Kansas City Chiefs: Every First Round Draft Pick Since 2000
EVERY CHIEFS FIRST ROUND PICK – 2010 NFL DRAFT: ERIC BERRY
With the fifth overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, the Kansas City Chiefs selected Eric Berry, and for the first time in a few years, they FINALLY hit on a first-round pick. Berry became a fan favorite right from the get-go, starting all 16 games as a rookie while picking off four passes (returning one for a touchdown) and making it to the Pro Bowl.
After only playing in one game in 2011, Berry returned to form in the 2012 season, once again starting all 16 games and recording 73 tackles while intercepting one pass. He made it to the Pro Bowl that year too.
In 2013, Berry returned two interceptions for touchdowns (he had three total picks) and also recorded three and a half sacks. He also made it to his third Pro Bowl in four seasons.
The 2014 season is when fans fell even more in love with Eric Berry. Near the end of the 2014 season, it was announced that Berry had Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and would miss the rest of the year. No one knew if Berry would ever return to the football field again and honestly, no one cared about that part. Everyone just wanted him to be okay.
Not even a year later, Eric Berry was back on the practice field. A few weeks later, he appeared in his first game since defeating cancer and somehow was even BETTER on the gridiron than before.
One of the coolest moments I’ve ever experienced in sports was at the Chiefs’ season opener in 2015. It was against the Broncos on Thursday Night Football and when Berry’s name was announced during the intros, every single person in Arrowhead Stadium was on their feet and applauding. Yes, even Broncos fans. It was definitely dusty up in the nosebleeds that night.
After playing in every game in 2015 and 2016, Berry was given a massive contract extension and it was certainly well-deserved. Berry singlehandedly won the Chiefs two games in 2016, one against the Panthers and another against the Falcons. He returned interceptions for touchdowns in both of those and he also returned a two-point conversion back the other way in Atlanta (his hometown).
After missing on Glenn Dorsey and Tyson Jackson, it was nice to finally see the Kansas City Chiefs get value with Eric Berry. He’ll always be a fan favorite for Chiefs Kingdom.