Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid backed starting running back Isiah Pacheco publicly at the NFL owner’s meeting last week, but KC’s true confidence level in the former seventh rounder will likely reveal itself in the draft.

The 2025 class is very strong at running back. So, it’ll be interesting to see if the Chiefs spend draft capital on a new one, and in which round.

For example, Pro Football Network analyst Reese Decker predicted that Kansas City would use their second-round pick on Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson during a seven-round mock draft on April 5.

And if the Chiefs invest that high a pick into a new ball carrier, it could spell bad news for Pacheco with free agency looming in 2026.

Potential Chiefs NFL Draft Target Kaleb Johnson Scouted as ‘Viable NFL Starter From the Jump’

A Johnson selection wouldn’t necessarily be worst-case scenario for Pacheco, but it wouldn’t be good either.

NFL Network scouting expert Daniel Jeremiah has the Iowa RB ranked 45th overall for the draft class. As well as fifth for all 2025 running back prospects, highlighting his “excellent burst and vision.”

Similarly, ESPN NFL insider and scouting expert Field Yates also placed Johnson fifth within the RB class but left him outside of the top 50 overall.

During an October scouting report, The 33rd Team’s lead draft analyst Kyle Crabbs explained what stands out about the former Hawkeye.

“Johnson is a savvy zone runner with the instincts and vision of an impactful NFL starter at the next level,” Crabbs wrote. Noting that the 6-foot-1 runner is “smooth for a back of bigger stature and illustrates the necessary slipperiness off of contact to add extra value to his touches outside of what is blocked.”

“The decisiveness in his cuts should allow him to minimize negative runs and help with the precision of bursting through lanes at the point of attack and bounding into space,” he went on. “Johnson’s passing down profile should sufficiently meet all needs for developing into a primary ball carrier at the NFL level as well, making him an attractive option on Day 2 as a potential early starter with room to grow.”

Later, Crabbs concluded that Johnson “should be considered a viable NFL starter from the jump and have the ability to be a three-down workhorse in the right opportunity.”

Isiah Pacheco & Entire Chiefs RB Room Struggled to Elevate Offense in 2024

There’s a reason the Chiefs may look to upgrade on Pacheco and the rest of their running back room in the NFL draft. They did nothing to elevate the offense in 2024.

Pro Football Focus has a stat called “elusive rating” which measures “success and impact of a runner with the ball independently of the blocking.”

Looking at KC ball carriers only last season, below were each of their elusive ratings:

• Samaje Perine (off roster): 49.5.
• Carson Steele: 46.3.
• Kareem Hunt: 40.1.
• Pacheco: 26.6.

And for reference, the Chiefs’ most elusive 2024 runner according to PFF would have ranked 38th in the NFL among RBs with a minimum 20% snap share. In other words, none of these ratings are very impactful.

Checking in on another notable running back statistic, “yards after contact per attempt,” Hunt was the highest with a 2.61-yard average. Again, comparing this level of production to the rest of the league, Hunt ranked 42nd.

Pacheco was 50th with just 2.27 yards after contact per carry on average.

Plain and simple, the Chiefs need more from their running back room in 2025. And they could certainly target a player like Johnson in the draft in order to unlock this Kansas City offense.

Michael Obermuller covers the NFL for Heavy.com, where he began writing in 2021. His areas of focus specialize on the Kansas City Chiefs, New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers, with expert knowledge on each based on years of coverage. An NYC area native and Quinnipiac graduate, his previous bylines include Heavy on Jets, FanDuel’s The Duel, King Fantasy Sports and Pro Football Mania. More about Michael Obermuller