The top 15 greatest draft picks in Kansas City Chiefs history
By Matt Conner
5. Bobby Bell
Draft Details: 7th round, 1963
Key Stat: Six pick-6s
The fourth-best draft pick in Chiefs history was one they never quite thought would actually choose to play for them. When the Chiefs selected Bell back in the AFL Draft of 1963, the heralded defender was expected to make the leap to the NFL by staying in-state from his playing days at the University of Minnesota to the Vikings, who picked him in the second round. That’s why the Chiefs waited until round seven before taking a flyer on him—just in case.
Bell’s decision to go to K.C. was a franchise-defining one given his game-altering presence in the heart of Hank Stram’s championship defense. Bell began his career as a defensive end, but shifted to outside linebacker and showed off an incredibly well-rounded skill set with 40 career sacks and 26 career interceptions—including six he took back all the way for a touchdown.
Bell was a nine-time Pro Bowler for the Chiefs and helped secure the team’s first and only championship until Patrick Mahomes and company would claim a second in Super Bowl LIV.