KC Chiefs: 15 Best First Round Draft Picks of All-Time

Best First Round Picks by the Chiefs – Number 4: Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs quarterback from 2017-Present)

While there could certainly be arguments for Patrick Mahomes to be number one on this list, he’s spent three seasons with the team who drafted him while those ranked higher were with the team for a decade.

Despite being a Chief for just three seasons, Mahomes has had one heck of a career. The Chiefs traded up 17 picks to take him in the 2017 NFL Draft and it paid off for them in a big way. Mahomes spent his rookie season on the bench learning from then-Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith.

Mahomes played in the final game of the 2017 regular season and led Kansas City in what would be the first of many comeback wins. He was handed the keys to the car in 2018 and took the league by storm, throwing for over 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns en route to winning the league MVP.

While the Chiefs narrowly missed the Super Bowl in the 2018 season, Mahomes and company made it to the big game in the 2019 season. Mahomes had a “down” year in 2019 and was injured at one point of the season, missing two starts as a result. He led the Chiefs to comeback after comeback after comeback in the postseason, including in the Super Bowl where he won both a ring and the MVP title of the big game.

In just three seasons, Mahomes did something that no Chiefs quarterback had done for 50 years. That to some should earn him the top spot on this list and someday he might get there, but for now, he’s fourth.