Kansas City Chiefs: Re-Drafting biggest misses of past decade
By Cullen Jekel
Draft Class: 2014
Player Drafted: Phillip Gaines, Cornerback, Rice, Round 3, Pick 87
Re-Draft: Trai Turner, Offensive Guard, LSU, Round 3, Pick 92
Phillip Gaines lasted four seasons in Kansas City before splitting last year between Buffalo and Cleveland. In his time as a Chief, he started only 16 games while appearing in a total of 41. He racked up 99 total tackles for the Chiefs, including seven tackles for loss and two quarterback hits.
He picked off one pass.
Much like in 2013, the Chiefs missed on an opportunity to massively upgrade their offensive line. Five picks after Gaines went off the board, the Panthers landed Trai Turner out of LSU. The big guard started nine games while appearing in 13 during his rookie season. Since then, he’s started and played in 58 games while making the Pro Bowl each of the past four seasons. After his third season, he signed a four-year extension with the Panthers.
Three rounds later, the Chiefs would draft two guards: Zach Fulton out of Tennessee and, with the 200th overall pick, Laurent Duvernay-Tardiff out of McGill. LDT remains a solid contributor to the team, but with Gaines having provided little during his time in Kansas City and Fulton now in Houston, it’s clear the Chiefs missed by passing on Turner.
Two other notes from this draft:
- In the fourth round, the Chiefs took De’Anthony Thomas out of Oregon over North Carolina defensive back Tre Boston. Boston is now a coveted free agent while Thomas has provided little.
- In the fifth round, the Chiefs took Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray (now of the AAF), passing on Vanderbilt offensive lineman Wesley Johnson who, while not a star, is still at least in the NFL.