The Kansas City Chiefs had limited options in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Coming off a successful season with Alex Smith as their quarterback, they were considered a strong team in the league. However, they saw potential in a prospect named Patrick Mahomes from Texas Tech and decided to make a bold move to improve their draft position.
To acquire Mahomes, the Chiefs traded their first-round pick (27th overall), a third-round pick, and a first-round pick in 2018 to the Buffalo Bills. With the 10th overall pick, they selected Mahomes, who has since proven himself as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time in his six seasons as a full-time starter.
After winning back-to-back championships, Mahomes celebrated at Disneyland. The Chiefs’ decision to draft Mahomes has clearly paid off.
But who were the players chosen ahead of Mahomes in the draft? Let’s take a look at the nine players selected before him and where they are today:
1. Myles Garrett – Cleveland Browns
The Browns had the first overall pick in 2017 and selected Myles Garrett, a dominant defensive lineman from Texas A&M. Garrett has established himself as one of the best defensive players in the league, earning first or second team all-pro honors in multiple seasons. In 2023, he was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
2. Mitch Trubisky – Chicago Bears
Trubisky was the only quarterback drafted ahead of Mahomes. He had a decent season in 2018, leading the Bears to an 11-3 record in games he started and earning a Pro Bowl selection. However, Trubisky’s career has declined since then, spending the past three seasons primarily as a backup with the Bills and Steelers. The Steelers recently announced that they will be parting ways with him.
3. Solomon Thomas – San Francisco 49ers
Thomas was a disappointment for the 49ers, recording just six sacks in his four seasons with the team. After his rookie contract expired, the 49ers decided not to re-sign him. Since then, he has played for the Raiders and Jets, starting only three games since 2020.
4. Leonard Fournette – Jacksonville Jaguars
Fournette was highly regarded in 2017 and was selected by the Jaguars with the fourth overall pick. He had a productive start to his career, but injuries and the short lifespan of NFL running backs have affected his performance. In 2023, he spent most of the season without a team before playing two games for the Bills. Despite the challenges, Fournette remains active in the league.
Leonard Fournette expressed his confidence in winning at least three more Super Bowls before retiring.
5. Corey Davis – Tennessee Titans
Davis had a couple of successful seasons with the Titans, but he failed to live up to expectations as a top-five pick and the first wide receiver selected in the NFL Draft that year. After spending four seasons in Tennessee, he joined the Jets and started 19 games between 2021 and 2022. However, he did not play at all in 2023 and there are rumors of him retiring from the game.
6. Jamal Adams – New York Jets
Adams had a strong start to his career, starting every game in his first two years and establishing himself as one of the top safeties in the league. He even earned multiple All-Pro selections, even after being traded to the Seahawks in 2020. Unfortunately, injuries have plagued Adams in the past couple of seasons, causing him to only play in 10 out of a possible 35 games for Seattle in 2022 and 2023.
7. Mike Williams – Los Angeles Chargers
Williams was highly regarded by ESPN as the top wide receiver in the 2017 draft class. However, he was the second receiver taken after Davis and initially struggled in his first two seasons. Despite this, Williams has shown improvement, surpassing 1,000 yards twice since 2019 and consistently putting up strong performances with over 750 yards in four consecutive years. Unfortunately, his most recent season was cut short due to an ACL tear in Week 3 of 2023.
8. Christian McCaffrey – Carolina Panthers
McCaffrey, who was selected ahead of Mahomes, was recently named the Offensive Player of the Year for 2023 and came close to winning an NFL championship. He led the league in rushing during the past season and has been a consistently productive player since his time with the Panthers.
9. John Ross – Cincinnati Bengals
Ross may be considered one of the biggest disappointments among the players chosen before Mahomes. He had zero catches in his rookie season and only touched the ball once, resulting in a fumble. His best season came in 2019 when he caught 28 passes for 506 yards, but he was never able to replicate those numbers. Ross spent his final year with the Giants in 2021 before ultimately retiring.
According to the Source sportslens.com