KC Chiefs: Impact of trading up to draft Patrick Mahomes 4 years later

It’s been four years since the KC Chiefs shocked both Chiefs Kingdom and the NFL world by moving up 18 spots to draft Patrick Mahomes.

Where has the time gone? It feels just like yesterday that all of Chiefs Kingdom were on the edge of their seats after finding out that the Kansas City Chiefs had traded up from the No. 28 pick to the No. 10 pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. Teams don’t typically make this kind of leap in the draft unless it’s for a quarterback, but Chiefs fans weren’t sure considering this organization’s history in the quarterback department.

For those who don’t remember life before Patrick Mahomes, I’ll help fill you in.

The Chiefs were not good at drafting quarterbacks. They weren’t good at it because they never even really tried to draft quarterbacks, at least not early on. After striking out on Todd Blackledge in 1983, the Chiefs failed to spend a first-round draft pick on a quarterback until they made the move to nab Mahomes 10th overall in 2017.

Some fans might not admit it, but I’m willing to admit that I wanted Deshaun Watson in Kansas City over Mahomes. Watson was a proven winner at Clemson while Mahomes’ Texas Tech days were marred by a terrible defense and a losing record. I was definitely nervous that Watson was going to turn into a huge star while Mahomes would flame out, but fortunately, I was wrong about that.

Four years later, this was undoubtedly the right decision for the KC Chiefs.

It’s a no-brainer as to whether this move was worth it or not for the Chiefs. Ever since Mahomes took over as the starting quarterback in 2018, the Chiefs have hosted three straight AFC Championship Games, made it to two Super Bowls, and won one Super Bowl title.

Mahomes was named league MVP in 2018 after throwing for 5,097 yards and 50 touchdowns. He also was crowned Super Bowl MVP after leading his team to victory despite being down 10 points with just over seven minutes to go in the biggest game of the season.

Had the Chiefs not made this move and stayed put at No. 28, we’ll never know exactly how things would have played out, but they wouldn’t be where they’re at now and Mahomes likely isn’t the household name that he is either.

Mahomes might have ended up in New Orleans with the Saints but who knows how long he’d have had to wait there before starting, as Drew Brees just retired this offseason. As for the Chiefs, they probably would have taken a random defensive player who probably would have been okay, but wouldn’t have come anywhere close to having the kind of impact on this team that Mahomes has had.

KC didn’t even have to give up all that much to land Mahomes either. They gave their third-round pick to Buffalo and also shipped them their 2018 first-rounder, which the Bills turned into a move up for Josh Allen, their franchise quarterback. This is a rare trade in which things turned out pretty darn good for both sides.

Chiefs fans will always remember where they were when the team moved up to take Patrick Mahomes because it was something none of the younger fans had experienced. This wasn’t a team that took risks, especially not for quarterbacks. It was a big moment for Chiefs fans and it’s only fitting that it’s paid off handsomely.

The Chiefs didn’t just trade up to draft a quarterback four years ago; They traded up to find the savior of the franchise and the guy who would make sure the Kansas City Chiefs were competitive for at least the next decade, if not longer.