The Kansas City Chiefs have a lot to think about going into next season. There are rumors that they’re hesitant to give their running back Isiah Pacheco a contract extension this off-season due to his health. This draft class has a lot of depth at that position. Could they look to draft his replacement?
Pacheco was a diamond in the rough for Kansas City, being drafted in the seventh round. Ever since he’s been with the organization, he’s been used to success. His first two years resulted in two Super Bowl wins, but they couldn’t accomplish the three-peat last year.
In 2024, Pacheco only played seven games and ran for 310 yards and a touchdown. His health led to the Chiefs bringing back Kareem Hunt, and he surprisingly was successful with the team, despite his age. Hunt, alongside Samaje Perine, is set to become a free agent this offseason.
This draft class has a lot of depth at running back. Even if the Chiefs don’t select a running back with their first-round pick, they can still find a quality back in the third or even fourth round. They were able to find Pacheco in the seventh. Who’s to say they can’t do something similar?
Pacheco is known for his aggressive running style and physicality whenever he’s being tackled. He can reach impressive speeds whenever he gains momentum and is running downhill, but he typically isn’t known for his speed.
The Detroit Lions’ run game was wildly successful, and they adopted a thunder and lightning mentality. One back was physical, and the other was speedy. The Chiefs could recreate that formula through the draft, as plenty of running backs showed off their speed at the combine.
One of the biggest, if not the biggest, priorities for the Chiefs is to bolster their offensive line after they were embarrassed in the Super Bowl against the Philadelphia Eagles. That should be their priority in the draft, but they have multiple picks in the third round and beyond.
I don’t think they should be looking for any running backs in free agency. However, they definitely should look to improve on their offense by bringing in a star at receiver and surrounding Patrick Mahomes with as much talent as possible.
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