บท 180: A Big Question Mark
The 2017 NFL Draft had officially concluded. The dust began to settle, but its aftermath was only starting to ripple through the league.
This marked the end of last season's NCAA saga and the dawn of a new NFL chapter.
For the NCAA, reigning national champions Alabama Crimson Tide were undoubtedly the biggest winners. Eleven of their players were drafted, leading all schools.
Not only was it a numbers game; the quality was undeniable. Five of their players were selected in the first round:
Lance by the Kansas City Chiefs at No. 3,
Marlon Humphrey by the Baltimore Ravens at No. 16,
Jonathan Allen by the Washington Commanders at No. 17,
O.J. Howard by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at No. 19,
Reuben Foster by the San Francisco 49ers at No. 31.
Five first-rounders! The Crimson Tide dominated both individual talent and teamwork. With such success, they cemented their season as one of the most impressive in NCAA history, ending on a high note.
Meanwhile, in the NFL, the first day of the draft crowned the Kansas City Chiefs as the clear winners. Every year, there are bold draft moves, but few expected the Chiefs to steal the spotlight this time. By securing Lance and Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs demonstrated a forward-thinking blueprint to rebuild their team for the future.
However, not everyone was singing the Chiefs' praises.
Criticism soon arose:
Was it really necessary to pick Lance at No. 3?Why Mahomes? Why pass on Deshaun Watson?If they were targeting a quarterback, why not Mitchell Trubisky, who could have been stolen from the Bears?
Every decision was second-guessed, dissected, and debated. Only time would reveal the true answers, but for now, Veach's aggressive strategy earned cautious respect.
His ability to deceive the entire league—nobody predicted Kansas City's moves—allowed the Chiefs to maximize their resources and secure their targets.
Brilliant.
A+ execution.
But by the second day of the draft, the Chiefs' strategy became perplexing.
Due to prior trades, Kansas City had no second-round pick. Their next chance came at No. 86 in the third round, where they selected…another running back.
Kareem Hunt, from Toledo University.
Hunt's story mirrored Mahomes': a talented player overshadowed by a less competitive program. Though he performed well in the combine, his stock remained modest—a third- or fourth-round projection at best.
But the focus wasn't on whether Hunt was worth the pick. The bigger question was why the Chiefs needed another running back.
Lance: "Hello? I'm still here."
Just a day earlier, Kansas City had made headlines by drafting Lance at No. 3. The team's decision to invest heavily in a running back already drew skepticism, only slightly mitigated by their subsequent selection of Mahomes. Together, the picks seemed to promise a visionary future:
Lance to succeed Jamaal Charles.Mahomes to succeed Alex Smith.
Yet, drafting another running back in the third round raised eyebrows.
The reaction was swift:
"What is Kansas City doing?"
Yes, the Chiefs needed to rebuild their ground game after losing Charles, but drafting two rookie running backs?
"Maybe Veach forgot what he did 24 hours ago," joked one analyst. "Perhaps he should get checked for early-onset Alzheimer's."
Overnight, the Chiefs became a laughingstock, transforming from tactical geniuses to the NFL's resident fools.
The scrutiny reignited lingering doubts:
Was it necessary to draft Lance at No. 3?Why invest so much in Mahomes when Watson was still available?
Critics didn't hold back.
Lance, Trubisky, and Mahomes all had potential, but their weaknesses were glaring:
Lance and Trubisky each had only one full NCAA season under their belts. There was no way to gauge their ability to consistently perform under NCAA pressures, let alone the NFL's. Mahomes, with his lackluster college record, was considered a second- or third-round prospect at best. Though his combine results were impressive, most experts ranked him as only the third or fourth-best quarterback in the draft.
For the Chiefs to use their first-round picks on these two players—and then double down with another running back—left many scratching their heads.
Unsurprisingly, Lance bore the brunt of the criticism.
As the No. 3 pick, his flaws—his brief NCAA resume, his inexperience, his position as a devalued running back, and even his race—became fodder for endless speculation.
Some compared the situation to an NBA adage: "Of the first two picks, one is bound to be a bust." In NFL terms, when quarterbacks dominate the top three spots, history often shows only one will succeed.
The infamous 1998 draft remains the quintessential example: Peyton Manning was the No. 1 pick, while Ryan Leaf—the No. 2 pick—became one of the biggest busts in NFL history, his career serving as a cautionary tale.
This year, with a defensive end, a quarterback, and a running back in the top three, direct comparisons were difficult. Still, the Chiefs' unorthodox moves put Lance squarely under the microscope.
"I have a strong hunch that one of this year's top three picks will be a bust."
"Let's be honest—NFL isn't NCAA. Every rookie faces challenges, and the dreaded rookie wall is real."
"That said, I trust Myles Garrett. I'm excited about Trubisky. That's all I'll say."
ESPN analyst Blair Butt delivered his critique with a smile, but the implications were clear.
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Powerstones?
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