The Kansas City Chiefs finally brought in a running back worth getting excited about, as they agreed to terms on a three-year deal with Kenneth Walker during the legal tampering portion of free agency on Monday. Walker was the Super Bowl 60 MVP after rushing for 135 yards in the big game and now he'll be donning the red and gold for the next few years.
Mina Kimes was a huge fan of this move for Kansas City for multiple reasons, which she discussed on her YouTube channel and on her podcast. In a short standalone clip, Kimes discussed Walker joining the Chiefs and said that while she likes what Walker can do for Kansas City's offense, she also likes this move because it gives K.C. more flexibility in the draft.
"I also like [the Chiefs signing Walker] because of the flexibility this gives them now in the draft. I suspect it means they thought Jeremiyah Love, the Notre Dame star, was not gonna be there at pick nine. We'll see how that pans out. But it also allows them to go after some higher value positions at nine. Corner is a glaring need now with both [Trent] McDuffie and [Jaylen] Watson gone. Edge [is a need]. If one of the top three edges are there at nine, it would be very hard for Kansas City, in my opinion, to pass up. And receiver is in need as well. They also have some money to go after those positions, but I do like where they're drafting and I like what Walker does for the entire offense."
Chiefs just solved a major draft dilemma by signing Kenneth Walker
Before free agency kicked off, Jeremiyah Love had been mocked to the Chiefs a lot (and I mean A LOT). It was almost rare to see a mock draft where Love wasn't landing in Kansas City.
With Brett Veach electing to sign Walker, Kimes is right in that the Chiefs perhaps didn't think they'd be able to land Love with the ninth overall pick after all. So, why take the risk? If they were anxious about Love not being available and didn't address running back prior to that, the Chiefs would have been in the exact same spot they found themselves in a year ago.
By adding Walker, the Chiefs now don't have to worry about running back in the draft. As Kimes alluded to, they can pivot to the other needs on the roster and use that number nine pick on one of those positions.
Walker obviously will help the Chiefs' rushing attack tremendously, but now the team won't have to spend a top-10 pick on a running back. What a massive move for a Chiefs team looking to rebound in a big way in 2026!