The Kansas City Chiefs found success late in the draft before, with seventh-round running back Isiah Pacheco a prime example. With training camp less than one month away, Chiefs rookie Brashard Smith could follow suit. The Chiefs selected Smith in the seventh round, too.
ESPN’s Adam Teicher picked Smith as the “under-the-radar” player who could make a “significant impact.”
Chiefs RB Brashard Smith Expected to Make ‘Serious Impact’
Chiefs Must Use Brashard Smith Wisely
“Judging from how he was utilized in offseason practices, the Chiefs have plans for Smith, a seventh-round draft pick out of SMU,” Teicher wrote on June 30. “Smith was a wide receiver in college before moving to running back for his final season, and the Chiefs showcased his versatility by getting him the ball out of the backfield, from the slot and split out wide. Smith ran a 4.39 40 at the combine, so he will fit in with a group of other fast skill players.”
The rookie tallied 1,335 yards and 14 touchdowns on 235 carries in 2024, adding another 327 yards nd 4 TDs on 39 receptions. His pre-draft profile highlighted his size, but also his dynamic ability as a dual-threat.
Smith checked in at 5-foot-10 and 194 pounds at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine. As such, he could be best utilized in a complementary role to begin his career.
“Displays some hesitation in his early reads but is slippery over the first two levels, using quick cuts and spin moves to elude tacklers. He has a feel for finding soft spots along the interior but has average speed to turn the corner on wide runs,” Zierlein wrote. “He could get pushed up a full round thanks to his ball skills and ability to run routes in space. Smith shined as a kick returner at Miami and will likely get that chance in the pros as a third-down back with room for development.”
Fortunately, the Chiefs have the RB room to do just that.
Chiefs Should Lean on RB Room
Smith joins Pacheco, as well as fellow incumbent Kareem Hunt and former San Francisco 49ers tailback Elijah Mitchell. Reserve runners Keaontay Ingram and the versatile Carson Steele are also on hand as needed.
The Chiefs ranked 16th in rushing attempts and 22nd in rushing yards last season. Having Patrick Mahomes under center means the team will lean on the pass more often than not.
Still, it will be vital for the Chiefs to take more and more pressure off the QB as he ages.
Mahomes, the No. 10 overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft, turns 30 in September. He has been durable, missing just two games in the past four seasons combined. Both of those were season finales (2023 and 2024).
However, the Chiefs have experienced what life is like without Mahomes. Moreover, there remain questions about the offense if 15 is not the one receiving the snap for an extended period.
Bailey Zappe, Chris Oladokun, and Gardner Minshew are the Chiefs’ other QBs.
Minshew and Zappe both have starting experience, and Oladokun has been in the system since 2022. None of them come close to replicating what Mahomes can do when the Chiefs’ offense is working at its best.
