Heading into the 2015 NFL Draft, the K.C. Chiefs were entering their third offseason of the Andy Reid era, fresh off the heels of a disappointing 9-7 season which saw the team miss the playoffs despite making it in 2013.
The Chiefs also entered the draft with clear holes to fill on both sides of the football. Fortunately, the team had nine draft picks with which to make the necessary improvements to the roster, and they just had to hit on them. And general manager John Dorsey put together a masterful class.
The Chiefs walked away from the three-day event with eight players who would go on to play meaningful snaps for the Chiefs, and many of them are still in the league leading productive (and in some cases, excellent) NFL careers. Let’s take a closer look at the 2015 Chiefs draft class to see how things look six years later.
Round 7 – Da’Ron Brown, Wide Receiver, Northern Illinois
With their final selection at No. 233 overall, the Chiefs took a flyer on small school wide receiver Da’Ron Brown. The speedster from Northern Illinois offered potential, as a developmental playmaker on offense who could also contribute on special teams.
Unfortunately, it never materialized in camp or the preseason, and the team cut him from the active roster prior to the start of the regular season. He spent time over the next 12 months on the practice squad, but was cut for the final time just one year later, prior to the 2016 season. Brown had more practice squad stints with the New England Patriots, New York Giants, Miami Dolphins, and L.A. Chargers over the next 12 months; but was done with the NFL after the Chargers cut him in September, 2017.
Round 6 – Rakeem Nunez-Roches, Defensive Tackle, Southern Miss
Brown would be the only true miss of Dorsey’s 2015 class, as the savvy talent evaluator was on fire all weekend long. In the sixth round, Kansas City used the 217th selection on Southern Miss defensive tackle Rakeem Nunez-Roches.
Things started out rough for the big man, and he played in only seven games his rookie year and only recorded four tackles. However, he certainly improved from year one to year two, and started five games for the Chiefs in 2016 and 11 more in 2017. Kansas City waived ‘Nacho’ in 2018.
Nunez-Roches spent the 2018 offseason with the Indianapolis Colts but was cut prior to the season starting, and in October 2018, he signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers where he went on to (of course) win a Super Bowl ring in 2020. The Bucs re-signed the veteran interior lineman this offseason to a two-year deal.
This draft pick was a win for the Chiefs, after getting 16 starts over three years out of a sixth round selection. It’s also clear that he’s carved out a nice NFL career for himself, despite being unheralded out of college.