Kansas City Chiefs in first round since 2000
So just what happened with the five first-round picks, from the list above, who never caught on? Let’s re-examine the circumstances that led to their departures from the Kingdom, but before we dive headlong into the details—here are several quick facts about the Unlucky Five:
- All of them washed out of Kansas City before logging 60 games.
- Dorsey and Sims are the only players in the bunch who had success elsewhere.
- Dorsey is the lone member to post solid production in multiple seasons as a Chief.
- Only Baldwin had less than four years of service time in Kansas City.
Sylvester Morris
Taken 21st overall in the 2000 NFL Draft, Morris was former small-school product out of Jackson State. The top three receivers in Kansas City the season prior were Derrick Alexander, Joe Horn, and Kevin Lockett. Horn defected to the New Orleans Saints in the offseason, leaving the Chiefs with a significant vacancy in the receiving corps. Morris had a fairly impressive rookie campaign posting 48 receptions, 678 receiving yards, and 3 touchdowns. Unfortunately, knee injuries and a torn hip muscle marred the rest of his tenure in Kansas City. In fact, after the 2000 season, Morris never played again.
Bust Cause: Injuries
Ryan Sims
Sims checks in as one of the biggest draft busts in franchise history. Though they played different positions, he was essentially Tyson Jackson before Tyson Jackson. The former Tar Heel was a top-10 pick during the Dick Vermeil era (6th overall in 2002). Scouts had concerns that Sims was a product of playing next to Julius Peppers his final two years at North Carolina. In hindsight, it’s clear to see that Peppers was the gem of that line group. It doesn’t help Carl Peterson’s reputation that Sims was selected ahead of both John Henderson and Albert Haynesworth. Unhappy with what he’d become, the Chiefs traded Sims away to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the spring of 2007.
Bust Cause: Unrealized potential
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