RB · KC · 22 yrs · exp 0 · Nebraska
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Latest: Jul 24, 2026 · 2,531
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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
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 ...]
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
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
The annual NFLPA Rookie Premiere took place over the last three days, showcasing 42 rookies from the 2026 NFL Draft class, including two Kansas City Chiefs draft picks: running back Emmett Johnson and quarterback Garrett Nussmeier . Our first view of the two newcomers to the Chiefs’ offense came courtesy of the annual gathering for the “next class of marketable stars” in the NFL ; it usually consists of just offensive players from the year’s draft class. Across three days, rookies will participate in trading card photoshoots, autograph signings, jersey unveilings, and a full slate of content creation sessions, while also taking part in business orientation led by union leadership focused on group licensing, personal brand development, and long-term income opportunities. The event brings together the NFL’s top incoming talent with leading brands, licensees, and media partners to build early relationships that extend well beyond the field. Johnson and Nussmeier join a handful of Kansas City ’s draft picks to take part in the summit, following wide receivers Jalen Royals last year, Rashee Rice in 2023, Skyy Moore in 2022, Cornell Powell in 2021, and Mecole Hardman in 2019. In 2020, first-round running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire represented the Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs running back Brashard Smith is currently listed as No. 2 on the RB depth chart for the Chiefs behind new starter Kenneth Walker III, but the 23-year-old has fallen all the way to No. 74 in RotoBaller's dynasty RB rankings despite Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco both departing in free agency in the offseason. In addition to Walker, the Chiefs signed Emarci Demercado in free agency and selected Emmett Johnson in the fifth round of this year's draft. Smith, who was a receiver in college at SMU, is elusive and can obviously catch the ball out of the backfied, but at just 5-foot-10 and 196 pounds, he lacks the size to challenge for a true workhorse RB1 role in the NFL, and he could be destined to see most of his snaps on special teams in KC if Johnson emerges as the team's best change-of-pace back behind Walker. In his rookie campaign in 2025 after the Chiefs took him in the seventh round, Smith saw 44 carries for 151 yards (3.4 yards per carry) and no touchdowns, although he added 25 catches for 172 yards and one touchdown through the air in 17 games (one start). Smith has PPR upside, but his dynasty stock has taken a hit due to the additions of Walker, Demercado, and Johnson
Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has compared rookie fifth-round running back Emmett Johnson to former six-time Pro Bowl RB LeSean McCoy, according to Grant Gordon of NFL.com. Reid believes Johnson can contribute on the ground, as a pass-catcher, and on special teams. "First of all, he's got a good feel for things, a smart kid, good kid. He's got that lateral quickness. We had LeSean McCoy here for a bit, and he has a little bit of that to him, where he can shift gears and still get himself up the field quickly," said Reid, who coached McCoy with the Philadelphia Eagles and for a season with the Chiefs. Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco are both gone, but the Chiefs added Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III, Emari Demercado, and Johnson to a RB room that still includes Brashard Smith. Johnson was the sixth RB off the board in the 2026 NFL draft, but he was first in the FBS in 2025 with 151.8 all-purpose yards per game. He also had a career-high 1,451 rushing yards and 370 receiving yards at Nebraska last year. Because of his three-down skill set, if anything were to happen to Walker, who has a history of lower-body injuries, Johnson could benefit right away in 2026. Consider the 22-year-old a dynasty sleeper and a handcuff to Walker in single-year fantasy leagues
Chiefs coach Andy Reid has praised rookie running back Emmett Johnson, a fifth-round pick, noting similarities in his game to former NFL running back LeSean McCoy based on his performance at the rookie minicamp
Johnson is competing with Brashard Smith and Emari Demercado for slotting on Kansas City's running back depth chart behind Kenneth Walker, Grant Gordon of NFL.com reports. The Chiefs almost completely remade their backfield compared to last season, letting Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco walk while retaining the 2025 seventh-round pick Smith, and signing Walker and Demercado before drafting Johnson in the fifth round. Kansas City also signed undrafted free agents Jaydn Ott and EJ Smith. Demercado and B. Smith both seem best suited for change-of-pace roles on passing downs, so Johnson has a clear lane to getting the second-most carries behind Walker. Head coach Andy Reid compared Johnson's skill set to that of former NFL running back LeSean McCoy, who exceeded 1,000 regular-season rushing yards on six occasions
Adds: Emmett Johnson. Drops: Kimani Vidal
The Kansas City Chiefs were "super high" on former Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson before selecting him in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL draft, and vice president of player personnel Ryne Nutt said the team was surprised he was still available in the fifth round when they traded up to take him. Johnson was the only player in college football to average more than 150 scrimmage yards per game last year, and he led the Big 10 with 1,451 rushing yards and finished second among all RBs in catches (46) while also scoring 15 touchdowns. He was graded as high as a third-round pick by some analysts. "He's a juke button, he has very good feet, vision, feel, and he's very good out of the backfield," Nutt described. The Chiefs lost Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt in free agency, but they signed former Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker III. Johnson is projected to be the immediate backup to Walker in the lead-back role, and Arrowhead Pride's Ron Kopp Jr. doesn't think we should be surprised if he earns his way onto the field on passing downs. At the very least, Johnson will be a handcuff option as a late-round flier in fantasy football redraft leagues in 2026
The Chiefs selected Johnson in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 161st overall. Johnson (5-foot-10, 202 pounds) broke out in 2025, his fourth season with Nebraska, starting all 12 games and totaling 251 carries for 1,451 yards (No. 1 in the Big Ten) and 12 touchdowns while adding 46 catches for 370 receiving yards and another three scores. While Johnson's production, lateral agility and pass-catching chops stand out, his testing numbers were merely average, though he improved on his 4.56-second NFL Combine 40-yard dash with a 4.49-second total at Nebraska's pro day. Despite falling to the fifth round, Johnson's landing spot in head coach Andy Reid's offense is intriguing, with Emari Demercado and Brashard Smith representing his most notable competition for reserve work behind new No. 1 running back Kenneth Walker. Johnson's upside case may be limited to that of a change-of-pace role behind Walker, but he'll be a solid candidate to produce with such a gig if he can secure consistent opportunities
The Kansas City Chiefs have selected RB Emmett Johnson with the No. 161 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. The Kansas City Chiefs made a massive splash in free agency, signing Kenneth Walker III. However, the depth behind him was extremely thin, with Brashard Smith as the next man up. Emmett Johnson should be the Chiefs' No. 2 running back and has fantasy upside, especially given Walker's injury history
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