A Depressing Look at the Chiefs' Last 10 Drafts

From the FanPosts. -Chris

Firstly, I stole this idea from the chaps at Buffalo Rumblings. Here is my take on the 10 best draft picks (plus 1) over the last 10 drafts.  Hopefully the Chiefs can put these (for the most part) poor drafts behind them.  

I will say that before we get to the meat of this post that I tried to take into account the round and school the player was taken.  For instance Glenn Dorsey did not make this list, he has been a good player but at the time he was the consensus pick, The Chiefs basically had to take him.  There also wasn't anyone taken in the 2005 draft or the 2001 draft to make this list.  

And even though everyone knows who the #1 player taken by the Chiefs in the last 10 years (or at least should know), he will be revealed last.  This list is also very 2008 heavy which may be more potential based than actual results based.  

One last tidbit is that the Chiefs drafted players in three consecutive drafts (2003-2005) that are now wearing Super Bowl rings. Kawika Mitchell who was on the defense that stopped the Historic Patriots, LB Keyaron Fox, and a 7th round pick in Jeremy Parquet who was on last years Steelers team (he also has a USFL championship).

 I couldn't actually get this post down to 10 players so the ten spot from what I see is a tie:

10b.  Scott Fujita LB California.  Fujita was taken 143rd overall in the fifth round and though he isn't as big a name and may not be as memorable as the guys listed later in this list he has been a very productive linebacker in the NFL.  Fujita spent his first 3 years as a Chief had a career year with 99 tackles his last year, then went on to Dallas for a year then followed Sean Payton to New Orleans to play for the Saints, he was even their Defensive Captain in 2007.

10a.  Dante Hall RB Texas A&M.  Dante Hall was taken 153rd overall in the 2000 draft, now lets get one thing straight Dante Hall was not a very good receiver who was a converted RB, but man he was fun to watch in the return game for a portion of his 6 years with the Chiefs.  For a short time Dante Hall was the greatest kick returner in the history of the NFL and in 2003 he returned a kick or a punt all the way in 4 straight games which is still a record, and he went to 2 pro bowls while a Chief.  Unfortunately Hall's career slowly fizzled and was shipped to St Louis for 5th pick (who turned out to be Kolby Smith) and the Chiefs and Rams swapped third round picks.

9.  Branden Albert OG Virginia.  KC originally got this pick from Detroit via Minnesota from the Jared Allen deal in a draft that was very Offensive line heavy in the first round.  I'll be honest here, this is one of the guys that nearly didn't make the list but ultimately I put him on the list because of the Chiefs ability to see that he was capable of being moved from guard to the Left Tackle position.  Im sure many people would say he doesn't belong on the list because he isn't great, but he did have a pretty good rookie season, and since 2.7 has been sent away from KC the overall line play has been pretty good, including improved play by Albert.  So hopefully Albert continues to grow and continues growing into the player we all think he can be.

8.  Ryan Succop K South Carolina.  Succop was taken 256th overall but look at him now, Mr Irrelevant isn't so Irrelevant now.  Not gonna lie, as much as I like Succup (especially after the Medlock SNAFU) it makes me a little sick to put a Kicker on this list, and the fact that he is a rookie makes it look even worse, but hey the Chiefs took the very last pick in the 2009 draft and made the best of it, and he has done pretty good for himself so far in his rookie year having missed only 1 field goal inside 50 yards this year.

7.  Larry Johnson RB Penn State.  I really wanted to leave 2.7 off this list, for many reasons, but lets not forget for 2 years Larry was one of the more entertaining players to watch in football.  Ironically 2.7 who wore the number 27 was taken 27th overall after putting up one impressive season at Penn State where he rushed for over 2000 yards, becoming the only the 10th RB in college football to do so.  Larry's 2005 season alone makes him worthy of this list in where he gained 1750 yards despite only starting 9 games.  Among many of his accomplishments Larry went to 2 pro-bowls and was named to the NFL All-Pro team in 2006 a season in which Herm Edwards ran him into the ground giving Larry another record, most carries.

6.  Jamaal Charles RB Texas.  Sir Charles was taken 73 overall in the 3rd round of the 2008 draft and turned out to be another player in the deal that sent Jared Allen to Minnesota.  In Jamaal's very short career he has had some very memorable plays and really has been a spark in the offense since a previously named player was sent packing.  There isn't much to say about him, except I was really excited when we drafted him knowing that Larry Johnson was in the down curve of his career.  Jamaal is another player that may be too prematurely put on this list but 

5.  Brandon Carr CB Grand Valley State.  Brandon Carr has not been a great player, but he has been a pretty good draft pick being that he is another player that KC has taken out of the 5th round who has found early playing time.  Not only is Brandon Carr a starter who was found in the 5th round, but he is a starter that was plucked out of a Division II school, surprisingly Grand Valley State has had quite a few players play in the NFL, but Carr looks like he could be the best one.

4.  Tamba Hali DE Penn State.  The Liberian Nightmare has been a pretty solid player, and really has turned it on this year.  Hali wowed scouts at the Senior Bowl (defensive MVP) and at the combine where his draft stock shot up due to his workout.  For most teams Hali wouldn't make the list because his production really hasn't equalled him being a top 20 pick overall, but hopefully that is because of the focus on him since Jared Allen left, and hopefully he is really coming into his own as a 3-4 Outside Linebacker.

3.  Dwayne Bowe WR LSU.  Dwayne Bowe has been a very solid player and worthy of being the 23rd overall pick in the 2007 draft.  In his rookie year Bowe led all rookie receivers in catches, yards, and TD's, and in his 2nd year he caught 86 passes (the same number Jerry Rice caught in his 2nd season).  Aside from a 4 game suspension and a propensity of dropping passes Bowe has been as good as hoped/expected.

2.  Brandon Flowers CB Virginia Tech.  Ingeniously the Chiefs went with the CB Brandon Flowers instead of the singer/frontman/pianist/lyricist/guitarist of the band the Killers (look it up), mainly because the musician though also good at what he does probably couldn't lock down Ochocinco.  Flowers was taken with the 4th pick in the 2nd round and has really developed well.  Flowers was lined up opposite his cousin Patrick Surtain in his rookie season and has played tremendously since establishing himself as one of the top corners in the AFC.

1.  Jared Allen DE Idaho State.  Allen was taken with the 126th overall selection in the 4th round, and I doubt I can say anything that will add to the awesomeness that is Jared Allen.  The Mulleted madman is an absolute stud, one of if not the best defensive player in the game... Unfortunately he is proving this with the Vikings, because Carl Peterson traded him for a 1st round pick, 2 3rd round picks, and swapped 6th round picks.  I honestly could write another 200 words on the pure unadulterated kick assedness that his Jared Allen, but it is only making me more sad...

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Well there you have it, my take on the last 10 years of Chiefs drafts which have been pretty pathetic to say the least.

Feel free to blast this, praise this, add to this, or congratulate my awesomeness based on this post, which will all be moot when we take 8 Pro-Bowlers and eventual Hall of Famers in our next draft.