Chiefs Running Backs: Rumblin’ Bumblin’ Stumblin’

Laddie Morse

You know the next line: “He. Could. Go. All. The. Way.” That’s because I suspect the K.C. RBs will score more TDs this year than ever before. Yes, I know, Priest Holmes had 27 TDs on his own in 2003, but I believe this group can outdo that… and more. Derrick Blaylock had 2 TDs that year and Larry Johnson had one… making a total of 30 rushing TDs in 2003 for the RBs. QB Trent Green had two rushing TDs that year, but I’m not counting those.

The Kansas City Chiefs Running Back Room is open for business and that means we may not know exactly who will be RB#2 and RB #3. However, which ever RBs win those jobs, the running backs for K.C. will be a force to be dealt with. It could be Deneric Prince… it could be Carson Steele… and it could even be Louis Rees-Zammit, but one thing is for sure… it will be a different group than it was in the past.

I know a lot of Chiefs fans would like to see Jerick McKinnon added to the list of RBs on the roster, but since he’s not here, the leadership must have a good reason… not the least of which is his age. McKinnon turned 32 in May and you’ll notice that none of the RBs on the roster is older than 25. Yes, it’s a younger man’s game and the Chiefs are at the forefront of that tendency.

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RB, Isiah Pacheco

5-foot-10 and 216 lbs.

School – Rutgers

Age – 25

40 – 4.37

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From sportingnews.com comes this:

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“Finishing with 935 rushing yards, the second-year RB

came up just shy of a 1,000-yard rushing season in

just 14 games. He punched in seven rushing TDs

and finished with over 1,000 all-purpose yards

when you factor in his 244 receiving yards.”

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I predict Isiah Pacheco finishes with 1,000+ rushing and over ten TDs.

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RB, Deneric Prince:

6-foot-0 and 216 lbs.

School – Tulsa

Age – 24

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ProFootballNetwork talked about Prince’s college career and his transfer from Texas A&M:

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“Prince transferred to Tulsa for his third year — his redshirt

sophomore season. While he was never the unquestioned

starter, he was very much part of the running back rotation.

Prince started 12 of his 26 games played for Tulsa. In those

games, he carried the ball 314 times for 1,728 yards and 14

touchdowns. He also added one more touchdown through the

air…. Pacheco has scored in each of the Chiefs’ three playoff

games… averaging 84.7 rushing yards per game and 4.0

yards per carry.”

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Prince averaged 5.5 yards per carry while at Tulsa. While that may be a big part of the reason the Chiefs signed him as a UDFA in 2023 he was projected to be drafted in the late rounds that year. RB Deneric Prince has also been helping Emani Bailey and Carson Steele with the playbook and says he’s helping them stay locked in. Deneric Prince has also learned how to make the contested catch (0:10):

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RB/FB, Carson Steele

6-foot-0 and 228 lbs.

School – UCLA

Age – 21

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The RegisterGuard.com says of Steele:

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“Steele has a large frame that gives him great contact

balance & strength. The former UCLA RB is a workhorse

who grinds opponents down with his tough and gritty

play style. That physicality shows up in pass protection,

where he should immediately be able to see the field in

the NFL.”

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If Steele is indeed ahead of the other Chiefs RB hopefuls in pass protection, he could be the man to nail down the RB#3 position… something Jerick McKinnon was also very good at.

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RB, Louis Rees-Zammit

6-foot-2 and 209 lbs.

School – International

Age – 23

40 – 4.43

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BTW, ZRZ says he’s fast. Faster than 4.43. He’s very fast and he’s been timed going 24 MPH on the field.

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The SportsScience Agency.com says about Louis Rees-Zammit:

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“For Rees-Zammit, this initiative [International Player

Pathway Program] offered the perfect foundation

and structured pathway to adapt his remarkable

athletic abilities to the demands of the NFL. Having

recently signed a multi-year contract with the back-

to-back Super Bowl champion, Kansas City Chiefs,

this bold move not only highlights Rees-Zammit’s

athletic versatility but also marks a significant cross

over in the world of sports, bridging the gap between

rugby union and American football.”

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I had no idea Rees-Zammit had signed a multi-year deal with the Chiefs. So, if he ends up on the practice squad, my understanding is, another team would have to pick up the rest of his contract which goes through 2026. That’s right, Rees-Zammit signed a deal with K.C. for three years: 2024, 2025, and 2026. At least that’s what sportrac.com is reporting. That three year deal likely means Rees-Zammit is headed for the 53-man roster… whether that is this year or the next (0:47).

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LRZ has also gotten critical training form Isiah Pacheco (0:14):

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RB, Clyde Edwards-Helaire

5-foot-7 and 207 lbs.

School – LSU

Age – 25

40 – 4.6s

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CBSSports.com said this about Clyde when he was coming out of LSU:

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“Edwards-Helaire has nifty, sudden agility, but he’s

not a powerhouse nor a speedster. Very frequently would

the first defender to get a hand on him bring him down.

Though he had 782 yards after contact per Pro Football

Focus, that ranked 23rd among FBS backs with at least

100 attempts. He’s a strong-willed fighter for sure, but he

simply did not break tackles or push piles consistently

enough (including at the goal line).”

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CEH may end up being waived because he appears to be un-tradable, especially with all the other RBs that are available in free agency. Dalvin Cook is a 28 year old FA RB who has been to the pro Bowl 4 times (Cook was a second round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft). I’m wondering if he could be had?

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RB, Emani Bailey

5-foot-7 and 202 lbs.

School – TCU

Age – 22

40 – 4.61

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When Emani was coming out this year theDraftNetwork.com said of him:

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“Emani Bailey is a ball-carrier with experience behind

both zone/gap-heavy schemes. Aligned primarily to

the hip of the QB in shotgun, Bailey is quick to work

north-south, showcasing the throttle to quickly churn

chunk plays. He’s not the biggest athlete but constantly

falls forward in the pile. In between the tackles, Bailey

runs with a low pad level and the vision to not only

attack the hole schemed for him but hit

backside cut lanes in an instant.”

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Emani Bailey may not be the fastest tool in the shed, but he has great moves (0:18):

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RB, Keaontay Ingram

6-foot-0 and 220 lbs.

School – USC

Age – 24

40 – 4.53

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DraftBuzz.com says of Keaontay Ingram:

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“Has the feet and feel running between the tackles

and in the open field. He has very good vision and

patience to pick through defenses. Doesn’t possess

elite breakaway speed, but is fast enough to gain

yardage in chunks when he finds a seam. Difficult to

bring down one-on-one in space, regularly sidesteps

would-be tacklers and uses offhand to use on

coming defenders’ momentum against them

without slowing down significantly.”

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Plus, DraftBuzz goes on to say:

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“[Keaontay] loses momentum when he gears down

to change direction and it takes him a few steps to

accelerate back to full speed. Appears indecisive;

will dance too much at the line of scrimmage.

Lacks natural playmaking ability. Too indecisive

and hesitant at the line of scrimmage.”

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Keaontay Ingram was first drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2022 NFL draft in the 6th round then released in November of 2023. Two days later, Veach signed him to the Practice Squad. For the Chiefs to sign him that quickly after being released, they must have seen something in him. Here’s a breakdown of one of his plays for the Cards. Keaontay is a big back, but it looks like he’ll not make the 53-man roster. That’s my take, for what it’s worth. (0:35):

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What do you think?

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Laddie Morse — ArrowheadOne

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