The Kansas City Chiefs didn’t have a whole lot of first-round firepower during the 2017 NFL Draft. They finished with a 12-4 record the season before behind Alex Smith as their quarterback, considered one of the better teams in the league at the time. But the team sensed something in a prospect named Patrick Mahomes from Texas Tech, and made a move to climb up the draft board.
Kansas City gave the Buffalo Bills their first round pick, the 27th overall, as well as a third-round pick and a first rounder in 2018, and moved up into the 10th spot. They made Mahomes the selection, and the rest is history, as the quarterback has entered the “greatest of all time” conversation after his first 6 seasons as a full-time starter.
NFL: Which Players Were Drafted Ahead Of Patrick Mahomes?
Patrick Mahomes had to stop by Disneyland after winning back-to-back championships 🐐@PatrickMahomes | @Disneyland pic.twitter.com/2uZaAyqC8t
— ESPN (@espn) February 13, 2024
But who were the players that teams ahead of the Chiefs deemed better prospects than Patrick Mahomes? Here is a look at the nine players who were selected before him, and where they are today:
1. Myles Garrett – Cleveland Browns
Any team would love to have Mahomes as their quarterback, but the Browns didn’t get too terrible of a consolation prize. They had the first overall pick in 2017 and took freak defensive line prospect Myles Garrett out of Texas A&M, who has turned in to arguably the best defensive player in the league. He has been a first or second team all-pro in each season since his second, and was the winner of the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2023.
2. Mitch Trubisky – Chicago Bears
The only quarterback drafted ahead of Mahomes. Trubisky had a solid season in 2018, leading the Bears to a 11-3 record in games that he started while qualifying for a Pro Bowl. It has been pretty much all downhill from there, as he has spent the last three seasons primarily as a backup with both the Bills and Steelers. It was revealed the day after the Super Bowl that the Steelers would be parting ways with the quarterback.
3. Solomon Thomas – San Francisco 49ers
Thomas was ultimately a disappointment for San Francisco, as he notched just six sacks in his four seasons with the team. The 49ers had no issue letting him go after his rookie contract expired, and he has played for the Raiders and Jets in the years since. He has started just three games since 2020.
4. Leonard Fournette – Jacksonville Jaguars
He was one of the top prospects in 2017, and the Jaguars nabbed Fournette with the 4th overall pick. Two of his first three seasons were rather productive while he missed time in the other due to injury, but his shelf life didn’t last long as often happens to NFL running backs. He is still in the league and technically active, but spent the majority of the 2023 without a team before playing in two games for the Bills.
I’ll get at least 3 more super bowls before I’m done……..
— 7⃣ Leonard Fournette (@_fournette) February 12, 2024
5. Corey Davis – Tennessee Titans
Davis had a couple of nice seasons with the Titans, but he was never able to live up to his billing as a top-five pick and the first wide receiver taken in the NFL Draft that year. He signed with the Jets after four seasons in Tennessee, starting 19 games between 2021 and 2022. He didn’t play at all in 2023, as he has taken a break from the game and could be retiring instead of continuing his career.
6. Jamal Adams – New York Jets
He started every game during the first two years of his career, and became one of the top safeties in the game, and was selected for multiple All-Pro teams, even after being traded to the Seahawks in 2020. Injuries have derailed the last couple of seasons for Adams, as he played in a total of just 10 of a possible 35 games for Seattle in 2022 and 2023.
7. Mike Williams – Los Angeles Chargers
ESPN had Williams ranked as the top wide receiver in the class of 2017, but he was the second taken after Davis, and it looked like he was going to be labeled a bust after his first two seasons in the league. But he has gone over 1,000 yards twice since 2019, and posted four straight years of 750+ yard performances. He suffered an ACL tear in Week 3 in 2023, cutting his most recent season short.
The touchdown machine 😤@49ers RB Christian McCaffrey is the 2023 Offensive Player of the Year! pic.twitter.com/VUme8LucZ1
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) February 9, 2024
8. Christian McCaffrey – Carolina Panthers
McCaffrey is one of the stars that was selected ahead of Mahomes, and he was just named the Offensive Player of the Year for 2023 and was a few minutes away from being crowned an NFL champion. He led the league in rushing this past season, and has been a high-volume producer from the beginning, even during his time with the panthers.
9. John Ross – Cincinnati Bengals
Ross may be the biggest bust of all of the players picked before Mahomes. He has zero catches his rookie season and touched the ball just once, a play in which he fumbled on. His best season came in 2019 when he caught 28 balls for 506 yards, but never came close to duplicating those numbers again. He spent the final year of his career with the Giants in 2021 before retiring.