After 34 years, Chiefs land their franchise QB in the draft

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The last time the Kansas City Chiefs selected a quarterback in the first round of the NFL draft, Andy Reid was an offensive line coach at a school that no longer has football, general manager John Dorsey was still in college and Alex Smith was a year away from being born.

The wait for weary fans finally came to an end last week.

During a stunning first night of the draft, the Chiefs packaged two firstround picks and a third-round selection to move up 17 spots and grab Patrick Mahomes II.

In doing so, Reid and Dorsey staked their futures on a quarterback from a school that has only produced flameouts, yet one whose arm strength and intangibles could allow him to succeed Smith under center as soon as the 2018 season.

“What you’re doing is building the future of the organization. I think that’s important,” Dorsey explained. “And we did that. At the end of this thing, I really think he’s going to be really good.” Mahomes had better be great. Otherwise, it might be another 34 years before the Chiefs take a firstround quarterback.

It wasn’t just that Blackledge was a failure after the franchise took him with the seventh overall pick in the 1983 draft. The fact that he only won 13 games in four seasons hardly helped.

It was a series of circumstances that led to such a bizarre draft drought.

The years that Kansas City harbored a high draft pick, there were more pressing needs than the most crucial position on the field. The years the Chiefs desperately needed a quarterback, they chose late and the top talent was off the board. And the draft philosophies of Jim Schaaf, Carl Peterson and Scott Pioli didn’t necessarily lend themselves to aggressively pursuing a top-tier talent.