A young quarterback with a cannon for an arm doesn’t even cut a seasoned NFL coach’s top 50 draft prospects list. Fast forward seven years and that same quarterback is hoisting his third Lombardi Trophy. Sounds like a Hollywood script, right? Well, welcome to the Patrick Mahomes‘ story, where reality trumps fiction every time.

Chiefs GM Brett Veach recently pulled back the curtain on Mahomes’ wild draft journey. “I remember probably early January coach called me to his office,” Veach revealed in a DraftKings YouTube video. “He had a mock draft printed up and he had like the first 50 picks and Mahomes wasn’t even on it.” Veach’s response? “No he’s coming out and I’m sure by the end of the day teams will probably have him as a first rounder.”

This instance painted a picture of the rollercoaster ride leading up to the 2017 NFL Draft. While mock drafts pegged Mahomes as a late first-rounder at best, Veach saw something special. He became Mahomes’ biggest advocate within the Chiefs organization, relentlessly pursuing information. According to Chris Cabott, Mahomes’ agent, Veach contacted him “at least once… for 94 consecutive days” leading up to the draft.

As draft day approached, the Chiefs’ brain trust aligned with Veach’s vision. They set their sights on trading up, targeting the sweet spot around pick #10. Veach explained their strategy: “I think a lot of us thought that Arizona and New Orleans were two teams that could go quarterback… they were sitting at 11 and 12.” The Chiefs needed to leapfrog these potential suitors.

The night of the draft was a nail-biter. Veach sent cryptic texts to Cabott – just the Texas Tech logo, no words needed. When the Chiefs finally secured the 10th pick, Cabott recalled as per the Chicago Tribunal, “I about jumped out of my skin. I just kept saying, ‘We got it done!'” The tension in the draft room was palpable. Veach described the scene: “When the names are coming off, you’re sitting there staring… you keep hitting refresh refresh refresh to see what the teams are doing.”

The GM who saw the future with Patrick Mahomes

What made Veach so confident in Mahomes when others, including his head coach, weren’t sold? It boiled down to raw talent and adaptability. Keep in mind, the Chiefs already had Alex Smith, who had just led them to an 11-4 record and a playoff win. This wasn’t a desperate move – it was a visionary one.

During Mahomes’ pre-draft visit to Kansas City, he left the coaching staff in awe. Reid put him through what Veach called “a gauntlet, Blackboard session… it’s two three hours.” Leigh Steinberg, Mahomes’ agent, shared, “Patrick went up to the chalkboard and did the pro plays perfectly, which you’re not supposed to be able to do.”

The Chiefs weren’t the only team enamored with Mahomes. According to a Chicago Tribune report, Sean Payton and the New Orleans Saints were ready to pounce if Mahomes fell to them at pick 11. Payton even informed Drew Brees they might select his successor. The Arizona Cardinals, picking 13th, were also in the mix. Former Cardinals coach Bruce Arians admitted, “We would have taken him. Oh, there’s no doubt.”

Interestingly, the Buffalo Bills, who traded the 10th pick to the Chiefs, didn’t suspect Kansas City was after a quarterback. Doug Whaley, then the Bills’ GM, said to ESPN, “With Alex Smith on their roster, we didn’t think they were coming up for a quarterback.” This savvy misdirection by the Chiefs proved crucial.

Veach’s conviction paid off in spades. In just seven seasons, Mahomes has amassed 28,424 passing yards, 219 touchdowns, and a stellar 103.9 passer rating. He’s led the Chiefs to three Super Bowl victories, earning MVP honors in each of those wins. Add two league MVP awards and six Pro Bowl selections to the mix, and you’ve got a career trajectory that’s redefining the quarterback position.

The minutes, not just the numbers. The no-look pass against the Ravens in 2018. The comeback from 24 points down against Houston Texans in the 2019 playoffs. The clutch 44-yard throw to Tyreek Hill on third and 15 at Super Bowl LIV. Mahomes has made impossible events possible.

The kid who didn’t make Andy Reid’s top 50 list has become the NFL’s $450 million man, signing a groundbreaking 10-year extension in 2020. Veach’s gamble didn’t just pay off – it reshaped the entire league. As for those who missed out? Well, Sean Payton calls it “the ghost of the 2017 NFL Draft,” admitting he viewed Mahomes as the “steal of the draft.”

In the end, the Chiefs’ audacious move of trading their 27th pick, a third-round selection, and their first-rounder from last year to move up to number ten appears as though it was a steal of the century. Though it needed ownership approval, Kansas City chairman Clark Hunt said, “The chance to get a quarterback who can be a franchise quarterback for the Chiefs in the future made it a pretty easy decision.”