KC Chiefs: Ranking every first-round pick since 2000
By Matt Conner
12-13. Glenn Dorsey and Tyson Jackson
It feels right to put these two defensive linemen together. Maybe that’s unfair, but given the production they provided for the Chiefs in proportion to where they were drafted, that’s just the way it is.
In the 2008 NFL Draft, the Chiefs would select LSU defensive lineman Glenn Dorsey at No. 5 overall. The following year, the Chiefs had an even higher pick at No. 3 and turned in the draft card reading Tyson Jackson’s name after he also starred at LSU. Together, they should have formed a dynamic tandem along the Chiefs’ defensive front to wreak havoc for years to come—especially given the early draft investments made on each. Instead, Chiefs Kingdom will largely shrug when asked about either player.
To their credit, neither player flamed out entirely. Both ended up long-term starters at their respective positions for the Chiefs and even other franchises in following years. Dorsey would go on to make 65 starts in 66 games for K.C. Jackson would start 10 less games but played in approximately 10 more. Dorsey had 7 sacks, Jackson had 9. Even with Tamba Hali alongside them for years, both players failed to make much of an impact.
Dorsey would go on to play four more years in San Francisco after leaving K.C. Jackson would play three more in Atlanta. But the tenures of both players are largely forgettable, which is the very opposite of what you want when you take defensive lineman within the top 3 and 5 picks of consecutive draft classes.