Kansas City Chiefs: Brett Veach's five worst draft picks ever
Let's take a look at his worst picks in his relatively short tenure, which featured some growing pains to currently tenured players.
By Jacob Milham
The Kansas City Chiefs have not had high draft picks in recent years, but there is value to be had in the later picks or latter half of any given round.
Players like guard Trey Smith, running back Isiah Pacheco, and defensive end Mike Danna are just a few value options general manager Brett Veach has identified in the draft's later rounds. That was not always the case for the championship-winning general manager though.
Let's take a look at Veach's worst picks in his relatively short tenure, which featured some growing pains to currently tenured players.
Honorable Mention: LB Dorian O'Daniel
Dorian O'Daniel joined the Chiefs as the 100th overall pick (third round) in the 2018 NFL Draft. The draft investment, coupled with strong tape and a good NFL combine performance, set high expectations for him in Kansas City. Unfortunately, those expectations were never met.
The initial excitement surrounding O'Daniel's potential to strengthen the Chiefs' defense was high. His skills appeared to align perfectly with the team's requirements, especially in coverage and space movement. There were even comparisons to Kam Chancellor, reflecting his size and athletic capabilities.
In his rookie season, O'Daniel made significant contributions to the Kansas City Chiefs, both on special teams and on defense. He played a total of 292 snaps on special teams and 311 snaps on defense over 16 games, recording 34 tackles, a pass breakup, and a fumble recovery. However, an ankle injury caused him to miss both of Kansas City's playoff games that season.
O'Daniel was almost an exclusive special teams player following his rookie year, only playing 39 defensive snaps from 2019-2021. On the flip side, he played in 894 special teams snaps in that span. Yeah, Dave Toub probably liked the guy. Over his career, O'Daniel played 58 games. Despite his limited defensive playtime, he was part of a Super Bowl-winning team during his time with the Chiefs.
Given the high expectations set by his draft position, his limited role on defense, and his significant contributions on special teams, one could argue that O'Daniel didn't meet the typical expectations for a third-round draft pick.
While not every draft pick turns out to be a star, and O'Daniel did contribute on special teams, his lack of impact on defense and the limited opportunities he received suggests that he didn't fully meet the Chiefs' expectations when they drafted him. Considering his draft position, it's not unreasonable to label O'Daniel as a draft bust.