Emmett Johnson

Emmett Johnson heavily dropped (#25)

Sleeper trending/drop: Emmett Johnson (13337) count=18153 (Δ18153 vs prior poll)

Andy Reid praises Chiefs’ rookie and ‘No.2 back’ for pass protection

Chiefs’ rookie Emmett Johnson highlighted for pass protection role

Emmett Johnson Earns Praise for his Pass Protection

Kansas City Chiefs running back Emmett Johnson is drawing praise from head coach Andy Reid for his work in pass protection. Reid said that Johnson's work in pass protection is one of the main reasons he's the RB2 right now, Charles Goldman reports. The rookie is playing so well that he beat out Emari Demercado for the backup role behind Kenneth Walker to begin the season. The expectation is that Johnson will serve as the change-of-pace back behind Walker. Johnson seems to be doing everything well and is one of the most important handcuffs in fantasy. The 22-year-old is well worth a look in the late rounds on draft day

Emmett Johnson - Well-positioned for role

Johnson is in line to be Kenneth Walker's backup for the Chiefs this season. The Chiefs had final roster cutdowns Sunday and waived veteran Emari Demercado, clearing a path to a role for Johnson. The rookie out of Nebraska impressed throughout training camp and the preseason. Kansas City also has Brashard Smith on the roster, but Johnson may be the handcuff to target for fantasy managers

Emmett Johnson Sees His Handcuff Value Soar Following Sunday's Cuts

Chiefs rookie Emmett Johnson’s strong preseason play boosts his fantasy handcuff value, while veteran Emari Demercado’s one‑year deal and the presence of Kenneth Walker III and Brashard Smith shape the backfield depth chart

Trade: Emmett Johnson, Davante Adams, Dak Prescott +3 more

Emmett Johnson - Productive with nine touches Friday

Johnson rushed seven times for 39 yards and brought in both targets for 15 yards in the Chiefs' 9-9 preseason tie with the Seahawks on Friday. The rookie fifth-round pick put together a strong finish to an encouraging preseason, one where he rushed 26 times for 123 yards and a touchdown and added a 6-35-0 line on seven targets. Johnson's primary competition for a depth role, Brashard Smith, had a productive 16-carry, 72-yard effort in his own right Friday, so it remains to be seen where each will slot on the depth chart behind the top duo of Kenneth Walker (ankle) and Emari Demercado

Emmett Johnson Appears To Be The Chiefs Backup To Roster

Kansas City Chiefs rookie running back Emmett Johnson handled seven carries for 39 yards (5.6 ypc) and caught two passes for 15 yards in the 9-9 tie with the Seattle Seahawks. Johnson earned nine total opportunities in the content, including all five of the first running back opportunities. Johnson's 5.6 yards per carry were highest the highest mark for any rusher in this game. The 22-year-old out of Nebraska appears to be establishing himself as the running back to roster behind Chiefs workhorse Kenneth Walker. Johnson is officially listed third in the Chiefs running back depth chart, but that could just be a formality. Emari Demercado is currently listed as the Chiefs RB2, but is likely to operate as more of a third-down or passing-down specialist kind of back in the Kansas City offense. Johnson has the build, tackle-breaking ability, and pass-catching chops to step into a large role should anything happen to the Chiefs starter. Johnson should be viewed as a potential handcuff to roster for the 2026 season

Emmett Johnson heavily added (#23)

Sleeper trending/add: Emmett Johnson (13337) count=8568 (Δ8568 vs prior poll)

Emmett Johnson - Rush TD in preseason loss

Johnson rushed seven times for 25 yards and a touchdown and brought in one of two targets for 10 yards in the Chiefs' 16-15 preseason loss to the Buccaneers on Saturday. He also returned two kickoffs for 51 yards. The rookie fifth-round pick was the third Chiefs running back to get a touch behind veterans Kenneth Walker and Emari Demercado. The highlight of Johnson's night came late in the third quarter, when he recorded a one-yard touchdown run after getting the ball to the Buccaneers' three-yard line two plays earlier with a four-yard rush. Johnson was outgained on the ground by his primary competition for a depth role behind Walker and Demercado -- Brashard Smith, who had 37 rushing yards -- and both hopefuls are likely to see extended playing time again in Friday's home preseason finale against the Seahawks

