Four running backs Kansas City Chiefs must stop in 2019

Week 14 – Sony Michel

Typically, unless a running back is viewed as a generational talent, they won’t be selected in the first round of the draft.

Running backs like the Cowboys’ Ezekiel Elliott and the Giants’ Saquon Barkley are proving (so far) that a generational back is worth a first round pick (even a top-five pick). But there are also examples like the Jaguars’ Leonard Fournette, who so far hasn’t fully lived up to being such a high draft choice.

For a team with lots of needs like the Raiders and armed with multiple first-round picks, it’s not crazy to select a running back early on. For a highly successful team like the New England Patriots, taking a running back in the first round seems to tell a different story. It appears odd because the Patriots can typically take a less talented running back and make them look better than they really are.

In selecting Georgia’s Sony Michel with the 31st overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, the Patriots knew what kind of player they were getting. After posting six touchdowns and over 900 yards rushing in only 13 games, Michel is a back that the league has to take seriously. With a year of professional football under his belt, he’ll look to improve upon a successful rookie campaign.

While the Patriots often employee a running back-by-committee style, Michel emerged last year as their number one guy. Between the 2018 regular season game and the AFC Championship game, Michel ran for 219 yards and four touchdowns against Kansas City.

If the KC Chiefs can’t figure out how to stop Michel in week 14, they may not be able to shut him down again come January, which is likely something they’ll have to do if they want to advance.