Ranking the Chiefs' 8 Worst Draft Picks of the Last Decade
The 2024 NFL Draft is rapidly approaching, leaving all eyes on the Kansas City Chiefs to see who they'll draft as they aim for a three-peat. General manager Brett Veach has done well at finding NFL-ready talents in the past and Chiefs fans are hoping for more of the same in Las Vegas later this month.
The lead-up to the NFL Draft is a fun time for fans, allowing them to project who their favorite team will draft. At the same time, it's also entertaining to look at past drafts not only to reflect on the success stories but also to remember which picks wound up busting.
With that in mind, let's look back at the ranked version of the Chiefs' eight worst draft picks of the last decade.
Ranking the Chiefs' 8 Worst Draft Picks of Last Decade
8. RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire — 2020 Round 1, Pick 32
After the Chiefs' run game was nothing short of a disaster in 2019, the franchise opted to draft Clyde Edwards-Helaire in the first round of the 2020 draft. The Baton Rouge, LA native garnered a ton of attention during his last year at LSU, racking up 1,415 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns on 215 carries.
At first, it looked like Edwards-Helaire wouldn't have an issue transitioning to the NFL. The ex-Tiger racked up exactly 1,100 scrimmage yards with five TDs as a rookie, positioning him as someone who could lead Kansas City's backfield for years to come.
Unfortunately, Edwards-Helaire hasn't even come close to reaching those heights since then. Injuries have limited him to just 35 of a possible 51 games over the last three seasons — a stretch where he's only registered 1,510 scrimmage yards and 14 TDs. That's decent production for your average running back but it still isn't at the level you expect from a former first-round pick.
Isiah Pacheco's arrival to Chiefs Kingdom in 2022 didn't help Edwards-Helaire as the former has now taken over lead RB duties. CEH did re-sign with Kansas City on a one-year deal this offseason, however, time will tell if he can be more productive behind Pacheco after averaging a personal-worst 3.2 yards per carry last season.
The #Chiefs have agreed to terms with their former first-round pick Clyde Edwards-Helaire on a 1-year deal, sources say. Their starter until midway through 2022 is back for another shot. pic.twitter.com/RpxrXppmjm
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 2, 2024
Considering how RBs like Jonathan Taylor and D'Andre Swift were taken within the nine picks following Edwards-Helaire, it's easy to see why he's one of the Chiefs' worst recent selections.
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