KC Chiefs: Mid-round running backs who make sense in 2022 NFL Draft

The Kansas City Chiefs currently find themselves with a whopping eight picks in the first four rounds of this month’s NFL Draft. That is a ton of draft capital. While we’ll have to wait and see if KC actually makes all eight of those picks or if they will deal some of them for proven veteran players or to move up in the draft, there is at least the potential for them to add a lot of prospects to next year’s roster.

I am an advocate for one of those picks being used on a running back, but not all of Chiefs Kingdom agrees with that idea. If you follow me on Twitter you already know that I’m a mock draftaholic. I’ve noticed that when I post a mock that has the Chiefs taking a running back in the 3rd or 4th round, I will sometimes get comments like, “No running backs, we’re fine there and have much bigger needs.”

I wondered if these comments were a vocal minority or if a lot of Chiefs fans felt this way. I posted a Twitter poll over the weekend that asked “Would you be happy/fine with the Chiefs drafting an RB in rounds 3-4 of this year’s draft?” The results showed a definite split in fan opinion. As of my writing, this roughly 55% said they did not want the Chiefs to target a running back in that range. I’m here to tell you that 55% of fans are wrong.

The Kansas City Chiefs have Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Ronald Jones under contract, but would it be wise to add another running back in the draft?

First, I think some fans have the wrong view of 3rd and 4th round picks. Teams, especially good teams, shouldn’t be drafting to fill current holes in those rounds. The odds of 3rd/4th round picks walking in on day one and being the starter at any position are unreasonable the vast majority of the time. The best teams draft players in that range that have the potential to become starters in the next few years. They aren’t thinking about the roster today when they draft them, they’re thinking about the roster two years from now.

Yes, the Chiefs have Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Ronald Jones to be the primary running backs this year, but Jones is on a one-year deal and, thus far, CEH hasn’t played well enough to be deserving of a second contract.

Beyond that, running backs taken in this range have provided good value and success rate. Here is a list of just some of the running backs taken in the 3rd or 4th round over the past five drafts: Alvin Kamara, Kareem Hunt, D’Onta Foreman, Samaje Perine, Tarik Cohen, Jamaal Williams, Darrell Henderson, David Montgomery, Devin Singletary, Damien Harris, Alexander Mattison, Tony Pollard, Nyheim Hines, Chase Edmonds, Zack Moss, Michael Carter, Rhamondre Stevenson, and Chuba Hubbard.

I believe this range represents the “sweet spot” for drafting a running back. While I was against the Chiefs using a valuable 1st round pick on a running back when they drafted Edwards-Helaire, a 3rd or 4th round pick is a different story. Because the NFL doesn’t value the running back position as much as in years past, there is still starting-level talent available in these rounds. You can land your future starter without investing an early pick or big contract dollars.

So drafting a running back in this range when they currently have two picks in both of these rounds would be a smart investment. It would potentially allow them to let Edwards-Helaire walk when his contract is up and/or keep them from having to pay Jones a bigger contract next year if he plays well in Kansas City this season.

Plus, there is still room for them to add another back that could contribute this season and there are backs that may be available in that range who could fill those needs quite nicely. So let’s look at which backs might make sense for K.C. to target in this draft class.

Dameon Pierce

I have two favorite backs for the Chiefs to target in the 3rd round of the draft. The one that I think would be the best fit to become KC’s every-down feature back is Florida’s Dameon Pierce. I don’t see how any Chiefs fan could watch his film and not see Kareem Hunt in his game (and not just because he wears #27). Look at their measurables side by side.

Dameon Pierce: 5-foot-10, 218 pounds, 4.59 forty, 21 bench press reps, 119-inch broad jump

Kareem Hunt: 5-foot-11, 216 pounds, 4.62 forty, 18 bench press reps, 119-inch broad jump

It’s not just that they physically resemble each other, check out this quote from Joe Marino’s scouting report at TheDraftNetwork.com and tell me this doesn’t sound like Kareem Hunt.

"He is a tough, physical runner with good vision and a compact style. He has excellent contact balance due to his low center of gravity, competitive demeanor, sturdy base, and functional strength. He is an outstanding between-the-tackles runner but has the acceleration and lateral quickness to work off-tackle. While he wasn’t overly productive in the passing game for Florida, he was consistent catching the football from my exposures and has the makings of an excellent back in pass protection in the NFL."

We saw what Hunt was able to do in this offense and I think Pierce has the potential to develop into that same kind of player. I think his floor is probably Darrel Williams, so I see the worst-case scenario for drafting Pierce in the third round as getting a younger Darrel on a cheap four-year contract.

If you don’t want to take my word for it, take a look at Pierce in action in the tweet below.

If you’re tempted by that clip you can check out even more of him in action at the links below.

Watch his 2021 highlights HERE.

Watch all his plays against Georgia’s NFL caliber defense this season HERE.

