The NFL trade deadline is less than a week away, and it’s clear that the Kansas City Chiefs are going to be buyers. But what exactly Kansas City will be shopping for—what the Chiefs think their top positional priority is—remains to be seen.
An injury to a key skill position player and some recent additions might have swung the pendulum on K.C.’s biggest need, and Sunday’s game against the Buffalo Bills could provide the clearest indication yet of where the Chiefs’ biggest need lies.
There are two obvious position groups that the Chiefs are likely to address: running back and the defensive line. But how those groups fare against Buffalo could show which need deserves more attention.
The case for running back help for KC
The run game stands out as the biggest weakness on offense for Kansas City. While it has been effective, especially in short-yardage situations, it certainly hasn’t been explosive.
The Chiefs are one of 10 teams that haven’t had a 100-yard rusher all season. The last time a running back had 100 yards or more was almost one year ago, when Kareem Hunt had 106 yards against Tampa Bay in Week 8.
Kansas City’s longest running play of the season so far was by wide receiver Xavier Worthy, and their third-longest rush was by Patrick Mahomes.
Per NFL Pro, Hunt is 20/22 on runs where the "to go" distance is 1-2 yards (goal line or 1st down).
— Seth Keysor (@RealMNchiefsfan) October 30, 2025
On one of his two failed attempts (a 3rd and 1), he converted the next play.
Dude has been nails in short yardage spots. https://t.co/V0L08o2fi6
There just hasn’t been much juice from the RB position. It feels like the Chiefs have left yards and big plays out on the field because their current backs haven’t been able to make the most of opportunities for explosive plays.
Hunt is a smash-mouth kind of back, not a speed guy, and Isiah Pacheco, for whatever reason, doesn’t seem to be able to surge through gaps when they open up.
The Chiefs have been able to get by with their run game as is. K.C. is averaging 26.8 points per game, which is seventh in the league, and they’re actually ninth in rushing yards per game with 126.5—although rushing yards from Mahomes account for about a third of that number.
But now, KC’s running back depth is set to be really tested.
Pacheco suffered an MCL sprain against the Commanders in Week 7. He didn’t practice this week and isn’t expected to be active for the game against Buffalo. Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Pacheco’s injury isn’t considered long-term, but there isn’t a clear picture yet of when he might be expected back.
That means the Chiefs will be relying on Hunt, rookie Brashard Smith, and offseason free-agent signing Elijah Mitchell. Smith has only had one game with more than four carries this season, while Mitchell hasn’t been on the field for a single snap.
If the run game stalls against Buffalo, it could force Kansas City to make running back a top priority—maybe they bring in Jerome Ford in addition to a defensive player, or upgrade from a mid-tier option to a top star like Breece Hall. Not only would that give Kansas City a short-term solution while Pacheco is out, but a player like Hall, Alvin Kamara, or Tony Pollard could also be a long-term upgrade to the running game down the road.
The case for a defensive lineman
Nothing wrecks a play on offense like the defense getting pressure on the quarterback. But this year, creating pressure and getting sacks without blitzing has been a problem for Kansas City’s defensive line.
The Chiefs rank 17th in the league in sacks this season with 17, but they’re even lower—25th—in pressure rate (18.6%), and they are dead last in quarterback hurries per dropback (3.4%).
George Karlaftis has 4.5 sacks, but Chris Jones and Charles Omenihu only have two sacks apiece, far below the level you’d hope for from them. No other D-lineman has more than one sack. Rookie DT Omarr Norman-Lott, who had looked impressive in his debut season, is out for the year with an ACL injury.
Some reinforcements have arrived. The Chiefs re-signed Mike Pennel this week after he was cut by Cincinnati. But is that enough to lift the performance of the D-line as a whole? Sunday against Buffalo will provide the first indication.
If Pennel comes in and moves the needle, maybe that lessens the need to chase a top-tier defensive lineman. Maybe the resources that would need to be spent to acquire someone like Quinnen Williams or Bradley Chubb are allocated to a running back instead, with a low- to mid-tier D-line addition as the desired option.
Or maybe it’s the opposite entirely. Maybe the defensive line still looks lackluster or doesn’t do enough to show that the needed pieces are on the roster right now. Maybe that confirms that an edge or defensive tackle is priority number one.
The Buffalo game will give the Chiefs one more chance to assess their roster before the trade deadline. Afterwards, what will be the greater area of concern: an injured, unexplosive run game, or a slightly boosted D-line that has been underwhelming so far this season?
The answer could very well shape what area Brett Veach targets and how many resources he's willing to invest.