Five seriously underrated KC Chiefs from the Andy Reid era

Eric Fisher, OT

Every aspect of the Chiefs' miraculous turnaround from a two-win team in 2012 to a playoff contender in 2013 is the stuff of legend. From Andy Reid's immediate impact to Alex Smith's arrival, the Chiefs' first year under Reid was an incredible story to be told but perhaps nothing is as shocking as that year's NFL Draft.

Most teams who own the top overall pick in a draft rely on that cornerstone pick to help them turn the corner away from their losing ways—or at least they hope. Top picks are typically household names from college football, stars who play one of the game's biggest positions like quarterback or pass rusher. But in 2013, the draft class was an absolute wreck.

Many essays have been penned about the miserable class of 2013, but suffice it to say, the Chiefs had the top pick and decided to go with a projectable tackle out of Central Michigan named Eric Fisher. While there were few stars (or even solid contributors) from that entire first round, Fisher was an instant starter at left tackle and remained there for the next eight seasons.

The problem for Fisher is that he was a slower burn in terms of career development than what a lot of fans in Chiefs Kingdom wanted to see. Since he didn't become the second coming of Willie Roaf, he earned some derision early in his career despite being a serviceable starter very quickly, and it feels like Fisher never got his due despite eventually being named to two Pro Bowls later in his career (2018 and 2020).

It's quite possible we'd still be talking about him as the Chiefs starting left tackle now if not for the fact that he tore his Achilles in the conference championship game shortly before the team's appearance in Super Bowl LV—a miserable 31-9 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

While Fisher needed some time to find his ceiling and it was never as high as some liked, the truth is that he was an above-average starter for close to a decade and was a smart choice for a new general manager in John Dorsey. Fisher deserves far more credit in multiple categories.