Anyone who watched the Kansas City Chiefs play in 2025 would agree that Brett Veach needs to attack the running back position hard this offseason. Whether that's in the draft or in free agency is ultimately up to Veach but, either way, running back has to be addressed.
It'll help that Eric Bieniemy is back to run the show offensively, rejoining Kansas City as the offensive coordinator after several years away. Having played the position, Bieniemy knows what he can get out of his running backs, so that will be a huge help in 2026.
Normally, it's not advisable to draft a running back early on but that hasn't stopped people from thinking the Chiefs should do so in this year's draft. Ryan Smith of Pro Football Focus said that the Chiefs' first-round target with the ninth overall pick should be Jeremiyah Love of Notre Dame because of how badly they need to fix the running back position.
"The Chiefs were one of the league’s most feared offenses just a few years ago, but they find themselves in desperate need of playmakers, especially after star quarterback Patrick Mahomes suffered a torn ACL late in the season. With Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt both scheduled to hit free agency, running back becomes a position of need. Getting a player of Love’s ability will help take pressure off Mahomes and the passing game, providing the balance the Chiefs have been seeking in recent years."
Chiefs may finally splurge to fix the running back mess fans hate
Drafting Love makes sense but do the Chiefs want to spend that high of a draft pick, something they haven't had in recent years, on a running back of all positions? That'll be what Veach needs to decide.
Another PFF article, this one by Bradley Locker, also wanted the Chiefs to zero in on a running back in the offseason but implored them to do so in free agency. Locker wanted the Chiefs to sign Breece Hall this spring.
"The Chiefs currently own the least amount of cap space in the NFL, but they still have considerable work to do to address the offensive side of the ball. Squarely among those corrections is a run game that placed 21st in PFF rushing grade.
Hall posted a career-best 83.5 overall PFF grade last season, courtesy of an 83.7 PFF rushing grade and 17 runs of 15-plus yards. The Iowa State product specifically fits Kansas City’s zone scheme, recording the eighth-highest rushing grade on inside or outside zone since 2024 among qualified backs. Moreover, his career 1.51 yards per route run could give Patrick Mahomes easier outlets. The Chiefs reportedly tried to acquire Hall at the 2025 trade deadline, and they could bring their interest in the New York standout to fruition in March."
This won't be the last time that Hall is linked to the Chiefs, especially after how close he was to joining them ahead of the trade deadline. There's no debating that he'd be a huge boost to this backfield but the question there will be how much money K.C. is willing to spend on a high-profile name like Hall.
The Chiefs need help at running back and both Love and Hall could provide just that. It's doubtful the Chiefs add both players, as Hall would be a pricey acquisition and the Chiefs then wouldn't need to spend their top-10 pick on a running back if they dropped money on a quality one.
It'll be interesting to see what direction Veach goes in when it comes to fixing the running back position. We all knew it needed a big upgrade a year ago but he never made the moves to really revamp it so hopefully, that is not the case this time around.