Kansas City Chiefs Draft Day Bargains: Five Best Value Picks
By John Viril
Cornerback Kevin Ross #31 of the Kansas City Chiefs (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images)
3. CB Kevin Ross, 7th round 1984 (173 overall), Temple—In 1984, the Chiefs drafted the final piece of what might be the best secondary in team history by taking Kevin Ross in the 7th round.
The 5-9 185lb. Ross won a starting job his rookie season, which he held for 10 years. He paired with 1983 3rd round draft pick Albert Lewis to give Kansas City a pair of shut-down corners.
Kevin Ross earned two pro-bowl selections in Kansas City, snatched 30 interceptions, and was inducted to the Chiefs’ Hall-of-Fame in 2011. Nicknamed “the Rock” during his Kansas City career, Ross was known for his tough in-your-face coverage and hard hits in the secondary.
He moved to strong safety in 1993, before leaving in free-agency to the Atlanta Falcons in 1994. Ross finished his career with 5 games as a reserve on the Chiefs 1997 squad.
Ross might have been the least physically gifted of the Kansas City secondary quartet of Albert Lewis, Deron Cherry, Lloyd Burruss, and Ross that started for the Chiefs between 1984-91, but he set an intimidating tone that lifted the entire secondary. Ross’ trademark was his physicality—despite being undersized for an NFL corner, and later, safety.
What Ross might have lacked in bulk, he more than made up with ferocity.
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