Kansas City Chiefs: Ranking every first round pick in franchise history
RANKING EVERY FIRST ROUND PICK IN CHIEFS HISTORY
NUMBER 17 – JIM MARSALIS
Jim Marsalis was the 23rd overall pick by the Chiefs in 1969. That year, of course, was when the Chiefs won their first (and to this point – only) Super Bowl title, so Marsalis winning one as a rookie was pretty cool for him.
Marsalis, a defensive back out of Tennessee State, spent seven of his eight NFL seasons with the Chiefs. He totaled 14 interceptions and for the first four years of his career, started every single game. He was a member of the New Orleans Saints in 1977, which was his final year in the league.
NUMBER 16 – LARRY JOHNSON
The 27th overall pick in 2003, Larry Johnson was undergone quite a makeover since he last wore a Chiefs uniform. During his time in Kansas City, Johnson was not popular. He was a talented running back, but his off the field issues and terrible personality did not make him a fan favorite whatsoever.
Johnson finished his seven-year career in Kansas City with 1,375 carries for 6,015 yards and 55 touchdowns. The Chiefs cutting him right before he was set to break Priest Holmes‘ franchise-leading rushing yards record was the ultimate middle finger, but fans didn’t feel bad for him.
With Johnson becoming a nicer person and looking back at his stats, he really was a good player while with the Chiefs. He had two seasons where he rushed for over 1,700 yards and put up 20 and 17 touchdowns in those two seasons (2005 and 2006). A few years ago, however, Johnson would probably have been ranked much lower due to his atrocious attitude. Now he’s a top 20 first round pick for sure.
NUMBER 15 – JOHN ALT
It’s tough to really gauge how good offensive tackles are unless you watched them play at some point. John Alt was one of the best in franchise history. The 21st overall pick in the 1984 draft out of Iowa spent the next 13 years of his career in Kansas City, the only pro team he ever played for.
NUMBER 14 – BILL MAAS
Oddly enough, Alt is followed by another guy who was a 1984 NFL Draft pick. Bill Maas – the fifth overall pick in that year’s draft – was a gem of a selection. Maas won Defensive Rookie of the Year Award for his dominant play in 1984.
Maas finished his nine-year Chiefs career (his tenth and final year came with the Packers) totaling 40 sacks and two Pro Bowl appearances.
**Larry Johnson probably wouldn’t have been this high a few years ago, but he’s redeemed himself over the last few years. He was a good running back, but Bill Maas and John Alt were better overall players.**