Kansas City Chiefs: Ranking every first round pick in franchise history

RANKING EVERY FIRST ROUND PICK IN CHIEFS HISTORY

NUMBER 46 – ELMO WRIGHT (Cullen)

Playing for the Houston Cougars between 1968-1970, wide receiver Elmo Wright put up massive numbers. Through those three seasons, he caught 153 passes for 3,347 yards (that’s a 21.9 yards-per-catch average) and 34 touchdowns. Those numbers were so good that the Chiefs used their 16th overall pick in the 1971 draft on him. But his collegiate numbers were bloated, as the Chiefs soon found out.

With Houston, the passing game between 1968-1970 was pretty simple: create space for, and chuck it to, Elmo Wright. In 1968, he accounted for 62.1% of the team’s overall receiving yards. That number jumped to 64.8% in 1969 before falling to a still astounding 50.8% in 1970. Jumping to the pros, that wasn’t the case anymore.

The famous high-stepper started 14 games for the Chiefs in 1970, catching what turned out to be a career-high 26 passes for what turned to be a career-high 528 yards including a career-high three touchdown receptions.

In his next three seasons with Kansas City, Wright played in only 31 games while catching only 40 passes, three for touchdowns. He split his final season between the Patriots and Houston Oilers, never playing again after 1975.