A system called the "common draft" was implemented for the AFL and NFL in 1967, creating a joint draft between the two leagues while 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 several weeks leading up to the 2023 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 56 years ago.
We began with the seventh round last week and will continue with the sixth round, where Kansas City currently owns two selections (No. 178 and No. 217) in this year's draft. As of now, here are Kansas City's picks:
No. 31 overall (Round 1)
No. 63 overall (Round 2)
No. 95 overall (Round 3)
No. 122 overall (Round 4)
No. 134 overall (Round 4)
No. 166 overall (Round 5)
No. 178 overall (Round 6)
No. 217 overall (Round 6)
No. 249 overall (Round 7)
** No. 250 overall (Round 7)**
And here's a look at who the Chiefs have drafted in the sixth round since 1967:
2021 | Pick No. 226 | Trey Smith | G | Tennessee
2019 | Pick No. 214 | Darwin Thompson | RB | Utah State
2019 | Pick No. 201 | Rashad Fenton | CB | South Carolina
2018 | Pick No. 198 | Kahlil McKenzie | OG | Tennessee
2018 | Pick No. 196 | Tremon Smith | CB | Central Arkansas
2017 | Pick No. 218 | Leon McQuay | S | USC
2016 | Pick No. 203 | Dadi Nicolas | DE | Virginia Tech
2016 | Pick No. 178 | D.J. White | CB | Georgia Tech
2015 | Pick No. 217 | Rakeem Nunez-Roches | DT | Southern Miss
2014 | Pick No. 200 | Laurent Duvernay-Tardif | OL | McGill (Canada)
2014 | Pick No. 193 | Zach Fulton | G | Tennessee
2013 | Pick No. 204 | Braden Wilson | FB | Kansas State
2013 | Pick No. 170 | Eric Kush | C | California (PA)
2012 | Pick No. 182 | Cyrus Gray | RB | Texas A&M
2011 | Pick No. 199 | Jerrell Powe | DT | Mississippi
2009 | Pick No. 175 | Quinten Lawrence | WR | McNeese State
2008 | Pick No. 182 | Kevin Robinson | WR | Utah State
2008 | Pick No. 170 | Barry Richardson | T | Clemson
2007 | Pick No. 196 | Herbert Taylor | T | TCU
2006 | Pick No. 190 | Jeff Webb | WR | San Diego State
2006 | Pick No. 186 | Tre Stallings | G | Mississippi
2005 | Pick No. 199 | Khari Long | DE | Baylor
2005 | Pick No. 187 | Will Svitek | T | Stanford
2004 | Pick No. 195 | Jeris McIntyre | WR | Auburn
2003 | Pick No. 189 | Jimmy Wilkerson | DE | Oklahoma
2001 | Pick No. 176 | Alex Sulfsted | T | Miami (OH)
2000 | Pick No. 188 | Darnell Alford | G | Boston College
1998 | Pick No. 181 | Derrick Ransom | DT | Cincinnati
1997 | Pick No. 195 | Isaac Byrd | WR | Kansas
1996 | Pick No. 176 | Dietrich Jells | WR | Pittsburgh
1995 | Pick No. 207 | Tom Barndt | DT | Pittsburgh
1995 | Pick No. 202 | Bryan Proby | DT | Arizona State
1994 | Pick No. 185 | Anthony Daigle | RB | Fresno State
1993 | Pick No. 159 | Darius Turner | RB | Washington
1992 | Pick No. 159 | Tony Smith | WR | Notre Dame
1991 | Pick No. 162 | Darrell Malone | DB | Jacksonville State
1990 | Pick No. 152 | Tom Sims | DT | Pittsburgh
1989 | Pick No. 143 | Robb Thomas | WR | Oregon State
1988 | Pick No. 139 | James Saxon | FB | San Jose State
1986 | Pick No. 141 | Kent Hagood | RB | South Carolina
1985 | Pick No. 149 | John Bostic | DB | Bethune-Cookman
1984 | Pick No. 146 | Rufus Stevens | WR | Grambling State
1983 | Pick No. 146 | Ellis Gardner | T | Georgia Tech
1982 | Pick No. 157 | Durwood Roquemore | DB | Texas A&M-Kingsville
1981 | Pick No. 153 | Dock Luckie | DT | Florida
1980 | Pick No. 164 | Larry Heater | RB | Arizona
1980 | Pick No. 147 | Bubba Garcia | WR | Texas-El Paso
1979 | Pick No. 140 | Robert Gaines | WR | Washington
1977 | Pick No. 167 | Andre Herrera | RB | Southern Illinois
1977 | Pick No. 150 | Rick Burleson | DE | Texas
1976 | Pick No. 172 | Calvin Harper | OT | Illinois St
1976 | Pick No. 167 | Bob Gregolunas | LB | Northern Illinois
1976 | Pick No. 166 | Steve Taylor | DB | Kansas
1975 | Pick No. 139 | Dave Wasick | LB | San Jose St
1975 | Pick No. 137 | Morris LaGrand | RB | Tampa
1974 | Pick No. 131 | Jay Washington | RB | Clemson
1973 | Pick No. 145 | Doug Jones | DB | Cal State-Northridge
1972 | Pick No. 153 | John Kahler | DE | Long Beach St
1971 | Pick No. 146 | Kerry Reardon | DB | Iowa
1970 | Pick No. 156 | Bob Hews | OT | Princeton
1969 | Pick No. 155 | John Pleasant | RB | Alabama St
1967 | Pick No. 156 | Noland Smith | WR | Tennessee St
Notes:
- Thirty-eight of Kansas City's 62 sixth-round draft picks went on to appear in a game for the Chiefs, combining to play in a total of 969 total contests.
- Offensive guard Trey Smith may have been the steal of the entire draft in 2021 after the Chiefs selected him in the sixth round (No. 226 overall). Smith has started 33 of 34 possible games over the last two years, earning the No. 9 overall Pro Football Focus grade among all guards in 2022 (min. 1,000 snaps).
- Ten of the Chiefs' last 11 sixth-round picks since 2014 went on to appear in at least one game for Kansas City. The most productive player in that group was offensive guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, who started 57 games in his five years with the Chiefs.
- Kansas City has picked a defensive player with six of its last nine sixth-round selections dating back to 2015.
- Defensive end Jimmy Wilkerson, who was drafted with the 189th overall pick in 2003, went on to play in the most games (72) in a Chiefs' uniform of any sixth-round pick in franchise history.
- In addition to Wilkerson, guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif (2014), offensive tackle Zach Fulton (2014), defensive tackles Derrick Ransom (1998) and Tom Barndt (1995), fullback James Saxon (1988) and defensive back Kerry Reardon (1971) all played in at least 50 games for Kansas City.
