The dust has finally settled on the NFL Draft, the frantic energy of the immediate off-season has begun to cool, and the Kansas City Chiefs have emerged from the chaos with a roster that has the entire league talking. General Manager Brett Veach, a man known for his aggressive tactics and franchise-altering maneuvers, might have just executed the impossible. As the full-on sprint toward the preseason begins, the focus in Chiefs Kingdom has shifted entirely toward a single, fascinating narrative. The Chiefs walked out of day three of the NFL Draft with a prospect who is not only expected to do a massive amount of good for Kansas City but could fundamentally evolve into a one-of-a-kind specimen in the storied history of the franchise. That player is former Nebraska running back Emmit Johnson, and his arrival signals a massive philosophical shift in how the Chiefs are constructing their offensive backfield.
To truly understand the magnitude of this fifth-round selection, we must first set the stage and examine the dire situation the team faced just months ago. Heading into this pivotal off-season, the concern surrounding the running back position within Chiefs Kingdom was arguably at the highest point it had ever been. The team needed a reliable back, and they needed one desperately. The ground game required an immediate injection of talent, stability, and explosiveness. Naturally, the rumor mill was operating at maximum capacity. Jeremiah Love was a massive consideration and a frequent talking point among fans and analysts alike. Because Kansas City was holding the ninth overall pick in the draft, there was a widespread assumption that Love might be available and that the organization would pull the trigger to secure him. Love’s draft stock was floating at a level that made him an enticing target, and the whispers that Kansas City was aggressively pursuing him dominated the headlines.
However, the Chiefs’ front office ultimately decided to solve their pressing running back crisis not through the early rounds of the draft, but through a masterclass in free agency maneuvering. In what easily stands as the most impactful signing across the entire league, Kansas City secured the services of last year’s Super Bowl MVP, running back Kenneth Walker. Locking down a proven, championship-caliber volume runner for less money than Jeremiah Love currently commands was a stroke of absolute financial and strategic genius. Walker brings the pedigree of a bell-cow back, a player who can easily take the ball, grind out 120 to 150 yards on the ground, and make the grueling reality of NFL football look completely effortless.
But Brett Veach was not finished. Just when the fanbase assumed the running back room had been fully addressed and upgraded, the Chiefs made another quiet but critical addition by bringing in former Arizona Cardinals running back Emari Demercado. While Demercado may not possess the highest ceiling or boast the most prolific production metrics, his value lies entirely in his versatility. He is the ultimate Swiss Army knife for a modern NFL offense. Demercado serves a vital role as a dependable third-down back. He is highly capable at blocking incoming rushers, leaking out of the backfield for check-downs, and generating crucial yards after the catch. On critical third downs, where protecting the quarterback is the absolute highest priority, having a player who can seamlessly pick up a blitz or act as a reliable safety valve in the passing game is immeasurably valuable.
With a premier starter in Kenneth Walker and a versatile situational player in Emari Demercado, the Chiefs had effectively fortified their backfield. The urgent problem was solved. So, imagine the collective surprise of Chiefs Kingdom when the first two days of the draft passed, day three arrived, and Kansas City opted to select yet another running back. In the fifth round, the Chiefs traded up to draft Nebraska’s Emmit Johnson.
This is where the narrative takes a fascinating turn, because Emmit Johnson is not just another name on the depth chart. He represents something entirely different from every other running back selection Brett Veach has made during his tenure as general manager. There are three distinct factors that separate Johnson from the ghosts of drafts past.
First and foremost is the astonishing value of the pick itself. Johnson’s collegiate production was nothing short of phenomenal. During his senior year at Nebraska, he amassed a staggering 1,400 yards on the ground, approached 1,600 all-purpose yards, and found the end zone 12 times. To secure a player with that level of proven, top-tier production in the fifth round is practically unheard of. Entering the draft, the running back conversation was largely dominated by a two-horse race featuring Notre Dame standouts Jeremiah Love and Jadarian Price. But as the draft unfolded, the position experienced a severe and unexpected slide. After Price was taken 32nd overall, another running back did not come off the board until the middle of the third round. Players projected to be drafted in the second, third, or fourth rounds found themselves plummeting down the board. Kansas City capitalized on this anomaly, trading up to snatch a player with genuine second-to-third-round upside in the fifth round. This aggressive move confirms the front office saw immense, undeniable potential in Johnson.
Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, Emmit Johnson is stepping into an unprecedented situation for a Kansas City rookie: a highly stable, fully functioning running back room. Historically, Brett Veach’s fatal flaw when evaluating and drafting running backs has been the sheer weight of immediate expectations placed upon their shoulders. When Veach drafts a running back, they are usually expected to immediately fix the offense. The perfect and most tragic example of this is Clyde Edwards-Helaire. When Edwards-Helaire was drafted, he was brought in with incredibly specific, almost insurmountable expectations. He was meant to be the ultimate shifty, elusive, pass-catching weapon. The front office envisioned him working in perfect, seamless tandem with the prime versions of Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill during the legendary “Legion of Zoom” era. Edwards-Helaire was supposed to be the flawless complementary piece. Ultimately, those massive expectations went unmet, and Edwards-Helaire simply did not produce the franchise-altering results the team desperately needed.
Because past rookies were brought into empty rooms devoid of established talent, the pressure was suffocating. When the run game inevitably faltered under Clyde Edwards-Helaire in 2020, the team panicked. The lack of a ground attack forced the organization to invest external resources into signing an aging, late-career Le’Veon Bell—a player jokingly referred to as a “pitiful 79-year-old” by frustrated observers—just to find a spark. Bell arrived, won a ring as a minor contributor, and immediately left to win another with Tampa Bay the following year. It was a desperate band-aid solution to a fundamental roster-building failure.
Other Veach draft picks suffered similar fates due to roster chaos. Darwin Thompson barely received a fair chance to develop in 2019 before Edwards-Helaire was drafted to replace him the very next year. Rashad Smith, a seventh-round rookie who commendably stepped up and carved out a role for himself last season, may never see the field again now that the roster is crowded with Walker, Demercado, Johnson, and even Cyrus Allen handling punt returns. Even Isaiah Pacheco, the one rare exception who managed to secure a starting role for four years, felt somewhat capped in his potential. Because Pacheco lacked a complementary backfield partner, he was often forced into a redundant, bruising style—frequently compared to Kareem Hunt—where his role was simply to plunge forward for three yards and fall down. He never truly got to explore the dynamic limits of his talent because the team relied solely on him for everything.
This historical context is exactly why Emmit Johnson’s arrival is so incredibly exciting. For the very first time, a highly talented rookie running back is walking into an environment where the crucial archetypes are already filled. Kenneth Walker is the workhorse. Emari Demercado is the protector and third-down specialist. Because of this established hierarchy, Johnson is completely insulated from the crushing pressure that broke his predecessors. He is, essentially, a completely unmolded piece of clay. He has the ultimate luxury of time, space, and a supportive cast, allowing him to naturally grow into whatever role the team ultimately needs him to fill.
And what could that role look like? The possibilities are thrilling. Johnson possesses a tremendous burst on the ground and game-breaking speed. While scouting reports note a slight struggle in picking up immediate speed after making lateral cuts, that is a minor mechanical issue that can easily be ironed out with professional coaching over time. With his explosive traits, he could serve directly as a “Kenneth Walker Jr.,” subbing in to provide a terrifying change of pace when Walker needs to rest on the sideline.
Furthermore, Johnson’s incredible ability to generate yards after the catch presents a massive opportunity in the passing game. He could be utilized as a dynamic hybrid running and receiving threat, much like how the offense briefly experimented with Breeland Speaks late last season. While his hands might not be categorized as purely elite just yet, his YAC ability far exceeds that of Demercado. Once the ball is secured in his grasp, Johnson is a nightmare to bring down in open space. While Demercado’s veteran experience gives him the clear edge in the complex blocking schemes early in the season, it is entirely plausible that Johnson’s pure playmaking ability will eventually force the coaching staff to design specific screen packages entirely around his unique skill set.
This brings us to a fascinating, overarching question that has divided the fanbase for years: Is Brett Veach actually bad at drafting running backs?
The history certainly paints a complicated picture. You can point to the early draft capital spent on underperforming players, the empty backfield rooms, and the desperate veteran signings as clear evidence that Veach struggles to evaluate the position. On the other hand, you can argue that drafting any position in the modern NFL is a chaotic, unpredictable science where nobody truly knows exactly how a college athlete will translate to the professional level.
But perhaps the most accurate answer is the most liberating one: Yes, Brett Veach might historically struggle to draft running backs, but it ultimately does not matter. The reality is that Veach is so remarkably brilliant at evaluating, drafting, and developing virtually every other position on the football field that his blind spot in the backfield is easily forgiven. He has built a dynasty through masterstrokes in free agency, aggressive trades, and drafting foundational superstars.
Now, with the addition of Emmit Johnson, Veach may have finally stumbled upon the missing piece of the puzzle. Johnson is not just another unfortunate, below-average prospect tossed into a high-pressure situation. He is a prolific, explosive talent entering an incredibly stable, nurturing environment designed to maximize his strengths and hide his developmental flaws. If Johnson blossoms into the dynamic weapon his Nebraska tape suggests he can be, he will become the defining hidden gem of Veach’s career—and the Kansas City Chiefs’ offense will be more terrifying than ever before.
