After a lackluster performance from their running game this past season, the Kansas City Chiefs are determined to fix it this offseason. The first step for the Chiefs was parting ways with RBs coach Todd Pinkston after three seasons.
It took a few weeks for the Chiefs to find their new running backs coach, but they found him in DeMarco Murray. Murray, who played seven seasons in the NFL, has been coaching at the college ranks since 2019, serving as the RBs coach at his alma mater, the University of Oklahoma, since 2020.
It’s a bold move by Reid to bring on a guy who hasn’t coached at the NFL level. However, Murray played in the pros, had some success, and could help give Kansas City intel on the RBs in this year’s draft class.
Many fans expect the Chiefs to address the running back position in the draft, despite already having Brashard Smith, whom they selected in the seventh round last year. Jeremiyah Love is one of the top choices, especially with the Chiefs having the No. 9 overall pick.
However, if the Chiefs don’t go that route, they could target Oklahoma RB Jaydn Ott later in the draft, who Murray had the chance to work with this season.
Jaydn Ott Could Be on Chiefs' Radar with DeMarco Murray Hire
The 5-foot-10, 202-pound Ott surprisingly didn’t play much at Oklahoma this past season after playing well early in his collegiate career at the University of California.
At Cal, Ott ran for 897 yards and eight touchdowns as a freshman in 2022, and then ran for 1,315 yards and 12 TDs on the ground as a sophomore in 2023. However, Ott’s production dropped off in 2024 due to injuries, as he had 385 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
That said, the hope was that Ott would bounce back this season playing at Oklahoma for his final year of college football. However, that never happened as he had 68 rushing yards on 21 carries across seven games.
And this is where it ties back into Murray. What did he see in the young RB this season that kept him off the field?
When this hire was made, a couple of Chiefs fans on social media already ruled out Ott as an option due to his non-involvement within the Sooners’ offense and Murray. However, Ott put on a good show at the Panini Senior Bowl last month, racking up 42 yards and a touchdown on eight carries.
Ott also caught a nine-yard pass in the game and showed off his pass protection skills in various drills during the week down at Mobile, AL. If there are two things that head coach Andy Reid likes to see in his RBs, it's versatility and the ability to hold their own in pass protection.
Despite having a good Senior Bowl, it wasn’t good enough for Ott to earn an invite to the 2026 NFL scouting combine. Therefore, the next time teams will get a look at him is at pro day and individual team visits.
However, if you’re Reid and the Chiefs, you’ll be able to get an early in-depth scouting report on Ott from the coach who worked with him. That gives Kansas City an upper hand on other teams that may be intrigued by Ott’s showing in the Senior Bowl.
Needless to say, it will be an interesting next couple of months for the Chiefs, as they’ll need to fix their running game in free agency and the draft by any means necessary. Murray will play a significant role in shaping this backfield in 2026, for better or worse.