The Kansas City Chiefs' run game wasn't particularly good last season, yes, it did enough, but just 101.2 yards per game had them ranked 26th in the league.
But Isiah Pacheco was injured for half the season, Kareem Hunt was signed off the couch a couple of weeks into the year due to Pacheco being injured, and there wasn't an explosive element to the rushing attack at all.
But now, with Elijah Mitchell and Brashard Smith, the Chiefs' run game is expected to pick up production. However, former NFL running back Maurice Jones-Drew isn't sold.
When ranking all 32 running backs in football, Jones-Drew, for teams that would employ a committee approach like the Chiefs, selects the player he thinks will produce the most.
And Pacheco landed at No. 25.
"Pacheco missed 10 games last season due to injuries and wasn't all that efficient when he was on the field," Jones-Drew wrote. "This offseason, he's added weight in an effort to get back to where he was when he came into the league, which should help him increase his yards per carry. The reason why he sits at this spot is because Kansas City's receiving corps returns healthy, setting up Patrick Mahomes and the passing attack to feast downfield."
Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco
Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco (10).
Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
Does 25 feel low? We think so, but we get it: Isiah wasn't the player we saw in his first two years in the league, and when he did return from his leg break, Hunt was the starter.
So that tells you something right there.
But now, with a full preseason of work (we hope), Pacheco should consolidate his status as RB1 for Andy Reid and Co., while Mitchell and Hunt will be the change-ups.
Exactly what to expect from the rushing attack is unknown, given the health status of Patrick Mahomes' receivers, but with Pacheco fully healthy, maybe, just maybe, the Chiefs will have a solid run game in 2025.