Regrading the 2013 NFL Draft class for the Kansas City Chiefs
By Jake Kokoris
Round 1 Pick 1: Eric Fisher: B
I struggled to grade Fisher. On a strict talent evaluation level, Fisher would probably score below-average when you consider comparable first overall picks in recent years. Fisher’s grade here is boosted, however, because the 2013 draft was historically thin.
Glossing over the first round, Lane Johnson, Kyle Long, Sheldon Richardson, and DeAndre Hopkins are the only players that really jump off the page. Few would call Fisher an elite tackle, and for the majority of his career, he’s been a fairly average tackle.
On the other hand, it’s important to remember where the Chiefs were as a franchise, and what the makeup of the team was at this point. They were coming off one of the lowest seasons in professional sports history, both on and off the field. Andy Reid and Alex Smith had just come to town, each on a mission to redeem their respective careers, while striving to provide some stability to a struggling Chiefs franchise.
In other words, the Fisher pick was a safe one. But it was safe by design. The Chiefs needed a player they knew, without a doubt, would be a quality starter. Consider also that the offense was a lot different in 2013. The offense ran through Jamaal Charles, while the accurate-but-limited Smith directed Reid’s West Coast offense. In other words, the margin for error for the Smith/Reid offense was quite low. That team didn’t have the luxury of a scrambling Patrick Mahomes, who could throw 60-yard strikes even if pass-protection broke down. A solid left tackle was a necessity to ensure the success of a less explosive, measured offense.
Fisher has also been a model for stability. It’s his greatest trait as a player. That sounds like a knock, but it really isn’t. It’s a rare thing to have a competent, tenured left tackle. Think of some of the recent NFL teams derailed by inconsistent line play: the 2019 Eagles and the Seahawks for much of the Russell Wilson era. Fisher, save for an injury in 2019, has rarely missed action.
While Fisher’s holding penalty in the 2017 divisional game, and his propensity for holding penalties in general, has hurt the Chiefs, his role in the 2020 Super Bowl win gave Chiefs fans an appreciation for his consistency and durability at a crucial position, protecting the blind side of Patrick Mahomes.