Emmett Johnson the Clear RB2 in Kansas City

Emmett Johnson appears to be the clear No. 2 RB in KC behind Kenneth Walker

Chiefs rookie back Emmett Johnson 'ran hard and aggressive'

Kansas City’s young running back showed toughness and patience in the preseason loss

Emmett Johnson - Logs 69 yards in preseason loss

Johnson turned 12 carries into 59 yards and caught all three of his targets for 10 yards during the Chiefs' 20-12 loss to the Rams in Saturday's preseason game. Johnson led all running backs in both carries and rushing yards and finished second in receiving yards at the position behind Brashard Smith (12). Following Saturday's game, Johnson drew praise from head coach Andy Reid, who noted the rookie fifth-rounder "ran hard and aggressively... he's one of the positives coming out of this," per Charles Goldman of AtoZSports.com. Johnson is currently listed as the Chiefs' RB3 ahead of Smith and behind Kenneth Walker and Emari Demercado, but more performances like Saturday's could push Johnson ahead of Demercado for the No. 2 role by the start of the regular season. The Chiefs' next preseason game takes place Saturday, Aug. 22 against the Buccaneers

Jeff Hafley makes it clear he was joking about 40 touches per game for De’Von Achane

Earlier this week, Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley talked about the workload he has planned for running back De’Von Achane. And Hafley included a number that was eye-popping. “I just gave Achane a heads-up this morning and I told him you better be in good shape,” Hafley told Rich Eisen. “I told him there might be some games when I have to pick him up and carry him back to the locker room because he’s going to be so tired. I told him I don’t ever want to see one of these head taps all year, and he looked me right in the eye and he said, ‘You’ll never get that head tap from me.’ I said, ‘Don’t worry buddy. After you touch the ball 40-45 times , I might have to pick you up and carry you back into the locker room.’” After Friday’s preseason opener, Hafley made it clear that he was exaggerating. “I hope everybody realized and listened to the tone in my voice when I said Achane was going to get 40-plus carries,” Hafley told reporters. “I guess I just have to be more careful, but sometimes I like to joke around a little bit, too. Some people really believe that, they can believe that.” Whether Achane ever gets to 40 touches in a game (Derrick Henry was the last player to get to 40, with 41 in 2021(, it’s clear that Achane will be a major cog in the Miami offense. Against the Commanders, Achane had seven carries in only one drive. He gained 39 yards, an average of 5.6 yards per carry, and he capped a 14-play effort with a one-yard touchdown run. “Seven carries is a really good job, I was proud of him and I was proud of the O-Line for the way that they blocked,” Hafley said of Achane’s performance. While Achane’s workload in a single drive in a preseason game may not be indicative of a normal drive in a regular-season games, the touches will add up quickly if he’s getting 5-7 touches in any given drive. In 2003, Dolphins running back Ricky Williams led the league with 27.6 touches per game, for a total of 442. Since then, only Chiefs running back Larry Johnson (457 in 2006) and Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray (449 in 2014) have had more. After the season expanded to 17 games, only 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (413 in 2025) has had more than 400 in a single year. That’s 24.29 per game for McCaffrey last year. An average of 27 touches per game would break Larry Johnson’s single-season record from 20 years ago. So even if Achane never hits 40 in a single game, he could be on track to have the most touches in one season that any NFL player has ever had

Emmett Johnson - Listed as RB3 on unofficial depth chart

Johnson was listed as the No. 3 RB on the Chiefs' unofficial depth chart ahead of the team's preseason opener, Pete Grathoff of the Kansas City Star reports. While preseason depth charts can often be taken with a grain of salt, slotting behind starter Kenneth Walker does remain up for grabs, with Emari Demercado (listed second) and Brashard Smith (listed fourth) also in the mix. With that in mind, GM Brett Veach noted that "Smith, who was here last year...adds value as a dynamic speed element and his return game as a punt kick returner," while "Demercado is a veteran guy that has always been good in the pass protection game, and he's a reliable receiver." In reference to Johnson, who the team took in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, Veach said, "He has more of a total skillset. He's just young. So I think once he figures out how to consistently throw his hat and hands in there on a consistent basis, I think we all know what he can do running the ball, and he's a really good route runner, too." With all that in mind, it's plausible that Demercado opens the season in a change-of-pace role, with Johnson perhaps next in line for early-down work if Walker misses time, while Smith provides both backfield depth and special-teams utility

Chiefs News: L’Jarius Sneed intends to ‘reclaim’ who he is this season

Cornerback L'Jarius Sneed, once a shutdown player for the Chiefs, is looking to reclaim his former elite status after underperforming and being released by the Titans. Now 29, Sneed has signed a league-minimum deal to return to Kansas City, aiming to re-establish his identity in his seventh NFL season

AP Chiefs Mailbag after minicamp: Can running backs boost the pass game?

