Kansas City Chiefs: Re-Drafting biggest misses of past decade
By Cullen Jekel
Draft Class: 2012
Player Drafted: Donald Stephenson, Offensive Tackle, Oklahoma, Round 3, Pick 74
Re-Draft: Well, About That…
Donald Stephenson was okay for the Chiefs. His rookie season, he appeared in all 16 games while starting seven of them. He did the exact same thing in 2013 before appearing in only 12 games (starting none) in 2014. In 2015, he again appeared in every game, starting seven, before leaving in free agency for Denver. He did not play in the NFL in 2018.
Three picks after the Chiefs took Stephenson, the Jets grabbed linebacker Demario Davis out of Arkansas State. Davis became a starter his second season, racking up over 100 tackles, and has started at least 15 games every season since then, with the Jets, Browns, and now the Saints, who signed him last offseason to a three-year, $24 million contract. He played a key role in New Orleans’ defensive resurgence in 2018.
Two picks after the Chiefs took Stephenson, the Texans grabbed offensive guard Brandon Brooks out of Miami (OH). The former RedHawk started 44 games for Houston between 2013-2015 before signing a five-year, $40 million contract with the Eagles. Since landing in Philadelphia, he’s won one Super Bowl and made two Pro Bowls while playing in all but two contests.
But the biggest miss for the Chiefs came the very next pick that third round. With pick number 75, the Seattle Seahawks selected quarterback Russell Wilson. That season, Wilson beat out free-agent pick-up Matt Flynn for the starting gig, and he’s never looked back, taking the Seahawks to back-to-back Super Bowls in 2013 and 2014, including demolishing the Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII.
Wilson’s been named to five Pro Bowls while amassing a 75-36-1 record to go along with 196 touchdown passes versus 63 interceptions. His Seahawks have made the playoffs in six of his seven seasons, and he’s won at least one playoff game five times.