In 1967, a system called the "common draft" was implemented for the AFL and NFL. In this system, the two leagues held a joint draft for college players. The "common draft" existed until 1969 as the AFL and NFL would officially merge in 1970.
The following is a list of players the Chiefs have drafted since 1967 who went on to make the Pro Bowl (or the AFL all-star game) in their career:
Year
Rnd
Pick
* *
Pos
Pro Bowls
College/Univ
2012
1
11
Dontari Poe
DT
2
Memphis
2011
3
70
Justin Houston
LB
3
Georgia
2010
1
5
Eric Berry
DB
3
Tennessee
2010
2
36
Dexter McCluster
WR
1
Mississippi
2008
1
15
Branden Albert
G
1
Virginia
2008
2
35
Brandon Flowers
DB
1
Virginia Tech
2008
3
73
Jamaal Charles
RB
4
Texas
2007
1
23
Dwayne Bowe
WR
1
LSU
2006
1
20
Tamba Hali
DE
4
Penn St.
2005
1
15
Derrick Johnson
LB
3
Texas
2005
3
99
Dustin Colquitt
P
1
Tennessee
2004
4
126
Jared Allen
DE
5
Idaho St.
2003
1
27
Larry Johnson
RB
2
Penn St.
2000
5
153
Dante Hall
WR
2
Texas A&M
1999
3
75
Gary Stills
DE
1
West Virginia
1997
1
13
Tony Gonzalez
TE
14
California
1996
1
28
Jerome Woods
DB
1
Memphis
1996
4
98
Donnie Edwards*
LB
1
UCLA
1996
5
135
Joe Horn*
WR
4
Itawamba JC
1993
3
74
Will Shields*
G
12
Nebraska
1992
1
20
Dale Carter
DB
4
Tennessee
1990
2
40
Tim Grunhard
C
1
Notre Dame
1989
1
4
Derrick Thomas*
LB
9
Alabama
1988
1
2
Neil Smith
DE
6
Nebraska
1987
2
35
Christian Okoye
RB
2
Azusa Pacific
1986
2
35
Dino Hackett
LB
1
Appalachian St.
1985
1
15
Ethan Horton*
TE
1
North Carolina
1984
1
5
Bill Maas
NT
2
Pittsburgh
1984
1
21
John Alt
T
2
Iowa
1984
7
173
Kevin Ross
DB
2
Temple
1983
3
61
Albert Lewis
DB
4
Grambling St.
1983
5
119
Jim Arnold*
P
2
Vanderbilt
1981
2
41
Joe Delaney
RB
1
NW State (LA)
1981
3
78
Lloyd Burruss
DB
1
Maryland
1980
5
114
Carlos Carson
WR
2
LSU
1978
1
2
Art Still
DE
4
Kentucky
1977
1
10
Gary Green
DB
4
Baylor
1976
3
74
Gary Barbaro
DB
3
Nicholls St.
1969
1
23
Jim Marsalis
DB
2
Tennessee St.
1969
4
101
Jack Rudnay
C
4
Northwestern
1968
2
48
Mike Livingston**
QB
1
SMU
1968
14
375
Robert Holmes**
RB
1
Saginaw Valley St.
1967
2
47
Jim Lynch**
LB
1
Notre Dame
* *Two of the Pro Bowl players (Derrick Thomas, 1989; Will Shields, 1993) went on to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. *
*Three players drafted since 1967 were solely AFL all-stars in their careers, not Pro Bowlers: Mike Livingston (1979), Robert Holmes (1975) and Jim Lynch (1967). *
Four players taken since 1967 were drafted by the Chiefs, but only made the Pro Bowl with another team: Jim Arnold, 1983 (Detroit Lions), Ethan Horton, 1994 (Los Angeles Raiders), Joe Horn, 1996 (New Orleans Saints), Donnie Edwards, 1996 (San Diego Chargers). *
Other items of note:
- 43 Pro Bowlers (including three AFL all-stars) have been drafted by the Chiefs since 1967, the year the common draft between the AFL and NFL began.
- The Chiefs have drafted 12 Pro Bowlers who are still active in the league today.
- 2008 (Branden Albert, Brandon Flowers and Jamaal Charles) and 1984 (Bill Maas, John Alt and Kevin Ross) are tied for the best year for future Chiefs Pro Bowlers with three apiece.
- The Chiefs have drafted more Pro Bowlers (3) from Tennessee (Dale Carter, 1992; Dustin Colquitt, 2005; Eric Berry, 2010) than any other college.
- The Chiefs have drafted more Pro Bowl defensive backs (10) since 1967 than any other position.
- The Chiefs went on a streak of seven years, from 1969 to 1976, where they drafted no Pro Bowlers.
- The Chiefs have drafted only one Pro Bowl quarterback (Mike Livingston, 1979) since 1967.
Research for this article was assisted byProFootballReference.com.