Welcome back to the Arrowhead Pride Mailbag ! Throughout the offseason, watch for your opportunity to submit your Kansas City Chiefs questions in The Feed , which is found on AP’s home page. With the team’s mandatory minicamp in the rear-view, we won’t see the Chiefs again until they hit Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph for training camp late in July. Let’s see what’s on readers’ minds. Can the running backs help enough in the passing game to offset not having a true star at pass catcher? The short answer is that the running backs had better be a boost to the passing game. The Chiefs need an immediate return on their investment in the run game — and that is not only considering a lucrative contract for Kenneth Walker and trading up the draft’s third day for Nebraska’s Emmett Johnson. The Chiefs also brought in experienced run-game voices to the offensive coaching staff, with returning coordinator Eric Bieniemy and new running backs coach DeMarco Murray . For the investment the Chiefs have made in their athletic interior offensive line trio, we also need to see backs going for large gains on screen plays. Walker has repeatedly said in interviews since joining the Chiefs that he expects to be used more in the passing game in Kansas City than he was in Seattle . Most would consider 2022 to be the last great year for Kansas City’s offense. In that season, the team’s top three running backs combined for 793 receiving yards. Even more production in the passing game from running backs is probably needed this season for the offense to truly rebound. As quarterback Patrick Mahomes recovers, we will also need to see the backs stepping up in pass protection immediately. Are we brutally thin at safety and linebacker? It is hard to make definitive predictions about the two most tackling-focused positions in non-contact practices, but I think there are encouraging signs for both. I think the Chiefs adding Alohi Gillman’s coverage skills is flying under the radar as an important signing. Third-year pro Jaden Hicks — despite sporting a yellow practice jersey — appeared to be having a strong offseason per media present for the open looks at practice. Most importantly for the position, the Chiefs have added multiple slot corner candidates, meaning Chamarri Conner appears set to focus only on playing safety. Linebacker depth depends on whether second-year pro Jeffrey Bassa sees more of the field on defense. Ultimately, the Chiefs must replace a very important role left by departing Leo Chenal , but the SAM linebacker position rarely yields a high snap count. The Chiefs appear to have shifted second-year man Ethan Downs ’ position from defensive end to linebacker. Downs will presumably compete with Cooper McDonald to replace Chenal. Any positive takeaways regarding second year wide receiver Jalen Royals ? Royals drew a shoutout from team reporter Matt McMullen on the second day of minicamp. Other accounts from observers have noted some big plays while not necessarily seeing Royals having a high target share from Mahomes or backup Justin Fields . Kansas City’s beat writers appear unanimous that Xavier Worthy was the top receiver in the offseason program. Rookie Cyrus Allen also clearly brings a different skillset to the room and appears advanced for a Day Three draft pick. Royals’ abilities may also not perfectly set what the rehabbing Mahomes is able to do at this point in his recovery. Fields and rookie quarterback Garrett Nussmeier are also just now learning the offense and may not be in a position to deliver highlight-reel moments in practice. Royals appear to be doing everything you would want for him to improve on an unproductive rookie year. If he develops into an NFL regular, he will need to show tackle-breaking abilities and potential to deliver yards after the catch. OTAs and minicamp probably aren’t the best times to draw conclusions about him. Do any of the tight ends look good? I haven’t heard much about [... truncated ...]

