Since the AFL expansion of 1961, the Kansas City Chiefs have been a mainstay in the first round of the NFL Draft, and they have the picks to prove it. A similarly competitive team in the 1960s to the 2020s, how have the Chiefs’ selections in Round 1 helped them maintain relevance?

Kansas City Chiefs First-Round Draft Picks Throughout History

It’s surprising that the Chiefs — a team that won three AFL Championships in the 1960s and won the 1970 Super Bowl — only has four Hall of Fame first-round picks across its team history. And one of those picks — running back Gale Sayers — never played for the Chiefs, choosing to sign with the Bears when the AFL and NFL were clashing.

In the modern NFL, Kansas City already has a Round 1 pick who may be an immediate Hall of Fame candidate when his career ends in Patrick Mahomes. After just six seasons in the league, Mahomes is already a two-time MVP, two-time Super Bowl champion, two-time All-Pro, and five-time Pro Bowler. It’s exciting to think about what else he can accomplish.

2023

• Felix Anudike-Uzomah | Round 1, Pick 31
  EDGE, Kansas State

2022

• Trent McDuffie | Round 1, Pick 21
  CB, Washington
• George Karlaftis | Round 1, Pick 30
  EDGE, Purdue

2021

The Chiefs traded the 31st pick to the Baltimore Ravens.

2020

• Clyde Edwards-Helaire | Pick 32
  RB, LSU

2019

The Chiefs traded the 29th pick to the Seattle Seahawks.

2018

The Chiefs traded the 22nd pick to the Buffalo Bills.

2017

• Patrick Mahomes | Pick 10
  QB, Texas Tech

2016

The Chiefs traded the 28th pick to the San Francisco 49ers.

2015

• Marcus Peters | Pick 18
  CB, Washington

2014

• Dee Ford | Pick 23
  LB, Auburn

2013

• Eric Fisher | Pick 1
  T, Central Michigan

2012

• Dontari Poe | Pick 11
  DT, Memphis

2011

• Jonathan Baldwin | Pick 26
  WR, Pittsburgh

2010

• Eric Berry | Pick 5
  DB, Tennessee

2009

• Tyson Jackson | Pick 3
  DE, LSU

2008

• Glenn Dorsey | Pick 5
  DT, LSU
• Branden Albert | Pick 15
  G, Virginia

2007

• Dwayne Bowe | Pick 23
  WR, LSU

2006

• Tamba Hali | Pick 20
  DE, Penn State

2005

• Derrick Johnson | Pick 15
  LB, Texas

2004

The Chiefs traded the 30th pick to the Detroit Lions.

2003

• Larry Johnson | Pick 27
  RB, Penn State

2002

• Ryan Sims | Pick 6
  DT, North Carolina

2001

The Chiefs traded the 12th pick to the St. Louis Rams.

2000

• Sylvester Morris | Pick 21
  WR, Jackson State

1999

• John Tait | Pick 14
  T, BYU

1998

• Victor Riley | Pick 27
  T, Auburn

1997

• Tony Gonzalez* | Pick 13
  TE, California

1996

• Jerome Woods | Pick 28
  DB, Memphis

1995

• Trezelle Jenkins | Pick 31
  T, Michigan

1994

• Greg Hill | Pick 25
  RB, Texas A&M

1993

The Chiefs traded the 18th pick to the San Francisco 49ers.

1992

• Dale Carter | Pick 20
  DB, Tennessee

1991

• Harvey Williams | Pick 21
  RB, LSU

1990

• Percy Snow | Pick 13
  LB, Michigan State

1989

• Derrick Thomas* | Pick 4
  LB, Alabama

1988

• Neil Smith | Pick 2
  DE, Nebraska

1987

• Paul Palmer | Pick 19
  RB, Temple

1986

• Brian Jozwiak | Pick 7
  G, West Virginia

1985

• Ethan Horton | Pick 15
  TE, North Carolina

1984

• Bill Maas | Pick 5
  NT, Pittsburgh
• John Alt | Pick 21
  T, Iowa

1983

• Todd Blackledge | Pick 7
  QB, Penn State

1982

• Anthony Hancock | Pick 11
  WR, Tennessee

1981

• Willie Scott | Pick 14
  TE, South Carolina

1980

• Brad Budde | Pick 11
  G, USC

1979

• Mike Bell | Pick 2
  DE, Colorado State
• Steve Fuller | Pick 23
  QB, Clemson

1978

• Art Still | Pick 2
  DE, Kentucky

1977

• Gary Green | Pick 10
  DB, Baylor

1976

• Rod Walters | Pick 14
  G, Iowa

1975

The Chiefs traded away their first-round selection in 1975.

1974

• Woody Green | Pick 16
  RB, Arizona State

1973

The Chiefs traded away their first-round selection in 1973.

1972

• Jeff Kinney | Pick 23
  RB, Nebraska

1971

• Elmo Wright | Pick 16
  WR, Houston

1970

• Sid Smith | Pick 26
  C, USC

1969

• Jim Marsalis | Pick 23
  DB, Tennessee State

1968

• Mo Moorman | Pick 19
  G, Texas A&M
• George Daney | Pick 22
  G, Texas-El Paso

1967

• Gene Trosch | Pick 24
  DE, Miami (FL)

1966

• Aaron Brown | Pick 6
  DE, Minnesota

1965

• Gale Sayers* | Pick 5
  RB, Kansas

1964

• Pete Beathard | Pick 2
  QB, USC

1963

• Buck Buchanan* | Pick 1
  DT, Grambling State
• Ed Budde | Pick 8
  G, Michigan State

1962

• Ronnie Bull | Pick 3
  RB, Baylor

1961

• E.J. Holub | Pick 6
  LB, Texas Tech

*Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame