As it stands, the Kansas City Chiefs’ backfield isn’t in good shape. The good news is that the status of an NFL roster in late April is not a cause for concern here.
Roster construction is a long process with many moving parts, and Chiefs general manager Brett Veach will be tinkering with things up until the start of the regular season (and even then, he’ll still be hard at work). But for those wondering about the state of the running back position, help should be on the way.
The Chiefs are coming into Day 3 of the 2025 NFL Draft looking so much better in the trenches, which is where they invested their first three selections overall—all within the first 66 picks of the draft order. On the final day of the draft, the Chiefs still have five picks in their quiver and one of those should come in handy at RB.
The Kansas City backfield is wide open—and a late-round pick could end up seizing the job outright.
At the present time, the Chiefs have a trio of options at running back. Isiah Pacheco has led the Chiefs in rushing in two of his first three NFL seasons. Kareem Hunt enjoyed a resurgent campaign that inspired a year ago in K.C. Elijah Mitchell was an exciting sparkplug as a rookie in ’21 and gives the Chiefs an exciting speed element.
But there are reasons for concern here for each player. Pacheco is oft-injured at this point and wasn’t productive after returning from his latest ailment last season. Speaking of injuries, Mitchell hasn’t been relevant since that rookie campaign. And the aging Hunt doesn’t make an already plodding backfield any less, well, plodding.
This is why these Day 3 picks are so important. In a rookie class loaded with running backs, the Chiefs still have options with various skill sets, and it wouldn’t surprise fans to see Brett Veach go ahead and draft two such players. From Devin Neal to DJ Giddens, from Dylan Sampson to Bhayshul Tuten, the Chiefs are likely to submit a card with a RB’s name on it on Saturday afternoon.
No matter the running back who will undoubtedly be added to the mix in this draft class, he will have a rare platform to come in and put up significant production despite having to wait until the draft’s final day to hear his name. The need is great, but so is the opportunity and the Chiefs still have plenty of quality backs to look at on Day 3.
