Chiefs training camp: Sorting out a crowded running back position
By Grant Tuttle
Heading to Saint Joseph? Today we take a look at the running backs and fullbacks that you will see in action at training camp. Who’s who? We discuss.
Today, we continue our series breaking down the various positions of the Kansas City Chiefs roster as they head into training camp and the preseason. In this edition, we look at one of the areas with the highest level of competition: The running back position.
With new faces and some uncertainty with the players remaining on the roster, fans will likely be keeping a close eye on who seems to be getting the highest number of reps throughout the preseason for an idea of how the backfield will take shape..
Here are your 2022-2023 Kansas City Chiefs running backs.
#25 Clyde Edwards-Helaire
College: LSU
Years Pro: 3 (23 years old)
Chance of Making the Roster: High
It seems likely that we see Clyde Edwards-Helaire take over the starting role again this season. That is, however, not a guarantee. In fact, to some fans, this seems like a “Make-or-break” kind of year. In truth, no one on the offense has a hotter seat than Mecole Hardman, but Edwards-Helaire would be in second on that list.
Still, the former LSU star is just 23. With medical issues before the season, it is certainly possible that his play was impacted in a negative way throughout the season. Edward-Helaire will start training camp in much better shape and the job will likely be his to lose.
#2 Ronald Jones
College: USC
Years Pro: 5 (24 years old)
Chance of Making the Roster: High
In one of the most surprising moves for the Kansas City Chiefs this offseason, the Chiefs signed former Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Ronald Jones. Jones had a pretty successful 2021 campaign in limited opportunities. Jones finished last season with 428 rushing yards at a clip of 4.2 yards per carry. Although he was never a feature back in Tampa Bay’s offense, in 2020, Jones nearly surpassed the thousand-yard mark.
Ronald Jones is essentially the replacement part for Darrell Williams, who saw the bulk of his work in short-yardage situations. Jones’s biggest knock is that he is not a great pass blocker on third down. Otherwise, Jones has been a very effective power back during his short career. With a skillset that virtually none of the other running backs on the roster possess, it seems likely that he will stick for the 2022-2023 season.
#1 Jerick McKinnon
College: Georgia Southern
Years Pro: 9 (30 years old)
Chance of Making the Roster: On the bubble
When it comes to the running back position, one player is viewed through rose-tinted glasses more than the others: Jerick McKinnon. That is not to say that he doesn’t deserve the benefit of the doubt after posting great numbers during last season’s playoffs, but rather to acknowledge that at no other point in his career has McKinnon ever managed to hold down a starting job and has struggled with injury throughout his career. Perhaps at the age of 30, McKinnon becomes the anomaly to the average running back career.
McKinnon’s stock was on the rise after an impressive showing in the playoffs. While he may have the edge on Derrick Gore and Isiah Pacheco to start training camp, it is not a guarantee that he can hold on to the job. In fact, evidence would suggest that general manager Brett Veach is more likely to hold on to a younger project than McKinnon. It will truly be a training camp battle after the top two at the position.