Patrick Mahomes Would Have Been a Direct Rival of Aaron Donald as This Team Was Inches Closer to Drafting Him

Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes is one of the most decorated players in the NFL today. The 26-year-old star had etched his name in NFL records since his arrival in 2017. Many fans pitted him as the best QB for his consistent show. Interestingly, Mahomes was drafted nearly by one NFC team, as he was farther down the draft board in 2017. 

The then-less-known star did not attract large interest from NFL teams in 2017. Even though he performed well in his college, the youngster was the 10th overall pick in the first round. Since there were fewer takers, the NFC team Arizona Cardinals were intending to pick the young Mahomes, standing 13th on the list. If this had happened, he could have been a direct rival to none other than Aaron Donald!

Bruce Arians talks about Patrick Mahomes plan

The then head coach of the Cardinals, Bruce Arians, revealed how he planned to draft Mahomes in 2017. “Oh, I thought for sure when we were in Arizona we were getting Patrick Mahomes. As that draft was falling, I was like ‘He’s ours, it’s either him or Deshaun Watson. But Pat, he’s right there — Kansas City doesn’t need a quarterback. They take him, and I was like ‘What? They got Alex Smith, [he] just went to the Pro Bowl,” Arians said on the Pardon My Take podcast.

Meanwhile, the Arizona side ended up selecting Haason Reddick with the 13th overall pick. However, the Mahomes had a great period, winning the league MVP, Super Bowl champion, and MVP. He also made two Super Bowl appearances and has been a Pro Bowler for four times. The impact player credits his head coach Andy Reid for the support. Incidentally, Mahomes has mentioned the coach’s role in transforming his game skills and translating his talent into action. 

What awaits him in the 2022 NFL?

Patrick Mahomes has a big role to take the Chiefs one step better from last year’s campaign, where they ended up in the playoffs. Interestingly, Tyrann Mathieu won the team MVP in 2021. Meanwhile, four of their players, Travis Kelce (TE), Tyreek Hill (WR), Chris Jones (DT), and Tyrann Mathieu (Safety) find a place in the Top 100 Players of the 2021 list. 

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The experience of five seasons and the consistent show has put him in the league of top players. As a result, Mahomes will have to step up and establish his position as the best in the business again, in the new season. 

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