The Chiefs have a rich history of obtaining superstar running back’s in the NFL Draft. It seemed like Kareem Hunt was next in the line of legendary RB’s to be drafted by Kansas City. With his release in 2018, that hope is long gone.
Now, with the exit of both Hunt, and backup RB Spencer Ware, the Chiefs are once again looking for their next phenom in the backfield. And while they aren’t likely to look for him in the early rounds, the Chiefs have found plenty of success finding great runners later in the draft.
The most notable running backs left on the Kansas City’s roster are Damien Williams, and Carlos Hyde who was acquired this offseason. Williams was extremely productive in place of Hunt and Ware, scoring multiple times during the playoffs. Hyde, while fairly underwhelming last year, showed a lot of promise in 2017 with over 1,200 yards from scrimmage.
Here’s a look at some of the players they could consider adding in each round of the 2019 NFL draft:
Round 1: Josh Jacobs, Alabama
Most draft analysts agree that Josh Jacobs is the only RB that even is in consideration to be taken in the first round. It wasn’t likely that the Chiefs were going to draft a RB in the first round anyway, but if they were, hands down this is the guy.
Jacobs is a powerful, agile and reliable back, His last season at Alabama proved it. He averaged over five yards per carry and scored 14 totals touchdowns during his junior year. With only 251 carries in his college carrier, Jacobs will have little wear entering the NFL, making him even more attractive to teams.
He’s not just a one-trick pony either, he can catch the football out of the backfield, work between the tackles, he even gets involved in the blocking game at times for Alabama. That versatility is valuable at the NFL level.
While this is an unlikely choice for the Chiefs, it’s fun to think about the types of things Jacobs could do in their offense.
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Round 2: Miles Sanders, Penn State
Miles Sanders had a hefty task trying to come from under Saquon Barkley’s shadow, but he excelled under the pressure to follow-up Barkley. Sanders rushed for over 1,200 yards on nearly six yards per carry. He also caught 24 passes for another 139 yards. He finished the season with nine rushing touchdowns
On top of that, Sanders had a great showing at this year’s combine. He’s done enough in the pre-draft process that he’s earned a chance to be drafted second round. We’ve already established the Chiefs are likely to use their top 3 picks on defense or other spots in the draft. If they absolutely loved Sanders, and he happened to be on the board when they came to pick, they should turn in their draft card and not look back.
Sanders met with the Chiefs during the NFL Combine this year. He’s definitely on their draft board.
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Round 3: Rodney Anderson, Oklahoma
Rodney Anderson’s season-ending injury in 2018 will give several teams cause to pause. However, from the time he has been on the field, he’s easily one of top talents in this class. In 2017 Anderson rushed for over 1,100 yards, with over six yards per carry and 13 rushing touchdowns.
He established himself as a dual-threat back by hauling in 17 catches for 285 yards and five touchdowns. Even in the only two games he played last season, Anderson averaged 10 yards a carry on 11 carries, and scored 3 touchdowns. That’s a crazy amount of efficiency.
Anderson played with both Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray, who have similar skill sets to Patrick Mahomes. His experience operating out of the shotgun is certainly a bonus as well.
Anderson met with the Chiefs during the combine, and while some may argue the third round is too soon, I think it would be a pick well spent in this instance.
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Round 4: Benny Snell, Kentucky
I already listed plenty of reasons why I like Benny Snell for the Chiefs in this year’s draft crushes article, but here are a few numbers to build on those words.
Snell rushed for over 1,400 yards in 2018, earning the Kentucky Wildcats all-time rushing yardage title. He averaged five yards a carry and produced 16 touchdowns on the season. His 289 rushing attempts that season prove he can handle a bell cow workload. However, with over 700 carries during the course of his collegiate career, there may be concerns over longevity heading into the league.
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Round 5: Dexter Williams, Notre Dame
I talked about Dexter Williams in the aforementioned draft crushes article. I also did a feature article where I interviewed Williams to find out what makes him tick. There we spoke specifically on how Williams feels he would fit with the Chiefs.
There’s not much else to say that I haven’t said already, but I will reiterate that Williams lack of wear-and-tear, and potential to erupt for big plays on any given down makes him attractive in the draft. Specifically if you can get him on Day 3, you’ve found yourself a potential steal.
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Round 6: Alex Barnes, Kansas State
This pick would hit close to home for Chiefs fans, because Barnes is from Pittsburg, Kansas. Barnes also played college football at Kansas State.
Barnes had over 1,300 yards, an average of five yards a carry and 12 touchdowns in 2018. He quietly had possibly the best season of any RB in the BIG 12, and piled onto it with his ridiculous combine performance highlighted by a monstrous 34 reps on the bench press. His scores at the combine placed him as an elite athlete in this draft class.
Barnes met with the Chiefs during the combine, and had a private workout with the team this offseason. He clearly has the teams attention and interest, and would be more than welcomed by the fanbase as a sixth round pick.
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Round 7: Jacques Patrick, Florida State
He had a less than stellar year in 2018, but Patrick showed a lot of potential in 2017 and seems inspired to prove his doubters wrong. After not getting an invitation to this year’s combine, Patrick admitted during his Pro Day conference that he was driven to prove that he was worthy of getting drafted.
His 5.6 yards a carry and 21 receptions in his junior year showed his potential as a two-way back, and I don’t think the Chiefs would have much to lose drafting a guy that’s as driven as Patrick is. This is a good value pick in the late rounds for the Chiefs.
Honorable mention late-rounders/UDFAs: Nick Brossette (LSU), Damarea Crockett (Missouri) and Bruce Anderson (NDSU)
Potential Chiefs prospects
Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
Offensive tackles (Coming soon)
Guards (Coming soon)
Centers
Defensive tackles (Coming soon)
Defensive ends (Coming soon)
Linebackers (Coming soon)
Cornerbacks
Safeties
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