Patrick Mahomes was drafted in the 2017 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs with the 10th overall pick in the first round.

Quick Scoop: When Was Mahomes Drafted?

  • Year: 2017 NFL Draft.
  • Team: Kansas City Chiefs.
  • Pick: Round 1, 10th overall.
  • Move to get him: The Chiefs traded up from the 27th pick to 10th to select him.

Think of it as the moment that quietly changed the entire NFL landscape: a “risky” Texas Tech gunslinger going 10th overall, who would turn into the league’s defining superstar of this era.

A Bit of Draft-Day Story

Back in 2017, Mahomes came out of Texas Tech, known for crazy passing numbers but not always respected NFL QB pipelines. Some fans and analysts saw him as a boom-or-bust prospect, especially compared to more “polished” options like Mitchell Trubisky and Deshaun Watson.

The Chiefs’ front office bet big, trading multiple picks to move up to No. 10 and grab him. At the time, many thought it was an overpay; in hindsight, it looks like one of the best moves in modern NFL history.

On fan forums, you can still find throwback threads where people doubted a “Texas Tech QB” and joked he’d be a bust — posts that aged about as well as a wet newspaper.

Why That Draft Pick Matters So Much Now

Since that 2017 draft pick, Mahomes has turned into the face of the league. Highlights of what followed:

  • Became the Chiefs’ full-time starter in 2018 and erupted for 50 passing touchdowns that season.
  • Multiple NFL MVP awards and Offensive Player of the Year honors.
  • Led Kansas City to multiple Super Bowl appearances and three titles (2020, 2022, 2023).
  • Signed a massive long-term deal measured in hundreds of millions of dollars, cementing him as the franchise cornerstone.

All of that traces back to one moment: the Chiefs stepping up to draft him 10th overall in 2017.

Mini FAQ Around “When Was Mahomes Drafted?”

  1. Exact wording of the answer
    • Patrick Mahomes was drafted in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft, 10th overall by the Kansas City Chiefs.
  1. Did he start right away after being drafted?
    • No. He spent his 2017 rookie season backing up Alex Smith and became the full-time starter in 2018.
  1. Was he the first QB taken in that draft?
    • No. Mitchell Trubisky was drafted earlier, at No. 2 overall by the Chicago Bears.

TL;DR: When was Mahomes drafted?
He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft, 10th overall — a move that quietly set up one of the most dominant runs by a quarterback in modern NFL history.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.