Eight years ago, the Chiefs took a gamble that forever changed the trajectory of their franchise. While it wasn’t the only factor in their rise to dominance, it played a pivotal role—one that will be celebrated for generations. Yes, we’re talking about Kansas City’s bold move in the 2017 NFL Draft to secure their franchise quarterback, Patrick Mahomes.
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At the time, the Denver Broncos were the ones in position to take Mahomes with the 11th overall pick. But the reigning Super Bowl runner-ups had other plans. They swooped in, making a decisive trade to move up and grab the future MVP.
So how did they pull it off? Brandt Till, now the Panthers’ executive VP of football operations, was with the Chiefs during that historic draft. He recently shared insight into how the dramatic draft saga unfolded.
According to Tillis, the Chiefs’ search for a franchise quarterback began long before the 2017 draft. By the time the NFL Draft rolled around, they had zeroed in on Patrick Mahomes. However, as with any draft decision, uncertainty lingered due to the inherent risks.
Kansas City held the 27th overall pick that year, but they knew Mahomes wouldn’t last that long, as teams expected him to go in the top ten. If they wanted their guy, they had to act fast.
“We knew that Patrick was the player that could change our franchise. We spent a lot of time after the Combine trying to understand how far do we have to get.”
Tillis explained that the front office immediately began crunching numbers and gauging interest from teams in the top 10. They carefully navigated trade discussions without revealing their true intentions, ensuring they didn’t come across as desperate.
Instead, they strategically signaled that they were in the market for a quarterback but could also be targeting a defensive playmaker—keeping their cards close to the vest.
After running through every scenario, they determined that moving up to the 10th pick was their best and most realistic option. The Buffalo Bills held that selection, and on draft day, Kansas City made its move.
“We started at one and worked our way down until we found the highest team possible that would trade with us. That was the Buffalo Bills at ten. We never said who we were taking. We played coy.”
When the trade was finalized and Mahomes became a Chief, the entire war room erupted in celebration. They had finally landed the franchise quarterback they had been searching for since the days of Len Dawson. But why were the Chiefs desperate for Mahomes?
The Chiefs were certain that Mahomes was their franchise QB
The 2017 NFL draft didn’t have many QBs to look forward to. Only three QBs made the first round- Mitch Trubisky, Patrick Mahomes, and DeShaun Watson. However, there were many other great defensive options. The Chiefs still had Alex Smith and Nick Foles as the backup. So how did they decide they wanted a QB and Mahomes was their guy?
“Just his innate ability to make plays when there was no play to be made. I think it was the number one thing. I could tell based on the convictions of all the stakeholders, that this was going to be the guy.”
There were doubts about Mahomes and whether he could thrive outside Kliff Kingsbury’s offense. Many questioned if his college success would translate to the NFL.
However, what convinced the Chiefs were his intangibles—his elite arm talent and unique throwing motion. Tillis’s research revealed that Mahomes was the only quarterback with a losing record in college, yet his offense still averaged 45 points per game in those losses.
What many overlooked, Kansas City and Andy Reid didn’t. The gamble has paid off ten times over. They have made five Super Bowls with him as a QB, winning three and becoming a dynasty. The trade all worked out well for the Bills too as they further traded those picks and drafted their franchise QB, Josh Allen. However, in the end, the Chiefs are the ultimate winners of this trade.
