10. Dontari Poe
Dontari Poe’s story with the Chiefs actually goes back a bit before the draft, when he gained notoriety for one of the most incredible displays of athleticism ever at the NFL Combine. During the annual “Underwear Olympics,” Poe weighed in at just under 350 lbs. after starring at the University of Memphis yet was somehow able to run the 40-yard dash in only 4.98 seconds. He was an instant hit in the pre-draft season and the Chiefs rewarded him by grabbing him at No. 11 overall.
Poe would pay the Chiefs back with impact talent along the defensive front during his first few years in Kansas City. As one of the league’s biggest nose tackles, Poe somehow also brought disruptive ability that made him impossible to defend one on one. In his first three years, he established himself as one of the most dominant linemen up front and made two Pro Bowls in that span.
The problems began soon thereafter when back problems would start to creep in and limit his effectiveness. It wasn’t long before it kept him from actually playing at times. By the time Poe’s rookie deal was up, the Chiefs had a perplexing decision to make as to whether or not to keep him around and hope that such a looming problem would go away or not. In the end, Poe left in free agency for the Atlanta Falcons where he would play a single season. Since then, Poe has played for the Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys (2020).
However, looking back, Poe was definitely a pick worth making for the way he immediately changed what the Chiefs could do up front in the trenches and how he made everyone around him that much better. In addition, we would never have Hungry Pig Right without him (or other big guy touchdowns)!