As a man who has eaten a Runza inside Memorial Stadium and chanted “Go Big Red” at the top of my lungs in Arrowhead (Nebraska vs. Cincinnati, 2025), I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t looking forward to this draft profile. However, at the start of the 2025 college football season, I was asked, “Who will be the highest draft pick the Huskers have this year?” I said Emmett Johnson, and that looks pretty smart now.
The Kansas City Chiefs have a major need at running back, and there are going to be a million mock drafts with the Chiefs selecting Jeremiyah Love to fix it. However, if the Chiefs have told us anything about the running back position over the last five years, it’s that they don’t value the position like others do. While it is highly likely they add a back in free agency, the level of that free agent might determine their draft strategy.
The Chiefs don’t need to overcorrect and get into a bidding war for Breece Hall or Kenneth Walker. They also don’t need to spend a top-10 pick on a running back. Last year, they had the worst running back room in the NFL—point blank. If they can even be league average, that’s enough with Mahomes. Looking back at how the offense looked with Damien Williams and Jerick McKinnon, the bar doesn’t need to be that high. Emmett Johnson could be the perfect Day 2 fit for the Chiefs.
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Emmett Johnson | RB | 5-11 200 LBS
— Price Carter (@priceacarter) January 21, 2026
2nd in FBS in scrimmage yards, shifty with excellent burst and long speed. Surprising contact balance, big factor in the passing game, sturdy between the tackles, Not overly powerful limited pass protection reps.
Shades of: Travis Etienne pic.twitter.com/cWO1lukr88
NFL Draft Profile: Emmett Johnson, Running Back, Nebraska
Age: 22 ( on draft day)
Height: 5-11 (listed)
Weight: 200 LBS. (listed)
Tape Exposure: UCLA (2025), USC (2025), Cincinnati (2025)
Shades of: Rachard White or Travis Etienne
Emmett Johnson's background
Johnson attended Academy of Holy Angels in Richfield, Minnesota. As a senior, he was named Minnesota’s “Mr. Football” as the best player in the state. Johnson was ranked as a three-star prospect via 247 Sports and committed to Nebraska out of high school. After redshirting as a freshman, he saw limited action in his sophomore season, totaling 411 yards and two touchdowns. In 2024, he became a larger part of the offense with the addition of quarterback Dylan Raiola and former Houston head coach Dana Holgorsen being named offensive coordinator.
In his final season, he exploded onto the scene, being named First Team All–Big Ten and Big Ten Running Back of the Year. He finished second in all of FBS in scrimmage yards (1,821), ahead of names like Jeremiyah Love, Kewan Lacy, and Ahmead Hardy. He declared for the NFL Draft on December 5, 2025.
What makes Emmett Johnson a high level fit for the Chiefs
Passing Game Production
Johnson might be the best passing-down back in the class. He was used frequently on a variety of routes, including screens, wheels, Texas routes, and swing passes. He finished second among all FBS running backs in receptions. He was frequently flexed out of the backfield to line up as a receiver, running routes including go routes and shallow crosses.
Shiftiness
Johnson makes so many quick cuts it can be easy to miss. His 66 missed tackles forced, according to PFF, ranked sixth in the nation. He is quicker than fast and possesses great acceleration. His ability to put his foot in the ground, make a cut, and accelerate makes him a weapon any time he touches the ball.
Durability
Despite being slightly undersized for a lead back, Johnson has never missed a game due to injury. He took nearly 300 offensive touches this season without missing a game. He is harder to bring down than expected, constantly churning his feet for a few extra yards and plowing into defenders.
What limits Emmett Johnson's potential
Top End Speed
Johnson is quicker than fast, but he doesn’t have a top gear that will allow him to pull away from NFL defenders. He’s more likely to rip off chunk gains than be a true home-run threat.
Pass Protection
With Nebraska’s blend of Air Raid concepts and under-center play-action, Johnson was not asked to pass protect often. Asked to pass block on just 16.5% of snaps, he allowed two pressures and two sacks. With him being a plus pass catcher, that has to improve for a smaller-framed back.
Does Emmett Johnson stay in red?
Emmitt Johnson is typically landing around RB3 or RB4 in the class; however, he and Jonah Coleman have been the true bell cows among the top backs. Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price have both split carries, as have Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen. Emmett Johnson can be a lead back in the NFL but would look best with a complement similar to Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet. Johnson is a high-level fit for the Chiefs’ zone-heavy and pass-heavy scheme, and it would make me really happy.
Emmett Johnson is an electric back with impressive change of direction and short-area quickness. He has an impressive pass-game résumé that makes him an ideal fit for a modern NFL offense. With some improvement in pass protection and some limitations in long speed, he can be a three-down back with Pro Bowl upside.
Round Grade: Green Chip (2nd round grade)