The Kansas City Chiefs may have felt comfortable with their running back corps entering the season. Otherwise, they wouldn't have waited until the seventh round to add Brashard Smith, who's looking more like a depth piece than a featured player at this point.
That's why Chiefs fans might be punching air right now. They've watched Devin Neal, a hometown favorite from the University of Kansas, thrive with the New Orleans Saints, all while the Chiefs can't get much going on the ground.
The Chiefs Should Regret Passing on Devin Neal
Neal starred for the Jawyhawks and was born and raised in Kansas, so he had plenty of supporters among the fan base. The Saints took him in the sixth round of the draft, and while he had to wait until the first two guys in the pecking order suffered injuries to finally get a chance, he's made the most of his opportunities.
He had the best game of his young career by logging 70 rushing yards and one score on 19 carries in the upset win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He also had a 14-yard reception, taking his season tally to 16 receptions on 18 targets for 100 receiving yards this season.
Brashard Smith, a former wide receiver, is supposed to be the Chiefs' passing-down specialist, but he's up to just 19 receptions on 26 targets for 161 yards, and that's despite getting many more touches than Neal. Also, Neal's catch rate (88.9 percent) is actually better than Smith's (73.1 percent).
The Chiefs used their Day 3 picks to get WR Jalen Royals and LB Jeffrey Bassa in the fifth and sixth rounds, respectively. However, both of them have barely taken the field on offense and defense, with the pair spending most of their time on special teams.
As for Smith, he has looked like a promising player, but Andy Reid clearly doesn't trust him with a bigger role. Not even losing Isaiah Pacheco with an injury was enough for him to get more touches, with the team even going as far as to sign Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Again, another area where Neal could have contributed to Kansas City.
Now, at 6-7 and with Patrick Mahomes having to do most of the heavy lifting, the Chiefs' decision not to go after Neal or any other big-name running back has clearly come back to haunt them. They average just 118.3 rushing yards per game, which ranks 17th in the league, and it's become painfully evident that it's not going to be enough to get back to the mountaintop.