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Zack Moss and other running back draft targets for the Chiefs

By Lyle Graversen

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - NOVEMBER 02: Zack Moss #2 of the Utah Utes runs with the ball against Jackson Sirmon #43 of the Washington Huskies in the second quarter during their game at Husky Stadium on November 02, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - NOVEMBER 02: Zack Moss #2 of the Utah Utes runs with the ball against Jackson Sirmon #43 of the Washington Huskies in the second quarter during their game at Husky Stadium on November 02, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /
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PALO ALTO, CA – OCTOBER 06: Zack Moss #2 of the Utah Utes breaks away for a 35 yard touchdow run against the Stanford Cardinal during the second quarter of their NCAA football game at Stanford Stadium on October 6, 2018 in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
PALO ALTO, CA – OCTOBER 06: Zack Moss #2 of the Utah Utes breaks away for a 35 yard touchdow run against the Stanford Cardinal during the second quarter of their NCAA football game at Stanford Stadium on October 6, 2018 in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

Zack Moss – Utah – 5’9″ – 223 pounds

If Zack Moss of Utah is still on the board when the Chiefs draft in the third round, it would be hard to pass on the highly productive college back. While I’m usually not in favor of drafting backs with this many miles on their tires, I would be willing to make an exception for Moss at that point (third round or later) in the draft. The biggest reason I would want Moss in K.C.s is because his running style reminds me a little of former Chief in Kareem Hunt.

Moss isn’t a speedster that makes big plays because of his explosiveness. Instead, Moss has fantastic contact balance and rarely gets taken down by the first defender to get to him. I would stop short of calling Moss a Hunt clone. I think Hunt might have a little bit better vision, but Moss might even run with a tiny bit more aggression. There are more similarities than differences here. Moss has thick powerful legs (like Hunt) that give him that powerful balance through contact. Moss can also be a factor in the passing game, both as a receiving option and pass protector.

Pro Football Focus is really high on Moss. In fact, he’s their number one rated running back in this draft class. His ability to not go down on contact gave him a significantly higher “Elusiveness Rating” and “Yards After Contact per Attempt” number than any of the first round prospects in this class.

Why do I think he may still be available in the third round? Well besides the low value in drafting running backs early, Moss has a lot of college carries, is already 22, didn’t run very fast at the combine, and has a running style that could be hard on his body long term. While those are good reasons not to invest in a running back early, by the end of the third round, the chance to get a every down starting back becomes a little too tempting.

I don’t know if Moss will be able to put up quite the numbers that Kareem Hunt did in KC’s offense. However, if you feel like the one thing missing from the Chiefs offense last season was having a back that could punish defenses up the middle and still be a force in the passing game, Zack Moss may just be the draft pick for you. You can check out a few clips that show that power and balance in the tweet below.

Next up, an explosive offensive weapon that would require some work from the coaching staff.

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