The Kansas City Chiefs are coming off their third straight Super Bowl appearance and must find ways to improve their offense, which was often sluggish throughout 2024.
The Chiefs finished 12th overall in passing and 22nd in rushing. One big reason the offense struggled was injuries to key players — Rashee Rice, Hollywood Brown and Isiah Pacheco missed significant time last season.
The running game, in particular, wasn’t impressive. Pacheco missed 10 games and wasn’t very effective upon his return. Karim Hunt joined the team midseason and filled in admirably, but his days of reeling off big plays are long past.
Kansas City added former 49er Elijah Mitchell this offseason, but he has only 120 carries over the past three injury-marred seasons. Carson Steele still has a spot on the roster but failed to impress during his rookie campaign.
According to Pro Football Focus, running back is among the deepest positions in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft. It would be a massive surprise if the Chiefs selected a running back any time during the first two days of the draft. The last time they selected a back in the first round was in 2020, and Clyde Edwards-Helaire was a colossal bust.
They selected Pacheco in the seventh round in 2022, and he was productive in his first two seasons with the team. Unfortunately, his upright, punishing running style does not bode well for a long career, and his 2024 injury is most likely a harbinger of things to come.
Steele was signed as an undrafted free agent after the 2024 NFL Draft and looks more like a player who offers solid depth at the position rather than a starting running back.
It seems more likely that the Chiefs will fill other needs early while attempting to take advantage of the position’s depth in the later rounds.
There can be no doubt that Kansas City needs help at running back. It is hard to count on the players already on the roster. Pacheco and Mitchell have injury histories, and Hunt has many miles on him. Mahomes needs an effective running game to take the pressure off the passing game.
If the Chiefs want to return to a high-octane vertical passing game, an improved running attack has to be part of the equation, but an early draft pick seems unlikely. Reid now seems to think running back is more of a plug-and-play position than a place to spend a high draft pick.
Recent history enforces that theory, with KC’s success owing to Pacheco and Hunt’s ability to fill in. However, being the 22nd-best running attack in 2024 isn’t proof that plugging anyone in at running back is always the answer.
An impactful running back could be available when the Chiefs pick at no. 66, and possibly at 95. They also have the 133rd pick but don’t pick again until almost 100 picks later, at 226. Their last pick is at no. 251. If Kansas City takes a back, it most likely will be at 133 or one of those seventh-round spots. If they wait until the end, they may not get the help they need.