Regrading 2017 KC Chiefs draft starts and ends with Patrick Mahomes

Third Round – 86th Overall – Kareem Hunt, Running Back

While the second half of the draft was incredibly unproductive for Kansas City selections, the first half was anything but. With the 86th overall pick in the third round, the Kansas City Chiefs took a chance on running back Kareem Hunt from Toledo. Hunt displayed all the skills necessary to be a productive back in college, but was pushed down draft boards primarily due to the perception of lack of competition in the MAC.

Everyone was wrong, and Hunt didn’t take long to prove it as Hunt exploded onto the scene in Week 1 and led the NFL in rushing in 2017, amassing over 1,300 yards on the ground and another 450 receiving. He also scored 11 touchdowns that year. It really looked like Hunt was the steal of the ’17 draft.

When 2018 commenced and the Chiefs had a new quarterback at the helm, the team looked unstoppable with Hunt, wide receiving Tyreek Hill and tight end Travis Kelce leading the offense. Through 11 games of his sophomore season, Hunt had over 800 yards rushing and 1,200 total yards from scrimmage which meant there was no sophomore slump to speak of.

But it was not all sunshine and roses for the Chiefs. Hunt was a young man with inner demons the team did not perceive, and after their starting running back was seen on video assaulting a woman in a hotel hallway, he was summarily dismissed from the organization. The Cleveland Browns took a chance on Hunt and, after he served an 8-game suspension, he returned to action. In 2019, the former league rushing leader showed flashes of his rookie self, and turned in a very productive season as the complimentary back for the Browns.

While the Chiefs did not get all the production they’d hoped to out of Hunt, he was a tremendously productive third round pick in the one and half years he spent in Kansas City.

Second Round – 59th Overall – Tanoh Kpassagnon, Defensive End

After making the biggest splash of the draft’s first round, the Chiefs took a major chance on Villanova pass rusher Tanoh Kpassagnon, who was short on experience and stats but high in athletic potential. John Dorsey fell in love with his size and athleticism and reached for the rusher with the 59th overall pick.

It wouldn’t be fair to call Tanoh a bust, per se. However, in his time in Kansas City, he certainly never lived up to the high draft investment, either. In four seasons with the Chiefs, Kpassagnon played in 61 of 64 regular season including 15 starts a season ago. While he never blossomed into a prolific pass rusher, he did register seven sacks, 12 tackles for loss and 18 quarterback hits in his time with the Chiefs.

Kansas City chose not to resign their 2017 second round pick this offseason, and he has since signed with the New Orleans Saints for the 2021 season. Importantly, however, Kpassagnon was integral to the rebirth of the Chiefs defense under defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, which was pivotal in helping the Chiefs capture the Lombardi trophy as winners of Super Bowl LIV.