The Kansas City Chiefs have had several personnel issues this season and there are two possible solutions to the biggest problem, which has been a consistent running game.
Running backs Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt haven’t been as explosive as they once were during the peak of Kansas City’s dominance; the team’s most explosive runner this season was quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who set a career-high in rushing yards prior to his season-ending left ACL and PCL tears.
The first clear solution to the running game and offense’s woes was trading for star dual-threat running back Breece Hall from the New York Jets for a third-round pick. The impending free agent would have made a huge impact for a team that needed a spark, but general manager Bill Veach would only make the deal for a fourth-round pick.
Hall remained a Jet and the Chiefs fell out of playoff contention shortly after. Hall became the first Jets running back to record 1,000 rushing yards since 2015 and would have provided a huge boost for a team that was hanging on by a thread.
Perhaps the Chiefs were worried that Hall may leave in the offseason and that the third-rounder would be wasted. If Kansas City is interested, they can sign him in free agency.
The other clear solution is to draft standout running back Jeremiyah Love from the University of Notre Dame.
Love has been incredible as a junior, posting 1,372 rushing yards and 280 receiving yards to go along with 21 touchdowns. ESPN’s Matt Miller ranked Love as the only clear first-round running back.
“My top overall prospect, Love has three-down ability and quickness in space,” Miller wrote Saturday. “The 6-foot, 214-pound Love has runaway speed that led to multiple rushes of more than 90 yards in his college career. He glided to 1,372 yards this season with an average of 6.9 yards per carry and 18 touchdowns.
“With elite speed and vision, plus a build that can handle consistent carries, he's the ideal NFL running back prospect. Love is on par with recent prospects such as Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs in terms of talent and upside.”
Drawing comparisons to the top two young running backs in the league is certainly high praise, and when you see how shifty Love is, the comparisons make a lot of sense.
The Chiefs are projected to select Love with the ninth-overall pick, according to CBS Sports’ Ryan Wilson.