Kansas City Chiefs no longer need to draft running back in 2019 NFL Draft
The Kansas City Chiefs were probably going to select a running back in the 2019 NFL Draft in April. After signing Carlos Hyde to a one-year deal, that likely isn’t the case anymore.
There’s no reason Kansas City Chiefs fans should be against the Carlos Hyde signing. For one, he had over 900 yards rushing in both 2016 and 2017, finding the end zone six and eight times respectively. Sure, last year wasn’t kind to the former second round pick (though he still had five touchdowns in Cleveland before being traded), but for the most part, Hyde has been a nice running back option.
Hyde has the ability to come in and be a solid number two option behind Damien Williams. Williams started the 2018 season as the third string guy, but unfortunate circumstances propelled him into the starting role, where he fared just fine. He was rewarded with a two-year extension as a result.
Hyde didn’t amount to much in Cleveland or in Jacksonville, but he was expected to carry the load (or at least a lot of the load) for both of those teams. That didn’t happen and now he’s onto his third team in the last year, where he won’t be asked to do as much.
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Another reason why this is a good signing is because this opens things up for the Chiefs when it comes to the draft. They now won’t have to spend a pick on a running back because they’re more than covered at the position.
Right now, it’d be Damien Williams as the starter, Hyde as the backup, and Darryl Williams riding along as the third stringer. That’s a solid group right there and a unit that fans should feel confident in moving forward.
The Chiefs can now shift their attention to fixing the defense come draft weekend. Yes, they need to address some things on offense, like a tight end and maybe a receiver and/or offensive lineman, but running back is no longer an area that they will need to focus on.
Taking a running back in the draft was a questionable decision anyway, as there have been plenty of good options who went either late in the draft or went undrafted all together. There’s talent at the position coming out of college, but when it comes down to it, running back isn’t as important as it used to be and that’s why it’s always risky taking one any earlier than Day 3 of the draft.
Mock Draft: Chiefs Address Secondary with First Two Picks. dark. Next
Carlos Hyde is a great option to have in KC. He’s not THE guy, so that’s pressure taken off his shoulders (or legs, rather) and it eliminates the chance that the organization selects a running back in the 2019 NFL Draft. It’s a good move all around.