Regrading the K.C. Chiefs 2013 draft class

Third Round: Knile Davis, running back; Travis Kelce, tight end

With the 96th selection in the third round, Kansas City selected Arkansas running back Knile Davis. The goal was for Davis to compliment and spell All-Pro rusher Jamaal Charles. While Davis never lived up to that objective, he was still a productive draft pick.

Davis remained in Kansas City for three-and-a-half seasons and appeared in 57 games for the Chiefs, including two starts. He rushed for 800 yards and scored 11 touchdowns for Andy Reid’s offense and added almost 300 more in the air. Davis was even more dangerous as the Chiefs primary kick returner for a few years with a touchdown in each of his first two seasons—including a 106-yard score against the Houston Texans in the Wild Card round here.

The true gem of the 2013 draft for the Chiefs (for the NFL?) was the use of the 63rd overall pick on Cincinnati tight end Travis Kelce. While the former Bearcat missed his rookie season with an injury, it did not take long after that for the pick to begin to pay off. In 2014, Kelce took over the starting job and never looked back.

Kelce has six straight Pro Bowl appearances, three 1st Team All-Pro selections and has rattled off one of the most productive stretches for a tight end in NFL history. At just 31, Kelce is already a lock for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Not bad for a third round pick.

Despite the swings in misses in rounds 4-7, it could be argued that the Chiefs’ use of the draft in rounds 1-3 in 2013 were among the best in franchise history. This is especially true when one considers that the second round pick was used to acquire Alex Smith, who may have been the single most important trade acquisition in team history.