The 2004 draft was the Chiefs fourth under head coach Dick Vermeil, and much like the previous three, this one had some huge surprises. The Chiefs once again took the unexpected road and drafted some players that no one had heard of, but they did manage to find a few diamonds in the rough. After just one year, it may be a little to early to pass judgment, but here’s a look at how they rank after their first season in the NFL.
DT Junior Siavii
2nd Round, Pick 4 (overall 36)
The Chiefs front office once again left people scratching their heads when they selected Siavii early in the second round of last April’s draft, that’s because most of the ‘experts’ had Siavii as a third or even a fourth round pick. One year is a little quick to pass judgment, but right now those ‘experts’ appear to know what they were talking about. Siavii appeared in just twelve games this season for the Chiefs, missing four due to injury, and recorded only nine tackles and one quarterback sack.
Grade: D
TE Kris Wilson
2nd Round, Pick 29 (overall 61)
Another selection that left many scratching their heads. Why would you draft a tight end when you need help on the defensive side of the ball and you already have an All-Pro at that position? But once mini-camp began in May, reports out of Kansas City indicated that Wilson was capable of playing multiple positions and could catch anything thrown his way. Al Saunders couldn’t way to explore all the new ways to attack defenses with his new weapon, and then tragedy struck. After catching 7 passes for 73 yards and 1 touchdown in the preseason, Wilson suffered a broken leg in the finale at Dallas and would miss the first thirteen games of the season. Wilson saw limited action in the Chiefs final three regular season games and did not have a pass thrown his way. The verdict is still out on Wilson.
Grade: Incomplete
LB Keyaron Fox
3rd Round, Pick 30 (overall 93)
With their third round pick the Chiefs went back to trying to improve on the defensive side of the ball by selecting Keyaron Fox out of Georgia Tech. Fox was a three year starter for the Yellow Jackets and he finished his career with 376 tackles and 9 sacks. This year Fox appeared in twelve games for the Chiefs, seeing most of his action on special teams. He finished the season with seven tackles.
Grade: C
WR Samie Parker
4th Round, Pick 9 (overall 105)
In the fourth round the Chiefs focus went back to the offensive side of the ball, selecting speedy wide receiver, and track star, Samie Parker from Oregon. Parker spent most of training camp and the early part of the season injured, and then when he finally got healthy, he couldn’t find the playing field. Parker finally got the chance to show his stuff when Johnnie Morton missed the last three games of the season with a knee injury, and he quickly showed that he had the talent to be an NFL wide receiver. Parker finished the season with nine receptions for 137 yards and one touchdown.
Grade: B
DE Jared Allen
4th Round, Pick 30 (overall 126)
Another “who’s he?” pick, but Allen proved to be a great find for the Chiefs scouting department. Coming out of tiny Idaho State, Allen finished his college career with 38 1/2 sacks and was named the Defensive Player of the Year in Division I-AA. Allen made an immediate impact for the Chiefs, recording a sack in the first preseason game against the Giants, and worked his way into the starting lineup by midseason. He finished the season with 31 tackles and nine quarterback sacks, one shy of the franchise rookie-record set by Derrick Thomas. Allen was awarded the Mack Lee Hill Award at the conclusion of the season after being voted the Chiefs Rookie of the Year.
Grade: A
WR Jeris McIntyre
6th Round, Pick 30 (overall 195)
A late-bloomer, who had one standout season at Auburn, McIntyre spent part of the 2004 season on the Chiefs practice squad. He never appeared in any games for the Chiefs.
Grade: F
T Kevin Sampson
7th Round, Pick 30 (overall 231)
Sampson anchored the Syracuse line for his final two college seasons, then spent most of this season learning from the best unit in the NFL. He saw action in six games for the Chiefs and held his own. Sampson is still developing and could turn out to be a real steal.
Grade: C+
It’s really too early to judge a draft after just one season, but right now, this would be a mediocre draft for the Chiefs.
Overall Draft Grade: D+
