Kansas City Chiefs: Premature predictions for 2017
By Chris Taylor
2. Kareem Hunt will help the Chiefs run for over 2,000 yards
Expect to see Kareem Hunt have some breakout performances during his rookie season, in turn solidifying himself as the future feature back for the Chiefs.
Hunt should complement the running game well, sharing the ball with Charcandrick West and Spencer Ware, the latter should carry the majority of that workload. The Chiefs will be running behind a familiar offensive line, one that virtually brings every player back from last year.
A few other factors come into play with this prediction. Alex Smith may be running significantly more than last year. With the possibility of him heading towards the exit at season’s end, he will surely be looking to impress possible suitors for the upcoming years.
Yet another factor is Tyreek Hill. Yes, him again. There is no reason he should not duplicate what we saw from him last season. With the increased responsibility, I have a feeling the Chiefs will be playing with the lead more often than not.
The machine that is the Chiefs’ defense will undoubtedly help maintain those leads as well. When you play with the lead, especially when you are a team led by Andy Reid, you run the ball.
While we are yet to find out how Kareem Hunt will fully transition to an NFL running back, it seems he has all the skill sets he needs to be a major factor—specifically the red zone, where I look to see him get a good share of snaps near the goal line. All these factors demand the attention of the defenses they are up against, with so many places to look, reaching the 2,000 yard plateau appears to be quite reasonable.