Let’s Argue: The Chiefs should trade for WR Xavier Legette

In our “Let’s Argue” series, Mark Gunnels considers the hot takes, wacky predictions and unpopular opinions of Kansas City Chiefs fans from all over the world. The idea of bringing in Carolina Panthers wide receiver and former first-round pick Xavier Legette doesn’t sound bad in a vacuum. However, I don’t believe he’s worth giving up any draft capital for, and he’s not an ideal fit for what the Chiefs need at the receiver position. At 6 feet 3 inches tall and 227 pounds, Legette possesses great positional size, but that’s something head coach Andy Reid doesn’t value at receiver. The Chiefs’ passing game is predicated on getting receivers in space to create yards after catch opportunities, which aren’t strengths of Legette. With his physique, Legette is at his best at high-pointing balls with defenders draped on him. This is a scorching hot take. Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker had 33 runs of 10 or more yards during the 2025 season. As a team, the Chiefs’ running back room only totaled 22 runs of such distance. With quarterback Patrick Mahomes returning from injury, a legitimate running game will help ease him in and take some of the pressure away. While I love the addition of rookie back Emmett Johnson, the only way he’ll have more explosive runs than Walker is if an injury occurs. Johnson simply won’t have enough opportunities, but I do believe there’s a role for him on this offense in Year 1. It’s unfair to say they haven’t improved in those areas until we see the product on the field. General manager Brett Veach invested in the pass rush by drafting defensive tackle Peter Woods and edge rusher R Mason Thomas within the first 40 picks of the draft. It’s unclear how much production you’ll get out of these two rookies, but they’ll have plenty of opportunities to prove their worth. The wide receiver room is mostly the same. Having said that, I think we sometimes forget that Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy are still young. Now, you need Rice to stay out of trouble off the field. When he’s on the field, the former SMU standout is productive. Worthy was playing hurt all last season, which has many very optimistic about what he could be in Year 3. Also, Jalen Royals has a chance to prove himself as an exciting prospect from Utah State that was drafted in the fourth round last year. In terms of the secondary, it’s not ideal losing the likes of Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson , but I’m not willing to say the secondary is significantly worse. Delane, by all accounts, can end up being as good as McDuffie. The same could be said for Nohl Williams having a chance to be better than Jaylen Watson. It’s also important to mention that Chamarri Conner likely won’t be the primary slot corner, which is a huge win for the defense