Next up is a back who could be a valuable weapon in Kansas City.

James Cook

If there is a running back that seems tailor-made to be a weapon in Andy Reid’s offense this year it is Georgia’s James Cook. While Cook doesn’t have the upside of being an every-down feature back, his big-play upside and ability to be a weapon in the passing game from various spots all over the field make him a logical target for the Chiefs. Dalvin Cook’s younger brother doesn’t have the physical stature to hold up to the same heavy workload, but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t be a dangerous weapon at the NFL level.

This quote from Lance Zierlein’s NFL.com scouting report gives a good description of Cook’s skill set:

"His slashing style fits with outside zone and toss plays. He can also be used as a mismatch option as a pass-catcher. Cook has big-play ability but is unlikely to see his carry count get very high."

I can see Cook being a younger and less injury-prone version of Jerick McKinnon early on in his career, but as he learns the playbook better I can see him being an even bigger part of the passing attack. The Chiefs could easily line up a more powerful back like Ronald Jones in the backfield and then line up Cook as a receiver on some downs. As KC looks to replace Tyreek Hill’s production by committee a weapon like Cook could be very useful. Check out a couple of his big plays in the clip in the tweet below including a couple where he lines up as an outside receiver.

https://twitter.com/TobyGrundy_/status/1509120971734757382

If you like the looks of that you can check out the KC Sports Network’s excellent highlight package HERE and dream about all the ways Andy Reid could use a weapon like that.

Next up is a back who might make a lot of sense for the Chiefs in the 4th round.

Kyren Williams

Kyren Williams doesn’t have the upside of either Dameon Pierce or James Cook, but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t be a good fit in Kansas City. Williams may not be a flashy home run hitter or someone that can be a Pro Bowler caliber runner at the NFL level, but his abilities as a 3rd down back will still make him incredibly valuable for a pass-heavy team like the Chiefs.

Williams is a great pass-catching option out of the backfield. While not the dynamic pass-catching option that Cook is, he still could be motioned out of the backfield and used as a receiving weapon there as well. Plus, Williams is pretty much universally regarded as the best pass protector in this class and that is a skill that teams really covet in their third-down backs.

While everyone seems to be a fan of Williams’ 3rd down back potential, both because of his pass-catching and pass protection, I think this quote from Kyle Crabbs’ scouting report for TheDraftNetwork.com sums up his actual running style best:

"Williams runs harder than his size as a fringe 200-pound back, but he’s by no means a power runner and is best suited for a wide zone system that will allow him and his nimble feet to string out the POA before locating and attacking a vacant gap."

Williams is capable of playing on all three downs. I don’t know that I would draft him with the goal to utilize him in that role, but if your primary rusher was banged up, Williams could do a solid job filling that role while he was out. In fact, if a team had a tendency to ignore the run game and focus primarily on the pass, Williams would likely become the back that was on the field for the large majority of the game. Do you know of any teams like that?

You can see William’s skill at taking on blitzes in the tweet below.

If you want to see Williams’s complete range of skills, you can check out more in the links below.

Check out his highlights HERE.

Check out his complete game against USC last season HERE.

Finally, a high upside project that many fans may not be familiar with.

Pierre Strong Jr.

If the Chiefs miss out on the first three backs in this post, but still want to add a back with high upside, targeting Pierre Strong Jr. from South Dakota State would be a smart choice. This small-school back is big on upside. Strong is 5-foot-11 and 207 pounds and ran a 4.37 forty. Strong needs some coaching and is the least ready to step in of the four backs in this post, but his ability to hit an open hole and explode for a big run is as good or better than any back in this draft class.

I think this quote from Lance Zierlein’s NFL.com scouting report sums it up pretty well:

"Strong is more reactive than manipulative but is quite impressive with his spatial awareness and ability to slalom around bodies on a smooth, linear pathway without slowing his roll. He struggles when forced to slow his feet and make early cuts. He needs a north/south run scheme where he can square his pads and find his rhythm quickly."

You can see exactly what he means by “slalom around bodies” in the clip in Jim Nagy’s bottom tweet below.

If Strong could develop his patience, pass protection skills, and reliance as a pass-catcher, he has the upside of a star running back. Does he have a higher bust potential than some backs? Yes, but if he hits he could be the best value of any back taken in this draft. If you want to see more of him in action you can check out more in the links below.

Watch some of Strong’s highlights HERE.

Watch Strong’s complete game vs Southern Illinois HERE.

So what do you think Chiefs fans? Have I sold any more of you on KC taking a back in the 3rd or 4th round of the draft? Were you already on board with the idea? What do you think of these four options? Are there other backs you like even more in this range? Would you rather the Chiefs target another free agent running back? I’d love to read your thoughts in the comments below.

You can also check out my thoughts on the biggest remaining holes on the Chiefs roster from last week and my thoughts on some of the 1st round wide receiver targets from last month.