Chiefs podcast: The perils of drafting a first-round running back
By Rylan Stiles
The NFL Draft is just one week away, and one burning question is should the Kansas City Chiefs take a running back at pick 32?
Several NFL mock drafts have the Kansas City Chiefs selecting a running back with their first-round pick. (Oh yeah, that pick is the 32nd pick, because the Kansas City Chiefs are your reigning Super Bowl Champions. I still can not say that enough.) Is that the right decision, though?
The short answer is no, but the short answer is also rarely fun, in my opinion. It would make little sense to select a running back with the 32nd pick in the 2020 NFL Draft next week. In fact, that would be the only outcome on Thursday night that I would be opposed to. I am fine with trading down. I am fine with taking nearly any other position, sans quarterback. Just please do not take a running back!
Sure, would D’Andre Swift be totally awesome in the Chiefs offense? Yes. Would I root for him? Yes. Would I put some Entertainment-Purposes-Only-Money on him winning Rookie of the Year? Absolutely. However, the Chiefs can no longer just do what is fun anymore. Like everyone, eventually, that lifestyle catches up to you.
Soon, they will need to pay the best quarterback to play the game, which will not be cheap. Eventually, you will need to re-up with your top-of-the-line skill position players. Oh yeah, Chris Jones is also sitting out there in limbo without a contract.
These draft picks can no longer be spent on shiny new toys. You need to fill gaps in your championship-ready team with cheap, young, and controllable talent. I get that you want to surround Patrick Mahomes with weapons, but you know what else is a weapon? A stud offensive lineman. It is not as flashy as taking a running back, but sometimes you have to pay the water bill instead of going out to Power and Light.
If there is anything we know about the modern-day NFL, it is that running backs do in fact grow on trees. Andy Reid has a huge success rate when it comes to plugging in running backs to his offense. I am perfectly fine with this offense being elite while handing the ball off to Damien Williams, DeAndre Washington, and Darwin Thompson as a result of spending that first-round pick on a true position of need that could push Kansas City even closer to perfection.
Ultimately, the Chiefs will likely trade down from 32 in favor of compiling more than the 5 selections they currently possess Just please do not take a running back early!
Listen for our dialogue on this and more in the latest episode of the Arrowhead Addict Podcast with Rylan Stiles and Sterling Holmes!