The Kansas City Chiefs entered the 2026 offseason knowing that they needed to revamp the running back room. They did that right off the bat, signing Kenneth Walker to a massive deal in free agency and also signing Emari Demercado as depth. On Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Chiefs selected Emmett Johnson out of Nebraska, adding another name to the fold.
While the Chiefs will surely add more names at the position between now and the start of training camp, what does the running back depth chart in Kansas City look like after the Johnson pick?
Where does Emmett Johnson sit on the Chiefs RB depth chart?
RB1: Kenneth Walker
This isn't up for debate. The Chiefs didn't pay Walker over $43 million to let him sit on the bench. He'll be the starting running back for the Kansas City Chiefs and it's a huge upgrade for this offense. The reigning Super Bowl MVP will hopefully be able to pick up where he left off in Seattle a season ago and help this Chiefs offense form a new identity.
RB2: Emmett Johnson
The Chiefs' fifth-round pick will likely compete with Demercado this summer and the potential he has as both a rusher and a pass-catcher is what's working in his favor here. Johnson had over 300 receiving yards and found the end zone as a pass-catcher three times last year for the Cornhuskers and that's the kind of weapon that Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid desperately covet in this offense.
RB3: Emari Demercado
The Chiefs signed Demercado as a depth piece in free agency and he'll compete with Johnson for the RB2 job in preseason. Demercado rushed for over 300 yards and had over 100 yards receiving with one receiving touchdown a season ago. He's in the race for that job but as long as Johnson plays well, it feels like the job will belong to him.
RB4: Brashard Smith
The 2025 seventh-round pick didn't get a ton of opportunities to show what he could do last year and that was with the Chiefs' rushing attack underwhelming, which isn't a great sign for him. Maybe the Chiefs will put him in a different role moving forward but the addition of Johnson definitely puts his roster spot in jeopardy.
RB5: ShunDerrick Powell
Powell is nothing more than a camp body for the Chiefs this summer and potentially could be someone they keep stashed on their practice squad during the season. They signed him to a futures contract earlier this year so there's clearly something about Powell that they want to keep around.
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