Chiefs will use something in the playoffs we didn't expect before the season started
The Kansas City Chiefs truly struck gold this last draft. I mean, they did the one before that with Trey Smith and even the one before that with L'Jarius Sneed. But this one was different. The Chiefs had six rookies play quality snaps the whole season, with Skyy Moore playing key snaps here and there, […]
The Kansas City Chiefs truly struck gold this last draft. I mean, they did the one before that with Trey Smith and even the one before that with L'Jarius Sneed. But this one was different.
The Chiefs had six rookies play quality snaps the whole season, with Skyy Moore playing key snaps here and there, still trying to find his way in the offense. You see that a ton in the league, yeah, but not usually from teams that are competing for the Super Bowl.
Their biggest find in the draft was arguably Isiah Pacheco, the new starting running back that was taken in the seventh round of the draft out of Rutgers.
Pacheco stepped in when the Chiefs' former first-round pick Clyde Edwards-Helaire got hurt, and he may have taken his job. Pacheco allowed an offense to have some sort of balance between the passing game and running the ball.
"I'm willing to take another grown man's job," Pacheco said when he found out he was drafted.
That's exactly what he did, too.
If there was a Rookie of the Year Award the Chiefs gave out, there would be no doubt in my mind about who it would go to.
"I have never seen such a large group of fifth, sixth, seventh-round running backs… I told the guys. My prediction is there will be a 1,000-yard rusher that is an undrafted free agent or a seventh-round pick."
That was Brett Veach before the draft, and boy, was he very close to being right. Pacheco finished with 830 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns. He was also able to catch the ball a bit as he finished with 13 catches for 130 receiving yards.
Pacheco was by far the biggest surprise of this season, and frankly, I don't think it's close.
The Chiefs are becoming one of the better teams at finding raw talent and then developing those guys. Pacheco will be huge for the Chiefs in the playoffs.
Featured Image Via Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
