NFL Draft 2017: Kansas City Chiefs select Patrick Mahomes in first round

The Kansas City Chiefs finally made their first selection in the 2017 NFL Draft and they went with Patrick Mahomes out of Texas Tech.

The Kansas City Chiefs have finally made their first selection of the 2017 NFL Draft. At No. 10 overall, the Chiefs turned in the card for Patrick Mahomes, a quarterback out of Texas Tech.

The Chiefs originally traded to move up to take Mahomes by giving up their first round pick next year and a third round pick this year along with No. 27 overall to get Mahomes.

With Mahomes, the Chiefs enjoy the biggest arm available to them in the NFL Draft. Coming from an air raid system at Texas Tech, Mahomes fought some early worries in the pre-draft season that he might be a system quarterback more than a pro style one, but teams became enamored with his play and personality one after the other as they each spent time with him in workouts and at the NFL Combine. What became clear to all was that Mahomes talent was responsible for much of Texas Tech’s success and that his arm can make all of the necessary throws at the next level.

Mahomes has plenty of confidence and brings a cannon to the NFL, as illustrated by his eye-popping stats from last year. Mahomes threw for over 5,000 yards last year for the Red Raiders, with 41 touchdowns and only 10 interceptions. He has 93 touchdowns in his three-year collegiate career against only 29 interceptions. He has a career completion rate of 63.5, including 65.7 percent of his passes last season.

Mahomes should be able to sit for a year behind Alex Smith, barring injury, giving him time to adapt to the pro level and learn Andy Reid’s complex West Coast system and terminology before potentially taking over the starting spot in 2018.