5 draft picks the Kansas City Chiefs gave up on too soon

Ted Washington

For most NFL fans today, the name Ted Washington is going to conjure memories of "Mt. Washington," a massive 360-lb. defensive tackle who played for nearly two decades as an immovable run stuffer. And while he did don the uniform of many franchises—including the Bills, Bears, and 49ers among others—we're actually not referring to that Ted Washington.

Instead, we're talking about his father.

Ted Washington Sr. was originally drafted in the 17th round (yep!) back in 1972 by the Chiefs. Somehow he never played a single down for the team, however, and found his way to the Houston Oilers in 1973. From there, he became one of the most overlooked defenders in Oilers history despite finishing his career as their third-leading tackler.

Just like his son, Washington was an immovable force against the run and also landed 45 total career sacks as a longtime linebacker for the Oilers. For 10 seasons, he would play with the likes of Robert Brazile and former Chiefs lineman Curley Culp to put up a significant defensive front for Houston in the '70s.

Surely Marv Levy would have loved a gritty talent like that in his defense during his tenure on the Chiefs' sidelines.