Revisiting the Kansas City Chiefs 1999 Draft

Round 1 (14, 14) - John Tait, Brigham Young, T -- John Tait's five years with the Kansas City Chiefs are remembered as much for the acrimonious contract negotiations between Tait's family and Carl Peterson than they are for his solid play. Tait started 66 games for the Chiefs in five seasons and started all sixteen games each of his last three seasons. He played half of his full four seasons at left tackle and the other half at right tackle.

Tait's time with the Chiefs coincides with the glory days of the Chiefs' offensive line. The Chiefs rushed for 2008 yards in 2001, 2378 in 2002 and 1929 yards in 2003, Tait's last year with the Chiefs.

Despite leaving after his rookie contract was up, John Tait was a fantastic draft pick by the Chiefs. The Chiefs were able to draft a full-time, versatile starter that was an important piece of the Chiefs' success in the early part of this decade. Once Tait's contract was up, the Chiefs could no longer afford him and he left for Chicago where he still plays today. Grade: A

Notables taken recently after this pick -- DE Jevon Kearse, C Damien Woody

Round 2 (23, 54) - Mike Cloud, Boston College, RB -- With the Chiefs second round pick, they got a average to below average running back who ended up suspended the first quarter of the 2003 for violating the league's substance policy. Cloud tested positive for steroids and took one of the usual routes athletes under steroid investigation take -- he sued the manufacturer of the over-the-counter product that apparently made him test positive.

Cloud started only six games for the Chiefs and was nearly forgotten once Priest Holmes emerged in 2001. He did some double duty sporadically returning kicks as well and never was considered an every-down back.

After leaving the Chiefs in 2002, Cloud bounced around with the Giants and the Patriots, making two appearences on each team. He has been out of the NFL since 2005. Grade: D

Notables taken recently after this pick -- None

Round 3 (14, 75) - Gary Stills, West Virginia, LB -- Stills rarely played at his drafted position of linebacker in his seven years with the Chiefs. He did tear it up on special teams though. Stills played in 88 games for the Chiefs, amassing 119 tackles on special teams during that time. He made the Pro Bowl in 2003, during Dante Hall's record breaking run. Considering there are only a few strict special teams players that make the Pro Bowl, that is quite the accomplishment.

Unfortunately, one of my biggest memories of Gary Still is a negative one. It was 2003 and Dante Hall was returning yet another kick for a touchdown when a premature celebration by #55 Gary Stills allowed a defender to wrap Hall up for a tackle. Still, #55 played a relatively unseen but important role for the Chiefs. Grade: B

Notables taken recently after this pick -- WR Marty Booker, K Martin Gramatica

Round 3 (23, 84) - Larry Atkins, UCLA, DB -- Coming out of UCLA, Atkins was a mix of a safety, linebacker and a defensive back. He didn't player either one of these position's at a starter level with the Chiefs and was billed as a heavy hitter in the secondary, something the Chiefs needed. He played in 46 games for the Chiefs, making only nine career tackles.

I have to admit my memory is hazy on Larry Atkins so I don't have much to offer in the way of an analysis of his time with the Chiefs.

A funny story about Atkins is that during his first year with the Chiefs, he plead no contest to a UCLA handicapped-parking scandal. UCLA is Atkins' alma mater. Apparently, Atkins and a friend used illegal handicap tags to park wherever they wanted. Grade: D

Notables taken recently after this pick -- None

Round 4 (13, 108) - Larry Parker, USC, WR -- Parker played three seasons with the Chiefs, totaling four starts, 240 yards receiving and a couple of TDs. He also returned kicks for a good part of the 2000 season. One interesting note is that Parker caught the only touchdown Warren Moon threw as a Chief.

A mid to low level talent that didn't play beyond three years in the NFL. In late 2001, Parker had shoulder surgery and then wasn't tendered by the Chiefs that follow March. He was re-signed for a one year deal in May but was later waived and given an injury settlement. Grade: D+

Notables taken recently after this pick -- None

Round 7 (14, 220) - Eric King, Richmond, G -- Can't find anything on the guy. Grade: F

Overall Draft Grade: B-