KC Chiefs: Why drafting running back early could make sense

There has been a lot of speculation in regards to the KC Chiefs targeting a running back with their top pick. Who might they target and does it make sense?

As Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs continue to win football games by throwing the ball, pundits and rumors continue to peg the Chiefs with running backs as potential draft targets.

Does it make sense for the Chiefs to target a running back with the 32nd pick? Why might they do it, and who might they target?

First off, no, there is not really any value in drafting a running back.

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While I don’t subscribe to the ‘dime a dozen’ attitude or ‘can get production’ anywhere montra, there are aspects of truth that carry to both. In a league, and especially this team that makes their money throwing the ball through the air, running the ball simply is a play that takes the ball out of the hands of Patrick Mahomes.

Why might the Chiefs do it if it doesn’t make sense then? Well, a running back – especially at the top of the draft – is an immediate contributing player, often ready to contribute heavily right away. While long-term value of a running back is minimal, they often are able to step in and add explosiveness right away.

Also, a running back – especially one that would be required to play for the Chiefs and Andy Reid – is one that can not only run the ball, but run pass routes and catch the ball out of the backfield, some times lined up in the slot. For the Chiefs, a running back is really a wide receiver capable of finding running lanes with the ball.

The two names often linked to the Chiefs are Georgia’s D’Andre Swift and LSU’s Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Both can catch the ball like a receiver and obviously are dangerous with the football in their hands as runners. Swift is a big more explosive while Edwards-Helaire is a bit more refined as a runner.

While there certainly is a lot of talk and chatter of the Chiefs attached to a running back, it’s difficult to imagine the organization coming off a Super Bowl targeting a running back in the early rounds of the draft based on both their depth chart and the importance they place on just about every other position on the field.

It’s fun to analyze and look at names, especially as the clock ticks down on the draft. Rumors and talks of who it might be, will they even take a player in the first round considering where they are slated to pick. They may very well select a running back, but I don’t foresee it happening at 32.

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