KC Chiefs first round history feature some of the franchise’s all-time greats

The Kansas City Chiefs have made 51 first round selections in their 60 year history, but haven’t made one in nearly three years. What does history tell us about the 1st round of the draft for the Chiefs?

The Chiefs currently own picks in the first five rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft. In anticipation of making those selections, we’re covering the best picks in Kansas City history by round. We began this week with a look at round five, then round four, then round three and round two. Today we finish with a dive into the team’s history in the first round.

The Kansas City Chiefs have made 52 first round selections in the team’s history; and more of them have turned out to be highly effective professional football players than have not. Thus far, only four have been selected to the Hall of Fame, but 14 have been named 1st Team All-Pro players at least once in their careers.

We’ll evaluate the worst 1st round picks in franchise history in the coming weeks; but for now, let’s look at the ten best.

Before starting the countdown, a few former first rounders deserve honorable mention placement for their achievements in Kansas City. Among them, in chronological order, include: Jim Marsalis, Gary Green, Art Still, Dale Carter, Larry Johnson, and Dwayne Bowe, and Tamba Hali.

One of the greatest “what if?” moments in franchise history also involves a former first round pick for the Chiefs. Running back Gale Sayers chose to play for the Bears instead of his hometown Chiefs after being selected in the first round by both franchises in the NFL and AFL Drafts, respectively, in 1965 (Sayers was from Wichita and played college football at the University of Kansas).

So if those are the ones left off, who makes it on to our top 10 list?