The Kansas City Chiefs’ initial 53-man roster is out, and while there may still be more moves to come before the Chiefs take the field in Week 1, there is a lot to take away from their initial cuts. Despite the surprise cut of Emari Demercado, the Chiefs’ running back room is hands down the most improved position from last season. After having one of the weakest running back rooms in the NFL last season, the position is now one of the deepest on the entire roster. In fact, you could make an argument that the Chiefs’ running back room might be one of the most improved units in the entire NFL.
Last season, the Chiefs opened the season with a running back room of Isiah Pacheco, Kareem Hunt, Elijah Mitchell, and Brashard Smith. The group lacked both production and playmaking ability. Pacheco was well below average for a feature back. Kareem Hunt was good in short-yardage situations, but that was about it. Despite the lack of production, the Chiefs weren’t even willing to give Mitchell or Smith a shot. Smith did finally flash a little in the last game of the season, but by then, it was too late.
The Chiefs completely rebuilt their running back room
Now, Smith is the only returning member of the room, and the trio of Pacheco, Hunt, and Mitchell has been replaced by Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker and promising rookie Emmett Johnson. Most believed that Emari Demercado would be used mainly for his pass protection skills, but the Chiefs liked what they saw from Walker, Johnson, and Smith enough to make Demercado expendable. Walker and Johnson look like significantly better pure rushers than anyone Kansas City had at running back last season. In fact, you can make an argument that Demercado would still be an upgrade as a runner over Pacheco and Hunt. His career average of 6.5 yards per carry is light-years better than the combined 3.8 yards per carry that Hunt and Pacheco averaged last season.
The reason Demercado won’t be a part of the rushing attack is that the Chiefs’ biggest free-agent signing, Kenneth Walker, has been one of the best big-play running backs since he came into the league in 2022. Walker didn’t see much action in the preseason, but he will likely be a central part of the Chiefs' offensive game plan after helping carry the Seattle Seahawks’ offense to a Super Bowl championship just last season.
Emmett Johnson and Brashard Smith give Kansas City real depth
Keeping Walker fresh so he can showcase his big-play ability will be a lot easier with the addition of rookie Emmett Johnson, who might have been the most tantalizing star of the preseason for the Chiefs. Johnson had 26 carries for 123 yards and the Chiefs' only offensive touchdown. More than that, he consistently broke tackles and created yardage in a way that Chiefs fans haven’t seen since Kareem Hunt’s first stint in Kansas City.
The duo of Walker and Johnson would be enough to get fans excited, but neither of those backs led K.C. in rushing this preseason. The Chiefs’ leading rusher was Brashard Smith with 130 yards, seven more than Johnson. While Smith didn’t average quite as many yards per carry as Johnson and doesn’t have the same tackle-breaking ability, he did flash enough speed to make fans wonder why the Chiefs didn’t give him more chances last season.
The timing of this transformation couldn’t be better
This improved running back room couldn’t have arrived at a better time. With Patrick Mahomes rebounding from major knee surgery and Kansas City having some questions about the reliability of its pass protection at offensive tackle, the Chiefs are going to need to rely on their improved running game to keep defenses honest and take some of the pressure off the passing game.
For the past couple of seasons, the Chiefs have relied far too much on Patrick Mahomes to work some magic to make up for the lack of playmakers around him. While there may still be room to question the wide receiver room and outside pass protection, Brett Veach at least deserves credit for vastly improving the running back room in one offseason. It appears to have gone from one of the worst positions on the team to one of the best in just a few short months. If the Chiefs beat the Denver Broncos in their opener in two weeks, don’t be surprised if it is because their new running back room helped make it happen.
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