Isiah Pacheco would be the first to admit that he did not have the season that he was hoping for last season. The Chiefs top running back was a former seventh-round pick out of Rutgers who made his impact felt early in his career, posting 1,000 yards of total offense in both of his first two seasons with the team. Last year, Pacheco faced a setback with a fractured fibula that kept him out much of the year and only allowed him to play in 10 total games (including playoffs).
Now many Chiefs fans are calling for the Chiefs to select a running back early in the draft and move on from Pacheco after the 2025 season. In a stacked running back class with several high-quality talents from top to bottom, it is understandable why fans are so giddy about adding a running back in the draft this year. But I think many fans forget the Isiah Pacheco we saw in 2022 and 2023, who was one of the most dynamic playmakers on the Kansas City offense.
The injury for Pacheco was a huge step back, and when he returned to play, he never really felt like he was the same guy that he was in years prior. Pacheco often relies on his elite athletic ability to make impact plays, and his injury clearly set him back.
At the 2022 NFL draft combine, Pacheco showed this off with a sub 4.4 40-yard dash and 27 reps on the bench press, finishing in the top 3% of all running backs ever drafted. He finished with an RAS (relative athletic score) of 8.85, which puts him around the 12th percentile of all running backs from 1987-2022.
On the field, Pacheco brings elite athleticism. That makes him a threat to make a big play at any time, and he has the strength and feel for the game to be consistent. Off the field, there is an unmatched energy that Isiah Pacheco brings to the team that is widely felt by everyone on the sideline, in the locker room, and even in the crowd.
Due to the injury, it was clear that Pacheco lost some confidence and never really seemed to trust himself again. For a player who relies on fire, energy and athleticism, losing confidence can really hurt. It always felt like he rushed back from his injury and it felt very evident that the lingering thought of his leg hindered his play. Now Pacheco has an entire offseason to build his strength and confidence in himself and I would expect him to return better than ever.
My proposal for this offseason is that the Chiefs add a running back in the third or fourth round, not to replace Pacheco, but to complement him. Pacheco's biggest struggle is in the passing game, especially as a blocker, and I would love for Kansas City to spend one of their mid-round picks on a back who can be more effective in the passing game. This allows Pacheco to do what he does best while providing some help and taking some of the weight off his shoulders.