Chiefs position review: Running backs

It is a loaded running back draft class. Will KC draft an RB1 or a complimentary piece?

[Editor’s note: KC Sports Network writers Herbie Teope and Tyler Brown look at the Chiefs’ position groups on both sides of the ball with a series of articles ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft.]

The Chiefs got by with very average play at the running back position last season and the depth at the position is eerily similar currently. Five of the players on the 90-man roster are taken up by ball carriers, so numbers are not the issue, so much as the lack of explosiveness.

You can stay ahead of the sticks with Isiah Pacheco, Kareem Hunt, Carson Steele and Keaontay Ingram, but none are going to move the offense down the field in bunches. This is not terribly new to Kansas City as they have not had an explosive back since 2018 when Hunt led the NFL in rushing his rookie season in his first stint. They have not had a 1,000-yard rusher since either.

Now, the Chiefs just went 15-2 after winning three of the previous five Super Bowls churning through lead backs such as Damien Williams, Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Pacheco. They have gotten by in a major way with average backs, so the position is not necessarily a need in the same way strengthening up Patrick Mahomes blindside or getting some beef in the interior of the defensive line is.

General manager Brett Veach added a lottery ticket to the room in the opening minutes of free agency when he signed former San Francisco 49ers running back Elijah Mitchell. He truly is a lottery ticket though, given that he has suited up for 27 games over the course of his four-year career, making anything the Chiefs get from him gravy.

He cannot be counted up to this point, but when he has been on the field, the 49ers caught lightning in a bottle each time. His 4.38 speed shows up when the pads are on, as he showcased his rookie season when he tallied 963 yards and five touchdowns in just 11 games. He only played five games the following season, but in those, he rushed for 6.2 yards per carry. If he can stay healthy, and that is a big if, Mitchell is a great compliment to Pacheco and Hunt’s thunder.

As far as Hunt and Pacheco go, you pretty much know what you have there. Hunt will get what is blocked for him, plus an extra yard or so and he will tote the rock as many times as you ask him. Pacheco does not have the greatest vision, but when he gets a head of steam and some space, he makes an impact. He will likely get back to his pre-leg-injury self this coming season. For these two to impact a game, everything has to be going right for them and their surroundings, for the most part.

The jury is still out on Steele, who seemed like a fourth running back who was deemed a makeshift fullback, at least on the depth chart. Nobody is asking him to be Mike Alstott, but if he wants to make the team in year two, it seems he is going to have to be a difference-making lead-blocker and special-teamer for an Andy Reid-led squad in order to beat out Hunt, Pacheco, Mitchell or any rookie added in the 2025 NFL Draft.

OUTLOOK

Speaking of the NFL Draft, the 2025 class is littered with talented backs in all shapes, sizes and skill sets. The Chiefs finished 17th in total offense in 2024, by far the lowest of Mahomes’ career. That had more to do with the constant duress he was under with poor offensive line play, but the 22nd-ranked rushing offense and 29th-ranked yards per carry did not help. The good news for Veach is running back will be by far the easiest position to replenish through the draft.

In a good way, running back is not like other positions in the sense that rookies play and are more NFL-ready in year one. If they pick the right one, and with eight picks I assume they will take a swing, it could change the look of the offense in a much more efficient way than plugging in a rookie offensive lineman or receiver that will take more time to develop.

There are two consensus top running backs with Ashton Jeanty and Omarion Hampton leading the way and both are projected to go higher than pick 31. Those two are likely not options, nor should KC pass up on a player high on their draft board who plays a more premium position in round one.

Those are three-down backs who are both explosive and powerful but some have Ohio State running back, Quinshon Judkins in the same tier. If he is there at the end of round two, that could be a time for Veach to draft a true RB1. They may not hesitate to take his college teammate, TreVeyon Henderson either if he is somehow still available. Henderson may not quite have the strength of Judkins, but his game-breaking speed suits a Reid offense. He also has superior receiving and pass-blocking chops.

If Kansas City wants to wait till the end of round three, or four if they are lucky, they could be doing their homework on local products with Kansas’ Devin Neal and Kansas State’s DJ Giddens. It is a pick-your-flavor situation with them. Both were uber-productive with Neal being a more all-around and smooth runner, and Giddens possessing more home run ability.

If the Chiefs want to roll with Hunt and Pacheco as the lead-backs, there are a couple of other mid-round running backs that would complement them well. Jaydon Blue out of Texas has tremendous speed, but has a smaller build, and is a dynamic runner in space with real pass-catching ability.

A back with even better pass-catching ability is one from Clark Hunt’s alma mater, SMU. Brashard Smith, a former wide receiver has a deep route tree for a running back with lightning speed. Once they converted him to a new position his senior year, a year they moved to the ACC, he racked up over 1,300 rushing yards, a career-high 327 receiving yards and posted 18 total touchdowns. He would be an electric toy for this offense.

No matter what the team decides to do, it would be a worthy year to make the investment. Hunt, Pacheco and Mitchell are all on one-year deals. Whoever they draft would likely be the slated starter heading into the 2026 offseason. On top of that, they need some juice and the front office will not hesitate to make the offense better by adding a dynamic back.