Kansas City Chiefs: 5 best draft picks of all-time
1. Willie Lanier
Willie Lanier is the greatest Kansas City Chief of all time, never mind the greatest draft pick of all time. The middle linebacker who orchestrated the great defense of the late ’60s was a truly sensational player. An absolute monster in stopping the run, a wonderful ball-hawking linebacker, who could diagnose offenses and instruct the talent around him to create a terrifying defense.
Elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1986, it is again the relationship that Kansas City has with the eradication of racism that sees the second round selection of Willie Lanier ranked number one. Middle linebacker is often known as the quarterback of the defense, the most important position on any defense. An elite middle linebacker can make a good defense great. Lanier was not only an elite middle linebacker, he was the first black man to play the position.
The Chiefs should be extremely proud of their heritage, especially when it consists of some truly groundbreaking decisions. Scout Lloyd Wells was an advocate of finding talent, whoever they were, and saw African-American men as people with great physical talent. Hank Stram was happy to play anyone he deemed deserving of playing, and Willie Lanier is the epitome of such an ideal. It is a fantastic legacy that the Chiefs should celebrate, and it is why Lanier is the top ranked draft pick for Kansas City of all time.
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