needed to be improved, so Kansas City signed Hollywood Brown in free agency and used a first-round pick on Xavier Worthy.

However, Brown suffered a sternoclavicular injury during the preseason that is expected to keep him out for the remainder of the season, and Rice is likely out for the season as well due to a knee injury.

That left quarterback Patrick Mahomes with a severe dearth of pass-catching options at wide receiver, which is where the Hopkins trade comes in.

The 32-year-old Hopkins is one of the best NFL wideouts of the past dozen years, earning five Pro Bowl nods and three First Team All-Pro selections during stints with the Houston Texans, Arizona Cardinals and Titans.

Hopkins has reached the 1,000-yard mark in a season seven times, including last season when he built a rapport with Titans quarterback Will Levis and finished with 75 catches for 1,057 yards and seven touchdowns.

Things have not gone quite as smoothly this season, though, as Hopkins recorded only 15 grabs for 173 yards and one touchdown in six games before the trade.

The writing appeared to be on the wall to some degree during a 34-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, as Hopkins was not on the field for much of the second half and finished with just one catch for minus-2 yards.

While the Titans appear headed for one of the top picks in the 2025 NFL draft, the Chiefs are the last remaining undefeated team at 6-0 and are firmly in Super Bowl contention once again.

The Chiefs' wide receiver situation had a chance to be a much bigger issue this season than last, but Hopkins gives them a savvy, big-bodied pass-catcher who has long been among the smoothest route runners in the league.

Mahomes has made do with a patchwork group of wide receivers to this point, but Hopkins gives him a sure-handed veteran he can trust in big moments, which should make the Chiefs even more dangerous come playoff time.