Kansas City Chiefs: Top five draft picks of the last decade
By Cullen Jekel
Before diving into the Top Five, let me recognize the other seven considered.
Justin Houston, Outside Linebacker, Round 3, Pick 70, Georgia, 2011
A force in three of his four first seasons, Houston racked up 22 sacks 2014 before landing a major contract. Since then, he’s missed substantial time, including five games in 2015, 11 games in 2016, and six games in 2018. In all likelihood, he’ll be a cap casualty this offseason.
Allen Bailey, Defensive End, Round 3, Pick 86, Miami (Fl.), 2011
In eight seasons with the Chiefs, the former Hurricane played in 102 games, starting 61 one of them, chipping in at least 4.5 sacks in three of those years. With his contract up, Bailey, 30 in March, has probably played his last game for the Chiefs.
Eric Fisher, Left Tackle, Round 1, Pick 1, Central Michigan, 2013
A solid, if unspectacular, tackle, the Chiefs wisely chose Fisher number one overall in 2013 over Texas A&M’s Luke Joeckel, who’s already out of the league. After playing 14 games at right tackle his rookie season, Fisher moved to the blindside in 2015, where he’s been ever since.
Dee Ford, Outside Linebacker, Round 1, Pick 23, Auburn, 2014
When healthy, Ford’s a premiere pass-rusher, having collected at least ten sacks in the seasons in which he’s started 14 or more games. Unfortunately, that’s happened only twice. With his contract up, his future with the team remains murky.
Laurent Duvernay-Tardiff, Right Guard, Round 6, Pick 200, McGill, 2014
What a find. While he didn’t play at all his rookie season, LDT became a starter in 2015 and then signed a five-year deal worth $41.25 million two offseasons ago. Since then, he’s played only 16 of a possible 32 games due to injury.
Mitch Morse, Center, Round 2, Pick 49, Missouri, 2015
Morse was a linchpin of Kansas City’s offensive line in 2015 and 2016, starting 31 of 32 games. The past two seasons, however, he’s battled a variety of injuries, thus limiting his appearances to 18 of 32 games. When free agency starts, he’ll be on the open market.
Kareem Hunt, Running Back, Round 3, Pick 86, Toledo, 2017
He led the league in rushing his rookie season, but things came to a brutal end in 2018 when the Chiefs cut him for, essentially, lying to them. Earlier this week, the man who drafted him in Kansas City, John Dorsey, brought him on board in Cleveland.