In 1967, a system called the "common draft" was implemented for the AFL and NFL. In this system, the two leagues held a joint draft for college players. The "common draft" existed until 1969 as the AFL and NFL would officially merge in 1970.
The following is a list of players the Chiefs have drafted since 1967 who went on to make the Pro Bowl (or the AFL all-star game) in their career:
|
Year |
Rnd |
Pick |
* * |
Pos |
Pro Bowls |
College/Univ |
|
2012 |
1 |
11 |
Dontari Poe |
DT |
2 |
Memphis |
|
2011 |
3 |
70 |
Justin Houston |
LB |
3 |
Georgia |
|
2010 |
1 |
5 |
Eric Berry |
DB |
3 |
Tennessee |
|
2010 |
2 |
36 |
Dexter McCluster |
WR |
1 |
Mississippi |
|
2008 |
1 |
15 |
Branden Albert |
G |
1 |
Virginia |
|
2008 |
2 |
35 |
Brandon Flowers |
DB |
1 |
Virginia Tech |
|
2008 |
3 |
73 |
Jamaal Charles |
RB |
4 |
Texas |
|
2007 |
1 |
23 |
Dwayne Bowe |
WR |
1 |
LSU |
|
2006 |
1 |
20 |
Tamba Hali |
DE |
4 |
Penn St. |
|
2005 |
1 |
15 |
Derrick Johnson |
LB |
3 |
Texas |
|
2005 |
3 |
99 |
Dustin Colquitt |
P |
1 |
Tennessee |
|
2004 |
4 |
126 |
Jared Allen |
DE |
5 |
Idaho St. |
|
2003 |
1 |
27 |
Larry Johnson |
RB |
2 |
Penn St. |
|
2000 |
5 |
153 |
Dante Hall |
WR |
2 |
Texas A&M |
|
1999 |
3 |
75 |
Gary Stills |
DE |
1 |
West Virginia |
|
1997 |
1 |
13 |
Tony Gonzalez |
TE |
14 |
California |
|
1996 |
1 |
28 |
Jerome Woods |
DB |
1 |
Memphis |
|
1996 |
4 |
98 |
Donnie Edwards* |
LB |
1 |
UCLA |
|
1996 |
5 |
135 |
Joe Horn* |
WR |
4 |
Itawamba JC |
|
1993 |
3 |
74 |
Will Shields* |
G |
12 |
Nebraska |
|
1992 |
1 |
20 |
Dale Carter |
DB |
4 |
Tennessee |
|
1990 |
2 |
40 |
Tim Grunhard |
C |
1 |
Notre Dame |
|
1989 |
1 |
4 |
Derrick Thomas* |
LB |
9 |
Alabama |
|
1988 |
1 |
2 |
Neil Smith |
DE |
6 |
Nebraska |
|
1987 |
2 |
35 |
Christian Okoye |
RB |
2 |
Azusa Pacific |
|
1986 |
2 |
35 |
Dino Hackett |
LB |
1 |
Appalachian St. |
|
1985 |
1 |
15 |
Ethan Horton* |
TE |
1 |
North Carolina |
|
1984 |
1 |
5 |
Bill Maas |
NT |
2 |
Pittsburgh |
|
1984 |
1 |
21 |
John Alt |
T |
2 |
Iowa |
|
1984 |
7 |
173 |
Kevin Ross |
DB |
2 |
Temple |
|
1983 |
3 |
61 |
Albert Lewis |
DB |
4 |
Grambling St. |
|
1983 |
5 |
119 |
Jim Arnold* |
P |
2 |
Vanderbilt |
|
1981 |
2 |
41 |
Joe Delaney |
RB |
1 |
NW State (LA) |
|
1981 |
3 |
78 |
Lloyd Burruss |
DB |
1 |
Maryland |
|
1980 |
5 |
114 |
Carlos Carson |
WR |
2 |
LSU |
|
1978 |
1 |
2 |
Art Still |
DE |
4 |
Kentucky |
|
1977 |
1 |
10 |
Gary Green |
DB |
4 |
Baylor |
|
1976 |
3 |
74 |
Gary Barbaro |
DB |
3 |
Nicholls St. |
|
1969 |
1 |
23 |
Jim Marsalis |
DB |
2 |
Tennessee St. |
|
1969 |
4 |
101 |
Jack Rudnay |
C |
4 |
Northwestern |
|
1968 |
2 |
48 |
Mike Livingston** |
QB |
1 |
SMU |
|
1968 |
14 |
375 |
Robert Holmes** |
RB |
1 |
Saginaw Valley St. |
|
1967 |
2 |
47 |
Jim Lynch** |
LB |
1 |
Notre Dame |
* *Two of the Pro Bowl players (Derrick Thomas, 1989; Will Shields, 1993) went on to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. *
*Three players drafted since 1967 were solely AFL all-stars in their careers, not Pro Bowlers: Mike Livingston (1979), Robert Holmes (1975) and Jim Lynch (1967). *
Four players taken since 1967 were drafted by the Chiefs, but only made the Pro Bowl with another team: Jim Arnold, 1983 (Detroit Lions), Ethan Horton, 1994 (Los Angeles Raiders), Joe Horn, 1996 (New Orleans Saints), Donnie Edwards, 1996 (San Diego Chargers). *
Other items of note:
- 43 Pro Bowlers (including three AFL all-stars) have been drafted by the Chiefs since 1967, the year the common draft between the AFL and NFL began.
- The Chiefs have drafted 12 Pro Bowlers who are still active in the league today.
- 2008 (Branden Albert, Brandon Flowers and Jamaal Charles) and 1984 (Bill Maas, John Alt and Kevin Ross) are tied for the best year for future Chiefs Pro Bowlers with three apiece.
- The Chiefs have drafted more Pro Bowlers (3) from Tennessee (Dale Carter, 1992; Dustin Colquitt, 2005; Eric Berry, 2010) than any other college.
- The Chiefs have drafted more Pro Bowl defensive backs (10) since 1967 than any other position.
- The Chiefs went on a streak of seven years, from 1969 to 1976, where they drafted no Pro Bowlers.
- The Chiefs have drafted only one Pro Bowl quarterback (Mike Livingston, 1979) since 1967.
Research for this article was assisted by***ProFootballReference.com***.
