The 2017 NFL Draft is right around the corner for the Kansas City Chiefs. One player predicted to the Chief is Joe Mixon, but could the team afford another controversial draft pick?
When the Kansas City Chiefs drafted wide receiver Tyreek Hill in the fifth round, at No. 165 overall, the team experienced significant backlash from the pick. Hill, who was kicked off the Oklahoma State football team after pleading guilty to choking his then pregnant girlfriend back in 2015. The amount of negative tweets and posts about the team’s decision to draft this “woman beater” was intense to watch as a fan.
The team stood by their decision to draft Hill and in the end, while the pick was risky, the decision turned out to be arguably the best on-field decisions from the 2016 NFL Draft. Hill’s rookie year was downright impressive. Through 16 games, he hauled in 61 receptions for 593 yards and six touchdowns. His biggest impact came in the return game for the Chiefs where he gained 651 total yards through kick and punt returns. He also found the end zone three times during those returns and none more memorable than his return against Denver.
While the selection of Hill was so highly debated, there is no denying that Chiefs Kingdom has accepted him as part of the team. They also know that he has been working on his issues off the field and is outspoken about his past and how he is changing. Will he ever be rid of the negative stigma associated with his incident is anyone’s guess, but he is a valued member of the this Chiefs team. Could history be repeating itself in 2017 for KC?