The Kansas City Chiefs objective to improve their rushing attack continued during the NFL Draft as the Chiefs took Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson in the fifth round (161st overall) on Saturday afternoon. Johnson should be a strong complement to free-agent pickup Kenneth Walker III after running for 1,451 yards and 12 touchdowns in his final season with the Cornhuskers and is the latest addition to a revamped ground game for next season.
With Walker and fellow free-agent pickup Emari Demercado also in the room, there’s a talented stable for the Chiefs to give the ball to. But there may not be enough mouths to feed in the case of Brashard Smith.
A seventh-round pick by the Chiefs in last year’s draft, Smith had an underwhelming rookie season. With Johnson’s arrival, it could be enough for Kansas City to throw in the towel on the Smith experiment and give him a lot to worry about from the moment he arrives at the facility.
Brashard Smith on Borrowed Time After Chiefs Add Emmett Johnson in NFL Draft
Calling Smith a veteran may be a bit of a stretch considering he’s entering his second year. But he may as well be counting in “dog years” with the way the NFL views running backs. Smith’s performance didn’t do much to inspire confidence in the Chiefs front office as he ran the ball 44 times for 151 scoreless yards and while he caught 25 passes for 172 yards and a touchdown, he never could get consistent playing time even when starter Isiah Pacheco went down with a knee injury.
Smith’s outlook temporarily got brighter as Pacheco’s days in Kansas City came to a close and Kareem Hunt still sits around in free agency. You could also talk yourself into Smith taking a big leap in Year 2 as he spent the first three years of his college career as a receiver at Miami before making the switch after transferring to SMU.
But it’s clear that the front office didn’t share that optimism. Walker was given a three-year, $43.05 million contract in free agency and sounds like a focal point of the Chiefs’ offense as Patrick Mahomes recovers from a torn ACL. Demercado is a low-risk addition in free agency and likely Smith’s main competition for a roster spot, but also has a track record of success in the NFL that Smith has yet to produce.
Then there’s Johnson, who will likely slot behind Walker. At 5-foot-10 and 202 pounds, Johnson didn’t show breakaway speed with a 4.56-second time in the 40 yard dash. But The Athletic's Dane Brugler noted that he makes up for that by using his agility to create explosive plays.
"With his agile cutting skills, Johnson is explosive laterally and has sharp footwork and shifty boddy movements to give defenders the slip," Brugler wrote in his scouting guide, The Beast. "Johnson is quick and balanced between the tackles to stack cuts, and his pass-catching savvy will be an asset at the next level, ideally for a zone scheme. He is an intriguing change-of-pace back who will bring versatility to an NFL backfield."
Perhaps Smith received the message from former offensive coordinator Matt Nagy that this would be a big offseason and has used it to fuel a second-year leap. But even if that happens, he’ll have to show special teams value to solidify his case to make it as the RB3.
In the end, the Johnson pick is bad news for Smith’s odds on a long career with the Chiefs and it could have his potential pushed to the side as Kansas City looks to punish opponents on the ground next season.
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