Kansas City Chiefs roster

All information shown is current as of 7:00 p.m. Thursday, May 21. Current space: $5.5 million This includes the estimated salary cap impacts of all known signings and releases. More information about our cap space calculation is available below the tables. Please note: All NFL teams must remain below the salary cap between the beginning of the new league year in mid-March and the end of each season. If our estimate of the team’s cap space is a negative number, it’s because contracts for some reported roster moves have not been officially submitted to the league office, or there is a difference between publicly available salary information and the official figures. Older transactions are at the bottom of the page. Current roster number: 90 (with one exempt player) Rookie contract signed (5/21) defensive end R Mason Thomas (roster unchanged) Rookie contract signed (5/20) cornerback Jadon Canady (roster unchanged) Rookie contract signed (5/5) running back Emmett Johnson (roster unchanged) Signed (5/4) tackle Kahlil Benson , wide receiver Xavier Lyd , safety Marlen Sewell (roster to 90) Waived (5/4) quarterback Jake Haener , defensive end Ethan Hurkett , defensive tackle Zacch Pickens (roster to 87) Signed (5/1) defensive end Vincent Anthony Jr. , linebacker Wesley Bissainthe , defensive tackle Cole Brevard , wide receiver Jeff Caldwell , wide receiver Jacob De Jesus , defensive end Anthony Dunn , wide reciever Omari Evans , tight end John Michael Gyllenborg , defensive end Ethan Hurkett , defensive tackle Amari McNeill , safety Xavier Nwankpa , center Pete Nygra , running back Jadyn Ott , defensive tackle Damon Payne , cornerback D’Arco Perkins-McAllister , cornerback Bryce Phillips , safety DeShon Singleton , running back E.J. Smith , guard Josh Thompson , cornerback Zelmar Vedder (roster to 90) Rookie contract signed (5/1) wide receiver Cyrus Allen and quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (roster unchanged) Waived (5/1) linebacker Brandon George (roster to 70) Roster exemption granted (4/29) offensive lineman Chukuebukua Godrick (roster to 71) Wavied (4/29) running back ShunDerrick Powell (roster to 72) Drafted at 7/249 (4/25) quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (roster to 73) Drafted at 5/178 (4/25) wide receiver Cyrus Allen (roster to 72) Drafted at 5/161 (4/25) running back Emmett Johnson (roster to 71) Drafted at 4/109 (4/25) cornerback Jadon Canady (roster to 70) Drafted at 2/40 (4/24) defensive end R Mason Thomas (roster to 69) Drafted at 1/29 (4/23) defensive tackle Peter Woods (roster to 68) Drafted at 1/6 (4/23) cornerback Mansoor Delane (roster to 67) Signed Exclusive Rights tender (4/20) punter Matt Araiza (roster unchanged) Positon Group Num Players Offensive Linemen 16 J.Simmons, K.Suamataia, C.Humphrey, T.Smith, J.Moore, E.Pole, W.Morris, M. Caliendo, C.Hanson, H.Nourzad, C.Godrick*, E.Driskell, M.Waletzko, P. Nygra, J. Thompson, K. Benson Tight Ends 6 T. Kelce, N.Gray, J.Wiley, J.Briningstool, T.Watson, J. M. Gyllenborg Running Backs 6 K Walker III , E. Demercado, B.Smith, E. Johnson, J. Ott, E.J. Smith Wide Receivers 13 R.Rice, X.Worthy, T. Thornton, J.Royals, N. Remigio, C. Allen, J.Holiday, J. Brownlee, A.Armstrong, J. Caldwell, O. Evans, J. De Jesus, X. Loyd Quarterbacks 4 P.Mahomes, J. Fields, C.Oladokun, G. Nussmeier Defensive Linemen 16 G.Karlaftis, C.Jones, K. Tonga, R M. Thomas, P. Woods, A. Gillotte, F.Anudike-Uzomah, O.Norman-Lott, M.Harris, Ty.Smith, E.Downs, V. Anthony, A. Dunn, D. Payne, A. McNeill, C. Brevard Linebackers 8 N.Bolton, D.Tranquill, J.Bassa, J. Cochrane, C.McDonald, C. Christiansen, K.Arnold, W. Bissainthe Defensive Backs 19 K.Fulton, C.Conner, N.Williams, M. Delane, A. Gilman, K. Kohou, J.Hicks, J. Canady, C.Roland-Wallace, K.Knowles, M.Smith, T. McCalister, K. Elam D. Perkins-McAllister, X. Nwankpa, D Singleton, B. Phillips, Z. Vedder, M. Sewell Specialists 3 M Araiza, H.Butker, J. Winchester Total 91 * – exempt from 90-man roster limit (In [... truncated ...]

2026 Season Outlook

When evaluating running back prospects the athleticism question is a big part of the equation, and Johnson's athletic metrics are plainly not good, even if they can be rationalized various ways. One way Johnson's proponents can rationalize this is to point out that production will always matter more than athletic testing, and that certainly is true enough. There are fewer instances of this more glaring than the example of Bucky Irving, whose production and tape in college were dynamite but whose Combine workout was pretty much a disaster with a 4.55-second 40, 29.5-inch vertical and 115-inch broad jump. Some offensive linemen jump higher than Irving did, yet it was quickly evident in Irving's 2024 rookie season that his athletic limitations were not at all limiting his ability to produce from scrimmage. Irving makes up the difference from his athletic deficiencies with his rare spatial intelligence, which affords Irving the ability of running full speed at all times without needing to stop and process what he's seeing. There are stronger and faster running backs who will get to Point B later than Irving because their speed differential relative to Irving is less than the processing differential. If Johnson sticks in the NFL he'll need to lean on similar tricks, because his 4.56-second 40 at 202 pounds isn't much to work with and despite his hot motor Johnson will never run with true power. Even with all that said, Johnson's production at Nebraska gives reason to keep some amount of faith. Johnson withstood big volume as a runner in 2025 and is probably either the second- or third-best receiver among the 2026 running back class after catching 85 receptions for 656 yards and five touchdowns on 103 targets over the last two years (82.5-percent catch rate, 6.4 YPT). Johnson's pass-catching ability alone is probably enough for him to stick in the NFL as a backup, but if he can flex just a little bit as a runner too then Johnson might be a viable starter in the NFL down the road. His opportunity in Kansas City is to compete for the pure backup role to three-down starter Kenneth Walker, but if Walker needs to miss any time the Chiefs really might be in good hands with Johnson. The rookie should be able to push aside the likes of Brashard Smith and Emari Demarcado for that RB2 role, but he'll need to tie up those loose ends too