Ranking the Chiefs' 8 Worst Draft Picks of the Last Decade

1. DE Breeland Speaks — 2018 Round 2, Pick 46

All eyes were on Brett Veach at the 2018 NFL Draft as it was his first as the Chiefs' general manager. The crafty GM didn't waste any time making an impact, trading away the No. 54 and 78 picks to the Cincinnati Bengals, allowing Kansas City to move up to No. 46 to draft Breeland Speaks out of Ole Miss.

It was a pick that was seen as a reach at the time as the majority of draft experts had Speaks going in the third or fourth round. Sometimes teams go after 'their guy,' regardless of where they're projected to go, but it isn't unfathomable that he would've still been on the board by the time the Chiefs had to announce one of the picks they traded away.

Although Speaks' first NFL campaign wasn't the worst, it didn't exactly inspire confidence. Suiting up in all 16 games, the ex-Rebel tallied 15 tackles (while missing 11.1% of attempts), 1.5 sacks, 13 pressures, and a forced fumble.

Unfortunately, fans who hoped he could build off that performance were disappointed. While spending time on the injured reserve during the 2019 campaign, Speak was hit with a four-game suspension due to his violating the NFL's substance abuse policy. He never played another game for the Chiefs before eventually being waived ahead of the 2020 season.

Since leaving Kansas City, Speak has spent time on five different NFL practice squads. He had two stints with the USFL's Michigan Panthers, including one in 2023 that saw him lead the league with 9.0 sacks en route to being named to the All-USFL team. The 28-year-old is back with the Panthers for the inaugural UFL campaign following the USFL-XFL merger, leaving time to tell if he'll attempt another NFL comeback when the season ends in June.

While it's nice to see Speaks continuing to live out his dream, his NFL career speaks to why he's the Chiefs' worst draft pick of the last decade.

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