17 Sep 1995: Defensive lineman Neil Smith #90 of the Kansas City Chiefs attempts to tackle wide receiver Kerry Cash #88 of the Oakland Raiders during a game played at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs won the game, 23-17. Mandatory
94: Chiefs draft Neil Smith (1988)
The Chiefs defense of the 90s is one of the more prominent aspects of the franchise’s history. However, it wasn’t built overnight. In the 1988 NFL Draft, the Chiefs laid the groundwork for what would become one of the great defenses when they drafted defensive end Neil Smith second-overall with their first-round pick.
Smith would go on to become one half of a vaunted pass-rushing duo, along with Derrick Thomas. The tandem plagued quarterbacks for years as teams were simply unable to account for both of them at the same time. Smith would end his time in Kansas City as the second leading sack artist in the club’s history, behind only teammate Derrick Thomas.
Smith would eventually leave the Chiefs for the Denver Broncos, which remains a bit of a sore spot for Chiefs fans. However, while he was in Kansas City, he gave fans plenty to cheer for as he was an absolute terror to opposing quarterbacks.
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