Kansas City Chiefs: Grading each selection in the 2019 NFL Draft
By Cullen Jekel
Round 6, Pick 214: Darwin Thompson, Running Back, Utah State
Thirteen picks after selecting Fenton, the Chiefs added depth to its stable of running backs by selecting Darwin Thompson, who last year rushed for over 1,000 yards in his sole season in the Mountain West. The 5’8″ running back also caught 23 passes for 351 yards. In total, he scored 16 touchdowns for the Aggies as they went 11-2.
Thompson joins starting running back Damien Williams in Kansas City along with some guys looking just to make the roster, such as Darrel Williams and Carlos Hyde. After the draft, the Chiefs signed undrafted free agent James Williams out of Washington State (who also scored 16 total touchdowns in 2018) to add even more competition to the position.
Unlike Kareem Hunt, whom the Chiefs took in the third-round in 2017 out of Kent State and who quickly blossomed into a (hugely flawed) star, Thompson might have trouble making the 2019 roster. From The Draft Network:
"Too often he gets caught up in traffic that he can’t beat, and he’ll struggle to turn garbage into gold by hitting home runs like he did with the Aggies. He projects best as a fringe 53-man player out of camp, who will fight to make a roster with special teams contributions."