3 draft mistakes that (sorta) continue to haunt the Chiefs

Breeland Speaks (2018)

The scenario: Brett Veach's first draft was going to be an intriguing one to watch—that is, until we actually watched it. Following John Dorsey as a draft expert was always going to be tough, but Veach came in with significant buzz after earning so much public credit for the Patrick Mahomes selection.

Unfortunately for Veach, his first draft class in 2018 is among the very worst in franchise history without any exaggeration. It starts at the top with the reach for Breeland Speaks in the second round, a player for whom Veach even traded up.

The issue: Speaks was no good. He was the definition of a tweener and he had no place in Bob Sutton's defense. Then again, Steve Spagnuolo had little use for him either as he came in to replace Sutton in 2019. While Speaks had some nice film from his days in the SEC, the truth is that he wasn't big enough to play inside, or fluid and fast enough to play outside. His technique needed work. His motor needed consistency.

The worst part is that even outsiders knew it. It was a head-scratching move, an admitted reach to get a pass rusher before the well dried up too quick. It proved Veach was in over his head at first and that the learning curve might get ugly.

Speaks would only play for the Chiefs in 2018. He'd spend 2019 on injured reserve before being released in 2020 before the regular season would begin. From there, he'd never play another official NFL snap ever again.