For years, the Kansas City Chiefs’ offense has been a juggernaut, but one key piece has remained elusive: an actual number one running back. While Patrick Mahomes can seemingly do it all, the team has yet to find a reliable ground threat that head coach Andy Reid can consistently count on.
With the current options not providing a definitive answer, the organization might finally be looking to the NFL Draft for a long-term solution.
Why Do the Kansas City Chiefs Need a New Running Back?
While the Chiefs’ running game is not the worst in the league, it is far from elite. The team currently falls in the middle of the pack, recording 1,091 rushing yards and 4.4 rushing yards per carry. The real problem, however, is the lack of explosive plays. Heading into Week 11, Kansas City has only managed three runs of 20 or more yards and has zero runs of 40-plus yards, per the NFL.
Because the offense is missing a home run hitter in the backfield, Jacob Infante of Pro Football Network projects the Chiefs will use their second-round pick on a running back. More specifically, he points to Michigan’s Justice Haynes.
“A rotational back at Alabama before transferring to Michigan this year, Justice Haynes has come into his own as one of the best running backs in college football,” Infante wrote in his November mock draft. “He’s a patient back who runs tough and can evade tacklers with both his contact balance and his agility in the open field.”
Could Justice Haynes Be the Answer for the Chiefs?
In his first year at Michigan, Haynes has had a breakout season, showing he is capable of being a number-one option on the ground. He has recorded 857 rushing yards and an impressive 7.1 rushing yards per attempt, while also registering 10 touchdowns for the Wolverines, per Sports Reference.
Since Haynes is a junior, the main question for NFL teams will be whether he has an upward trajectory, particularly given his limited experience at Michigan, with only one season of high-volume work. If he decides to enter the NFL Draft, scouts will have to weigh that limited sample size. Overall, in his college career between his time at Michigan and Alabama, Haynes has recorded 1,473 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns.
Still, if the Michigan star can come anywhere close to replicating his 7.1 yards per attempt at the NFL level, he would immediately become the home run hitter that the Chiefs have been missing for years. The Chiefs currently rank 9th on the PFSN’s Defense Impact (DEFi).
This season, Kansas City has counted on Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt to lead the ground game. The problem is that Pacheco has dealt with injuries, and Hunt has not been able to run away with the starting role. This situation makes it increasingly likely the Chiefs will look to the draft to find a running back who can finally be their long-term number one guy.
