Kansas City Chiefs to host explosive Marshall RB Rasheen Ali on top-30 visit ahead of 2024 NFL draft

The Kansas City Chiefs' 2024 NFL offseason continues with more prospects being brought in for pre-draft top-30 visits. According to The Athletic's Dane Brugler, the Chiefs are among several teams to have a top-30 visit scheduled with Marshall RB Rasheen Ali. A former two-star recruit out of Ohio, Ali spent four seasons with the Thundering Herd […]

Charles Goldman — NFL Managing Editor

Mar 27, 2024 12:00 PM EDT

Sep 23, 2021; Boone, North Carolina, USA; Marshall Thundering Herd running back Rasheen Ali (22) runs back a kickoff for a touchdown during the second quarter against the Appalachian State Mountaineers at Kidd Brewer Stadium. — Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs' 2024 NFL offseason continues with more prospects being brought in for pre-draft top-30 visits.

According to The Athletic's Dane Brugler, the Chiefs are among several teams to have a top-30 visit scheduled with Marshall RB Rasheen Ali. A former two-star recruit out of Ohio, Ali spent four seasons with the Thundering Herd and became a major piece of their offensive success. He broke out as a rusher in 2021, producing a top-10 season nationally among RBs.

A RB prospect not getting enough buzz is Rasheen Ali from Marshall. Bicep injury in January so no testing at Combine or pro day (expected to be cleared in July).

Ali has team "30 visits" set up with the Chiefs, Cowboys, Falcons, Ravens and Titans. pic.twitter.com/zfS2lMOGEI
— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) March 26, 2024

What is a top-30 visit?

Don't confuse the top-30 visit moniker with an indication of where a player will be drafted. NFL clubs are allotted 30 pre-draft visits with prospects in upcoming draft classes where they can bring those prospects to team facilities. The players won't undergo any athletic testing or anything like that, but they'll have a chance to meet with team staff, tour facilities, and so on. Teams use visits in a variety of different ways. If a player has a medical history, teams typically will bring those players in to do further examination on those injuries. The same thing goes for off-field issues or character concerns. It's really just another step in the pre-draft information-gathering process.

The Chiefs often use their visits in several different ways, but it almost always denotes some level of interest by the team. Sometimes they'll bring in players who are expected to be undrafted free agents to impress upon them that Kansas City is the place to be. They also bring in players who are expected to be drafted, even some within the top 100 picks. Just last season Kansas City hosted a pair of their draft picks (Rashee Rice & BJ Thompson) on top-30 visits.

How does Marshall RB Rasheen Ali fit with the Chiefs?

The Chiefs are looking to reinforce their depth in the backfield behind now two-time Super Bowl champion RB Isiah Pacheco.

Ali was hyper-productive for the Marshall Thundering Herd in the 2021 and 2023 college football seasons. He recorded over 200 carries and over 1,100 rushing yards each year, with 23 and 15 touchdowns, respectively. That doesn't even include his tremendous production as a pass-catcher, with 75 catches for 557 and three touchdowns during his four-year career at Marshall.

Marshall RB Rasheen Ali, who impressed early in Senior Bowl practices, suffered a ruptured biceps tendon that will require surgery, per sources.

Ali faces a four- to six-month recovery. He should be ready for the 2024 season. pic.twitter.com/KIJ7M3BcyF
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) February 1, 2024

The 23-year-old suffered a biceps injury during the practice week at the Senior Bowl this year, but he is expected to be healthy for the season. He was unable to go through athletic testing at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine or the Marshall Pro Day as a result, but he was expected to test in some elite ranges. He recorded a 36-inch vertical jump and a 10-foot broad jump this past offseason, and he's believed to run a mid-4.4 40-yard dash.

"When watching how he moves, I really like that Aaron Jones comparison," A to Z Sports' Destin Adams said following the Senior Bowl. "A nice balance of strength and speed with really solid field vision when he reached the second level. Him getting injured was truly heartbreaking because it appeared he was on pace to have the best week of any RB I'm Mobile."

Ali told Adams that he models his game after Aaron Jones and Saquon Barkley, but I see a lot of Bilal Powell in his game. He runs bigger than his actual size with physicality and contact balance. He only needs a few blades of grass to accelerate and break away from defenders for a touchdown run. It feels like he'll be able to do a bit of everything at the pro level.

I imagine a big part of the Chiefs' visit is to go over Ali's medicals, not just for the biceps injury, but for the undisclosed injury he suffered in preseason camp of 2022. That injury caused him to miss the majority of the 2022 college football season and take a medical redshirt.