A system called the "common draft" was implemented for the AFL and NFL in 1967, creating a joint draft between the two leagues and establishing the precursor for what has become the marquee event of the offseason.
The two leagues merged in 1970, and the rest is history.
Over the next three weeks leading up to the 2022 NFL Draft, we're going to take a look back at who the Kansas City Chiefs have selected in each round since the event's beginnings 55 years ago.
Let's begin with the seventh round, where Kansas City currently owns four selections (No. 233, No. 243, No. 251 and No. 259) later this month. The Chiefs haven't picked in the seventh round since selecting cornerback BoPete Keyes (No. 237 overall) in 2020.
As of now, these are the selections Kansas City currently has in the 2022 Draft:
No. 29 overall (Round 1)
No. 30 overall (Round 1)
No. 50 overall (Round 2)
No. 62 overall (Round 2)
No. 94 overall (Round 3)
No. 103 overall (Round 3)*
No. 121 overall (Round 4)
No. 135 overall (Round 4)
No. 233 overall (Round 7)
No. 243 overall (Round 7)
No. 251 overall (Round 7)
No. 259 overall (Round 7)*
* Denotes a compensatory pick
And here's a look at who the Chiefs have drafted in the seventh round since 1967:
2020 | Pick No. 237 | BoPete Keyes | CB | Tulane
2019 | Pick No. 216 | Nick Allegretti | OL | Illinois
2015 | Pick No. 233 | Da'Ron Brown | WR | Northern Illinois
2013 | Pick No. 207 | Mike Catapano | DL | Princeton
2012 | Pick No. 218 | Jerome Long | DL | San Diego State
2012 | Pick No. 238 | Junior Hemingway | WR | Michigan
2011 | Pick No. 223 | Shane Bannon | RB | Yale
2009 | Pick No. 256 | Ryan Succop | K | South Carolina
2009 | Pick No. 212 | Javarris Williams | RB | Tennessee State
2009 | Pick No. 237 | Jake O'Connell | TE | Miami (OH)
2008 | Pick No. 210 | Brian Johnston | DL | Gardner-Webb
2008 | Pick No. 239 | Mike Merritt | TE | Central Florida
2007 |Pick No. 231 | Michael Allan | TE | Whitworth (WA)
2006 | Pick No. 228 | Jarrad Page | DB | UCLA
2005 | Pick No. 238 | Jeremy Parquet | OL | Southern Miss
2005 | Pick No. 229 | James Kilian | QB | Tulsa
2004 | Pick No. 231 | Kevin Sampson | OL | Syracuse
2003 | Pick No. 252 | Willie Pile | DB | Virginia Tech
2003 | Pick No. 230 | Montique Sharpe | DL | Wake Forest
2002 | Pick No. 221 | Maurice Rodriguez | LB | Fresno State
2001 | Pick No. 212 | Shaunard Harts | DB | Boise State
2001 | Pick No. 243 | Terdell Sands | DL | Tennessee - Chattanooga
2000 | Pick No. 208 | Desmond Kitchings | WR | Furman
1999 | Pick No. 220 | Eric King | OL | Richmond
1998 | Pick No. 216 | Eric Warfield | DB | Nebraska
1998 | Pick No. 224 | Ernest Blackwell | RB | Missouri
1997 | Pick No. 214 | Nathan Parks | OL | Stanford
1996 | Pick No. 245 | Darrell Williams | DB | Tennessee State
1996 | Pick No. 211 | Ben Lynch | OL | California
1996 | Pick No. 241 | Jeff Smith | OL | Tennessee
1994 | Pick No. 199 | Steve Matthews | QB | Memphis
1994 | Pick No. 219 | Tracy Greene | TE | Grambling State
1993 | Pick No. 186 | Danan Hughes | WR | Iowa
1992 | Pick No. 186 | Erick Anderson | LB | Michigan
1991 | Pick No. 189 | Bernard Ellison | DB | Nevada
1990 | Pick No. 180 | Dave Szott | OL | Penn State
1989 | Pick No. 171 | Ron Sancho | LB | LSU
1988 | Pick No. 170 | Troy Stedman | LB | Washburn
1987 | Pick No. 186 | Doug Hudson | QB | Nicholls State
1985 | Pick No. 180 | Vince Thompson | DL | Missouri Western
1985 | Pick No. 183 | Dave Heffernan | OL | Miami (FL)
1984 | Pick No. 173 | Kevin Ross | DB | Temple
1983 | Pick No. 173 | Ken Thomas | RB | San Jose State
1983 | Pick No. 179 | Daryl Posey | RB | Mississippi College
1982 | Pick No. 184 | Greg Smith | DL | Kansas
1981 | Pick No. 180 | Billy Jackson | RB | Alabama
1979 | Pick No. 167 | Ken Kremer | DL | Ball State
1978 | Pick No. 168 | Ricky Odom | DB | USC
1978 | Pick No. 184 | Bill Kellar | WR | Stanford
1977 | Pick No. 177 | Chris Golub | DB | Kansas
1976 | Pick No. 196 | Rod Wellington | RB | Iowa
1974 | Pick No. 172 | LeRoy Hegge | DL | South Dakota - Springfield
1973 | Pick No. 173 | Donn Smith | OL | Purdue
1972 | Pick No. 179 | Dean Carlson | QB | Iowa State
1970 | Pick No. 182 | Clyde Glosson | WR | Texas - El Paso
1969 | Pick No. 179 | Tom Nettles | WR | San Diego State
1968 | Pick No. 184 | Sammy Grezaffi | DB | LSU
1967 | Pick No. 183 | Dick Erickson | OL | Wisconsin - Stout
Notes:
- Twenty-nine of Kansas City's 58 seventh-round draft picks went on to appear in a game for the Chiefs, combining to play in 1,084 total contests.
- Offensive lineman and 2019 seventh-round pick Nick Allegretti is the only seventh-round selection drafted by the Chiefs currently on the roster. He appeared in all 17 games last season.
- The Chiefs have selected one future Pro Bowler in the seventh round since 1967: defensive back Kevin Ross, who was drafted in 1984. Ross made the Pro Bowl in 1989 and 1990. He was inducted into the Chiefs Hall of Fame in 2011.
- Ross wore a Chiefs' uniform in the most games of any seventh-round pick in franchise history, taking the field 156 times. Offensive tackle Dave Szott (142) and defensive back Eric Warfield (115) are the only other seventh-round selections to appear in at least 100 games for Kansas City.
- Offensive lineman and defensive back have been the most-selected positions over the years, with 11 picks each.
- Former wide receiver and current Chiefs Radio Network analyst Danan Hughes appeared in 85 games for Kansas City after being selected in the seventh round of the 1993 Draft.
