Kansas City Chiefs: Re-Drafting biggest misses of past decade

Draft Class: 2010

With the fifth overall pick in the 2010 draft, the Chiefs knocked it dead, selecting Tennessee safety Eric Berry. When he’s healthy–which, granted, isn’t all that often–Berry is one of the best safeties and team leaders in the league.

The five-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro selection also won the 2015 Comeback Player of the Year Award. In five seasons, he’s played at least 15 games. But in another four seasons, he’s played in five or fewer games, including suiting up only once in both 2011 and 2017 and twice in 2018.

Still, in 2010, he was the right pick at number five.

The rest of the draft, though, didn’t go according to plan.

Kansas City had four selections in the next two rounds: two picks in the second round at 36 and 50, and two picks in the third round at 68 and 93. They missed on all of them, and there are some big names involved in those misses.

First, with pick No. 36, the Chiefs took Ole Miss running back/wide receiver Dexter McCluster. While McCluster had over 500 yards rushing in his second season, that was his career high. He made the Pro Bowl in 2013 when he caught 53 passes for 511 yards and two touchdowns. After that, he left for the Titans, where he floundered for two seasons before wrapping up his career with the Chargers. He last played in 2016.

Six picks later, at number 42, the New England Patriots took Arizona tight end Rob Gronkowski. While he slowed down considerably this past season, Gronkowski helped revolutionize the tight end position.

In his nine-year career, he’s made five Pro Bowls, been elected All-Pro four times, won three Super Bowls, and won the 2014 Comeback Player of the Year. He’s had four seasons with over 1,000 yards receiving and another five seasons with at least ten touchdown receptions. He’s also one hell of a blocker.

For those curious as to whether the Chiefs were in a market for a tight end at this point in time: yes, yes, they were.

In 2009, their top two tight ends, Leonard Pope and someone named Sean Ryan, combined for 34 catches, 309 yards receiving, and three touchdowns. Then, with the number 93 pick in the draft, the Chiefs took Iowa’s Tony Moeaki (more on him in the next slide).

Additionally, the Chiefs could have selected Utah guard Zane Beadles, who went 45th to Broncos. Now a member of the Falcons, Beadles has also played for the Jaguars and 49ers throughout his career. Before injuries limited him to a total of 25 games the past two seasons (10 as a starter), he played in and started all but two games between 2010-2016. He made the Pro Bowl in 2012.

With the 50th pick in the draft, Kansas City selected defensive back Javier Arenas out of Alabama. Arenas lasted five years in the NFL, the first three with the Chiefs. During that time, 2010-2012, he appeared in 47 games, starting 12, racking up 131 tackles while intercepting two passes. He had better success as a return man, though his usage declined through the years.

Four picks after this, the Bengals took Carlos Dunlap, a defensive end out of Florida State. While it took the former Seminole awhile to become a starter, but he did have 9.5 sacks his rookie season. Through the years, he’s collected 72.5 sacks while making the Pro Bowl in 2015 and 2016.

He’s signed two contract extensions with the Bengals, one in 2013 and one last year, and he’s still going strong, as he finished 2018 with eight sacks, 47 tackles, eight tackles for loss, and 21 quarterback hits.

Right after Dunlap, the Cowboys selected linebacker Sean Lee out of Penn State. While Lee has missed ample time due to injury, including the entire 2014 season, when he’s healthy, he’s an excellent all-around linebacker capable of making plays anywhere on the field. The two-time Pro Bowler and one-time All-Pro selection has collected over 100 total tackles in four seasons while making 99 in another.