The 2017 NFL Draft might go down in history as one of the most important drafts in NFL history if only because it was the one that saw Patrick Mahomes go No. 10 overall to the Kansas City Chiefs.
But for Mahomes – now the undisputed best quarterback in the NFL – to go 10th in the draft, that means nine other NFL teams (not even counting ones that traded down) had to pass on him.
Let’s take a look at the teams that did pass on the greatest quarterback in the NFL today and what happened with the players they took instead:
No. 1 – DE Myles Garrett, Drafted by Cleveland Browns; Current Team: Cleveland Browns
Easily the best defensive player to go not just in the top 10 but the entire NFL Draft, Myles Garrett has contributed more to the recent resurgence of the Cleveland Browns than perhaps any other non-quarterback.
In seven seasons Garrett has 88.5 sacks, 172 QB hits, 305 tackles, 94 tackles for loss, 17 forced fumbles and 16 passes defended. He is a five-time Pro Bowler and a three-time First-Team All-Pro selection.
2023 was arguably his best season ever as he recorded 14.0 sacks, 30 QB hits and four forced fumbles en route to his first Defensive Player of the Year award.
No. 2 – QB Mitchell Trubisky, Drafted by Chicago Bears; Current Team: N/A
Once seen as a potential franchise quarterback for the Bears, Trubisky’s went 11-3 as a starter in 2018 and even made the Pro Bowl that year. But his entire run in Chicago was marred by inconsistency and turnovers and the team parted ways with Trubisky after the 2020 season despite having reached the playoffs with him.
Over the last three seasons Trubisky has bounced around the league a little bit. He’s going 2-5 as a starter for the Pittsburgh Steelers and was released at the end of the season.
No. 3 – DE Solomon Thomas, Drafted by San Francisco 49ers; Current Team: New York Jets
Easily the biggest bust in the top 10, Thomas was drafted to be a star pass rusher and simply failed to produce. In four seasons with the 49ers he recorded just 4.0 sacks in 48 games. A torn ACL in the 2020 season ended his time in San Francisco, but the Las Vegas Raiders offered him a lifeline in the ensuing offseason.
Thomas saw his career regain a little bit of life in 2021 with 3.5 sacks and 12 QB hits along with two forced fumbles, but the Raiders let him go after the season and he’s since become a rotational pass rusher for the New York Jets.
2023 was arguably his best season as a pass rusher, recording 5.0 sacks – a career-high.
No. 4 – RB Leonard Fournette, Drafted by Jacksonville Jaguars; Current Team: N/A
Fournette’s stardom at LSU hasn’t quite translated to the NFL, but early on in his career he seemed to be on pace to be one of the league’s young stars. In three seasons with the Jaguars, Fournette had over 3,600 yards from scrimmage and 19 touchdowns.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers found more efficient use for Fournette, as he rewarded them with over 3,000 yards from scrimmage and another 22 touchdowns between 2020 and 2022. He was their leading rusher in Super Bowl LV.
But ever since the Buccaneers let him go, Fournette has struggled to find a suitable team. He may only be 29 years old, but it’s starting to feel like his career is on life support.
No. 5 – WR Corey Davis, Drafted by Tennessee Titans; Current Team: N/A
Despite taking him No. 5 overall in the draft, the Tennessee Titans couldn’t seem to figure out how to maximize Corey Davis’ role in the offense. In four seasons with the Titans he averaged 53 yards per game and found the endzone 11 times.
After the 2020 season, the Titans let Davis walk in free agency and he signed a three-year, $37.5 million contract with the New York Jets. But injuries limited him to 22 games in New York and he announced his retirement before the third and final year of his contract.
No. 6 – S Jamal Adams, Drafted by New York Jets; Current Team: Seattle Seahawks
Jamal Adams was the best safety of the 2017 NFL Draft and if you don’t believe it he’ll happily tell you. In three seasons with the Jets, Adams made two Pro Bowls and was a two-time All-Pro selection.
But after forcing his way out of New York with a trade in 2020, Adams struggled to hold onto the mantle of the league’s top safety. His reputation for being a hard hitter in the secondary and elite at getting after the quarterback from the box has suffered in large part because a series of injuries have limited him to just 34 games over the past four years.
2023 was a better year for Adams after missing nearly all of 2022, but he still has a long way to go before he’s in the discussion of being the best at anything.
No. 7 – WR Mike Williams, Drafted by Los Angeles Chargers; Current Team: Los Angeles Chargers
Icon Sportswire/Getty Images
Williams is rapidly turning into the biggest “what-ifs” of the 2017 NFL Draft. In 2019, he had a breakout campaign with over 1,000 receiving yards and a league-leading 20.4 yards per catch. Over the next three years, he would record at least 750 receiving yards each season.
Over his seven-year career, Williams has 309 receptions for 4,806 yards and 31 touchdowns for an average of 15.6 yards per catch.
But Williams was limited to just three games in 2023. Now his future with the Chargers and his viability as a top receiver in the league is in serious question.
No. 8 – RB Christian McCaffrey, Drafted by Carolina Panthers; Current Team: San Francisco 49ers
It’s hard to argue against Christian McCaffrey being the best offensive weapon of the draft. At just 27 years of age he’s already led the league in yards of scrimmage twice and joined the extremely rare club of players who have enjoyed 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in a single season.
Postseason success was limited to McCaffrey with the Panthers, but his trade to the 49ers during the 2022 season immediately elevated him to one of the biggest stages in the league. He has now enjoyed back-to-back trips to the NFC Championship Game and was one Patrick Mahomes touchdown pass away from perhaps being named Super Bowl MVP.
No. 9 – WR John Ross, Drafted by Cincinnati Bengals; Current Team: N/A
The other on this list that most would argue is a bonafide bust as a draft pick, Ross rose to national prominence for breaking the NFL Combine record with a 4.22 40-yard dash. But as with many players who rise in the draft rankings for their speed, it wasn’t enough to turn Ross into a valuable NFL player.
In four seasons for the Bengals, Ross appeared in just 27 games. He had 51 receptions for 733 yards and 10 touchdowns, with only two receptions for 17 yards in his final season with the Bengals in 2020.
Ross signed with the Giants in 2021 but didn’t make much of an impact.
After spending 2022 out of the NFL, he tried to revive his career by joining the Kansas City Chiefs on a reserve/future contract. But he retired in July.