How did each player selected before Patrick Mahomes fare in the NFL?


Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes in front looking serious. In background on left need 49ers' Christian McCaffrey running with a football. In background on right need Browns' Myles Garrett playing football.

 

Patrick Mahomes’ spot in the NFL Hall of Fame is set in stone. Through his first six seasons in the NFL, Mahomes has won three Super Bowl titles, two league MVPs, and has yet to miss the AFC championship game since becoming the Kansas City Chiefs’ full-time starter. But in the 2017 NFL draft, nine players heard their names called before he did. Looking back, how have the careers of every player picked ahead of Mahomes panned out seven years later?

1 pick: Myles Garrett

 

The Cleveland Browns needed a lot of help on their roster after finishing the season 1-15. They had a rookie quarterback in Cody Kessler, but it was hard for them to pass up on Myles Garrett. In his three years playing for Texas A&M, Garrett finished with 32.5 sacks and seven forced fumbles. Seven years later, it is safe to say that Garrett lived up to the hype. He’s won Defensive Player of the Year, made first team all-pro 3x, and was selected to the Pro Bowl 5x.

#2 pick: Mitchell Trubisky

The Chicago Bears’ track record of picking quarterbacks has never been impressive, which is why you can’t overlook the rumors of Caleb Williams rejecting the idea of being drafted by them. Trubisky did start his career on the right path. In his second season, he led the Bears to an 11-3 record as a starter and even made the Pro Bowl.

 

His time in Chicago might’ve not led to a lot of success in the postseason, but Trubisky does hold the Bears’ franchise record for career passer rating (87.2) and career completion percentage (64%), per Jeff Kerr of CBS Sports. As of today, Trubisky is a free agent and last played for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2022-2023.

#3 pick: Solomon Thomas

As the second-best pass rusher of the draft, Thomas might not get the same notoriety as Myles Garrett, but he has carved up a solid NFL career. He’s mostly played a backup role after he suffered a torn ACL in 2020 and currently plays for the New York Jets.

#4 pick: Leonard Fournette

As the only player picked ahead of Patrick Mahomes to win a Super Bowl, Fournette has played for three different teams over his seven-year career. He’s only had two seasons of having more than 1,000 rushing yards and is currently a free agent after last playing for the Buffalo Bills in the latter part of the 2023 season.

#5 pick: Corey Davis

Like Thomas, Davis is not really a household name to most NFL fans, but his career was solid. He never had a 1,000-yard receiving season, but he rarely missed time with an injury. He recently announced his retirement after the end of the 2023 season and last played for the New York Jets.

#6 pick: Jamal Adams

Adams didn’t waste any time making his presence known for the New York Jets. In his first three seasons, Adams made first-team all-pro once, second-team all-pro twice, and was named to two Pro Bowls. Once he was traded to the Seattle Seahawks, Adams has struggled to stay healthy.

He suffered a torn labrum late in the 2021 season and was sidelined except for two quarters of the 2022 season where he missed the entire season with a torn quad tendon.

#7 pick: Mike Williams

Initially touted as the best wide receiver in the draft, Williams became the second receiver to hear his name called in the draft. Over his career, Williams has only played for the Chargers and has already finished two seasons with more than 1,000 receiving yards.

 

He did have to miss most of the 2023 season after suffering a torn ACL in week 3 of the season.

 

#8 pick: Christian McCaffrey

Similar to how Patrick Mahomes’ career has panned out, McCaffrey continues to get better as he gets older in the NFL. He recently won Offensive Player of the Year, led the league in rushing yards, and holds the record for most consecutive games with a rushing touchdown.

Over his career, McCaffrey has only played for two teams and is the only player aside from Alvin Kamara to finish a season with 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in the same season.

 

#9 pick: John Ross

Ross had a tough start to his career being around receivers like A.J. Green and Tyler Boyd. As the player who currently has the record for the fastest 40-yard dash (4.22 secs) in NFL history, Ross has struggled to establish himself in the NFL. He was never able to play a season fully healthy and announced his retirement in 2023, via Adam Teicher of ESPN.