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The Kansas City Chiefs already have a star running back in Jamaal Charles, but don’t overlook the rookie out of Arkansas, Knile Davis.
If he stays healthy, Charles will undoubtedly be the Chiefs’ No. 1 back in 2013, but the depth chart behind him was questionable heading into the preseason. Who was going to backup Charles, and would they be able to do a capable job?
Davis answered those questions and more on Friday night in preseason game No. 2 against the San Francisco 49ers.
He only ran the ball ten times for 37 yards, which equates out to 3.7 yards per carry, but it wasn’t the numbers that were impressive. More so, it was the way Davis carried the ball. Davis was patient, he displayed great vision, and he wasn’t afraid to lower his shoulder and pick up the yards the defense afforded him.
Sometimes all a running back can do is lower his pad level, churn his legs and pick up a couple yards. In fact, the good running backs understand that they can’t break a 80-yard run every play, and they live to fight another down.
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That’s the type of patience and understanding that Davis displayed on Friday night. Combine that with a great first down pickup when Andy Reid decided to go for it on fourth down, and three receptions for 31 yards; and it’s obvious that Davis has what it takes to be a capable No. 2 in the NFL.
In fact, here’s what Chiefs’ offensive coordinator Doug Pederson had to say about Davis in a recent interview, which can be found on KCChiefs.com:
"“He’s going to be a good back,” Pederson said. “We’ve thrown a bunch at him, and he’s done a good job. He’s blown a few assignments, but that’s sort of natural at this point because we’ve thrown so much at these young guys. But he’s handled it well. This past weekend, to get the reps he’s had is valuable for him. Great experience and he’ll just get better with every snap."
We’ve only seen a small sampling of Davis, but I tend to agree with Pederson. He’s going to be a good back in the NFL, and definitely a capable No. 2 behind Charles.