Round 3 – Steven Nelson, Cornerback, Oregon State
Getting four players who give you quality starts out of rounds 4-7 of the NFL Draft is a really impressive feat for any general manager. When you combine Day 3 in 2015 with the work that Dorsey had already done in the first three rounds, it’s evident that from a talent evaluation standpoint, this was his best offseason.
With the 98th overall selection, the Chiefs took cornerback Steven Nelson. The former Oregon State standout played well beyond his draft status over four years with Kansas City, starting in 38 games over the final three, including all 16 games in 2018. Arrowhead Addict editor Matt Conner named Nelson one of the most underrated Chiefs of the last decade, in fact. In 2018, his four interceptions and 15 passes defensed season led way to him getting a significant contract from Pittsburgh in free agency. He was solid for the Steelers, too, starting 30 games over two seasons as a consistent presence in their secondary.
Currently a free agent, no one quite knows what the future holds for Nelson, but what is clear is that, in what is an unfortunately common theme with the 2015 Chiefs’ draft class, Nelson played his best football after leaving Kansas City.
Round 3 – Chris Conley, Wide Receiver, Georgia
John Dorsey also hit with his first pick in the third round when he selected wide receiver Chris Conley from Georgia. While the Chiefs hoped he’d turn into a true number one wideout and never did, Conley has been a very good NFL wide receiver and was a solid contributor for Kansas City for four seasons.
Despite an injury that cost him all but five games in 2017, Conley played in 53 games for the team over four seasons. While he was never a statistical machine, he was a reliable pass catching option for quarterback Alex Smith at a time when most of the Chiefs offense was not piling up statistics and the team lacked quality playmakers on that side of the ball.
I mentioned that players playing their best football after their Chiefs’ career(s) ended was a common theme in 2015, and Conley is no exception to that. After gaining just over 1,200 yards and scoring 6 touchdowns for Kansas City in four years, Conley signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he’s surpassed his four year Chiefs totals for yards and touchdowns, despite playing just two seasons thus far in Jacksonville. He’s a quality NFL wide receiver, and was a quality draft pick as a result.