KC Chiefs: Tony Gonzalez considered Chiefs best first round pick
Bleacher Report did a list of the best and worst first round draft picks for each NFL team and for the KC Chiefs, they said the best was tight end Tony Gonzalez.
Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report kicked off draft season with a bang, discussing each NFL team’s best ever first round pick and worst ever first round pick. The worst ever pick will be a discussion for a different post, but the Kansas City Chiefs‘ best ever, according to Sobleski, was Tony Gonzalez.
It’s hard to argue with Gonzalez being considered the best, but he had some stiff competition. Sobleski writes,
"Choosing between Gonzalez and Derrick Thomas was the hardest decision among all of the teams and their available options. Both were spectacular for the Kansas City Chiefs. Gonzalez gained an edge because of his lower draft slot—1997’s 13th overall pick versus 1989’s fourth selection—and the fact he one more season (12 to 11) in a Chiefs uniform. He also walked away as the best tight end in NFL history. The 14-time Pro Bowl selection posted wide receiver numbers and changed the way we view the tight end position with 1,325 career receptions for 15,127 yards."
That even seems like low praise for Tony Gonzalez considering how dominant he was, even while playing on some horrible Chiefs teams. Sure, the Chiefs were good when Gonzalez first got to town, but the 2000’s left something to be desired.
Gonzalez had four 1,000 yard seasons as a Chief with three of those coming in the lesser years. In 2008, with Tyler Thigpen as his quarterback, Gonzalez hauled in 96 receptions for 1,058 yards and ten touchdowns. GOAT.
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Speaking of double digit touchdowns, Tony G had three seasons where he found the end zone ten or more times. He was a freaking monster and was a bright spot for the Chiefs when they didn’t have many bright spots.
What sucks for Gonzalez was that he spent a lot of really great seasons on a really bad team. He never won a playoff game in a Chiefs uniform yet he rarely complained.
When he asked to be traded after a horrid 2-14 campaign in 2008, the KC Chiefs finally granted him his wish and he ended up with the Atlanta Falcons (whom he eventually won a playoff game with). That was after he spent 12 years in a Kansas City Chiefs uniform and totaled 916 receptions for 10,940 yards and 76 touchdowns.
It’s not shocking that Gonzalez leads the Chiefs in receiving yards to this day (with the next closest candidate being Otis Taylor with 7,306) and also leads the franchise in receiving touchdowns. Taylor is second in that department also, with 57 touchdowns.
Tony Gonzalez is hands down the best tight end in Kansas City Chiefs history and he could easily be considered the best PLAYER in team history as well. He was a legend and it’ll be tough for any tight end (not even just in Chiefs history) to surpass what Tony G did in the pros.
Do you think Tony Gonzalez was the best first round pick by the Chiefs?