3 Surprise Rookies Who Could Make Chiefs 53-Man Roster

2. Emani Bailey, RB

There's no disputing the top of the Chiefs' running back depth chart at the moment. Isiah Pacheco is set to lead the backfield once again while Clyde Edwards-Helaire was brought back to serve as his No. 2. Having said that, the order after the duo is up for debate, opening the door for Emani Bailey to make the 53-man squad.

Bailey, 22, joined the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in April. After a pair of uneventful years at Louisiana, the promising rusher upped his game by transferring to TCU. He was a joy to watch with the Horned Frogs in 2023, turning 223 carries into 1,209 rushing yards, 25 receptions into 184 yards, and scoring a total of nine touchdowns.

Bailey's path to making the roster won't be easy, but it's doable based on his competition. Second-year RB Deneric Prince didn't see a ton of playing time as a rookie while veteran rusher Keaontay Ingram only averaged 2.2 yards on 62 carries across two seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. Fellow rookie RB Louis Rees-Zammit is more suited for special teams while Carson Steele is also unproven.

In other words, Bailey has a tremendous opportunity to emerge as the RB3 as long as he capitalizes on every change given to him. If he successfully does so, the Chiefs will be better because of it.