John Dorsey has done it again. He traded up in the 2017 NFL for a second time to get a player he was targeting: RB Kareem Hunt. The Chiefs traded away their remaining third-round pick (No. 104) plus their fourth-round pick (No. 132) and a seventh-round pick (No. 245) to the Minnesota Vikings so that they could pick Kareem Hunt at #86 overall. Hunt had a productive career at Toledo gaining 4,945 yards rushing in four seasons and gaining 5,500 total yards from scrimmage. While it may sound like John Dorsey gave up a lot of draft-pick-stock to get Hunt, the Chiefs didn’t have a place to stash the ten picks — that would have turned into ten players — which they started out with at the beginning of the 2017 draft process. So, it’s a win-win proposition and in both cases… John Dorsey wins. To quote Charlie Sheen, Dorsey is, “W-I-N-N-I-N-G.” Beyond that, RB Kareem Hunt is an excellent pick for the Chiefs at a position of relative need.
Kareem Hunt has had an up-up-down-up career at Toledo. His freshman year he rushed for 866 yards. Then he had 1,631 yards rushing in his sophomore year. His junior season was marred by suspensions and fighting off injuries but he ended up with 973 (not bad for a down year). His senior year he gained 1,475 yards and added another 403 yards receiving, something I’m sure that caught Andy Reid’s eye. In the end, Hunt may have been selected with the 86th pick in the draft but there have been those who believe he could have gone much higher and that his ranking among running backs should have been higher as well. In a piece he wrote for USAToday, called, “Why Kareem Hunt is the Best Value at RB in the 2017 Draft,” Luke Easterling says,
“Hunt leaves Toledo as the school’s all-time leading rusher, breaking the record previously held by 10-year NFL veteran Chester Taylor. His numbers are impressive, but college production is often a poor predictor of pro success. Thankfully for Hunt, he also has all the physical traits to be a complete back in the NFL. He may not have the Cook’s level of explosiveness or Fournette’s power, but Hunt still has a solid blend of both that allows him to turn the corner on the outside or explode into the secondary. His patience and vision allow him to sift through traffic and find daylight between the tackles. One of the most underrated qualities in a potential full-time starter at running back is ball security. When it comes to this year’s crop of runners, Hunt is the best in this category and it’s not even close.”
Dane Brugler of CBS Sports reports that over a four-year college career, with 856 touches, Kareem Hunt has fumbled the ball, one time. ONE TIME. You can be sure that Andy Reid was transfixed on that stats when he heard it.
Here’s PASS2Win.com‘s complete draft profile from John Cooney:
Kareem Hunt, Toledo
“Hunt has ideal RB measures at 5’10-216 but is a tad slow as evidenced by his 4.62-forty. While not fleet-of-foot, Hunt is nimble and nifty picking his way through first level trash for god ground gains. He is this draft’s most secure ball handler, fumbling just once in his 856 touches. Hunt is a decisive runner but shows rather sluggish feet. He’s tardy out of the gate but makes up ground with nifty jump-cuts and stop-n-go action. His gains have a distinct ceiling due to a lack of burst and foot-speed. Hunt has great balance and is tough to knock off his pins. Though not fast or quick, he is consistent in a workman-like manner. Hunt offers good receiving chops but shows sloppy footwork at catch and has to reset before moving forward, costing him potential YAC. There’s nothing spectacular in Hunt’s play. He’s a reliable back that can contribute as a relief RB or a pass-catching option. His 4-year carry total at Toledo is 782, that’s a full load. He gained 6.3 YPC jump-cutting and stutter-stepping through Mid-American Conference defenses. NFL tacklers are more swift, aggressive and just bigger and Hunt may struggle to get 4 a pop as a pro. “
Here’s a highlight reel of Kareem Hunt. Pay special attention to Kareem Hunt’s first run on the video because he not only makes a very good cut but then his TD run look like he’s a lot faster than his 4.62 40-time at the combine. I don’t know, maybe the clock was having a bad-hair day but Hunt plays fast, and that’s what’s important. I think this was a great trade and a great draft pick.
If you are viewing this in Apple News and would like to join the Discussion, [GO HERE.](http://arrowheadone.com/chiefs-trade-up-to-draft-rb-kareem-hunt/#disqus_thread)