Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The Chiefs invested heavily in free agency on Kenneth Walker III at running back, but also signed Emari Demercado.
- Kansas City then drafted Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson in the fifth round.
- Johnson may not be able to take Walker's job, but he could have a bigger role on the Chiefs than expected.
The Kansas City Chiefs know they have to run the football more effectively this year to take pressure off Patrick Mahomes. That's a big reason why they spent big money on Kenneth Walker in free agency. The front office doubled down on their investment at running back by spending a fifth-round pick on former Nebraska star Emmett Johnson in April's draft.
GM Brett Veach landed Walker with a three-year, $43 million deal in free agency. That's the price of doing business with a running back coming off a Super Bowl MVP award. He'll clearly get every chance to be the team's No. 1 option in the backfield this season. That does not mean Johnson won't get a chance to steal his job if he shines during the preseason — or that he won't replace another free-agent newcomer, Emari Demercado, on the depth chart.
Kenneth Walker III won't be unseated by Emmett Johnson
The appeal of Walker to the Chiefs is that he can produce big plays from the backfield. That's an element Kansas City's offense sorely lacked in 2025. Walker got paid on the open market due to his ability to turn ordinary carries into long gains.
Walker does have a concerning weakness that Chiefs fans should be aware of. He is not what any scout would classify as an efficient runner. His rushing success percentage of just 43.9% last year illustrates what a feast-or-famine runner he can be.
Johnson does not possess the big-play ability that makes Walker special, but he does project to be an efficient rusher at the pro level. The former Cornhusker standout is a classic one-cut rusher who plunges into the line of scrimmage and scrounges out whatever yards he can earn before the defense has a chance to react.
Johnson's fit with the Chiefs can be complementary to Walker
That kind of style makes him a very different player than Walker. It's conceivable that his style could be a better fit for the way Andy Reid likes to employ his backs. The former offensive lineman appreciates big plays, but he also appreciates keeping his offense on time. That opens up the playbook for Reid as games and drives progress.
Kansas City's offensive line, while a talented group on the whole, may not be ideally suited to hold blocks in the way Walker needs to create explosive plays. Johnson is a simpler player to block for because he does not need as much space to create a positive rush. To put it simply, Walker has the higher ceiling, but Johnson could emerge as the back with the higher floor during his rookie season. And that could very well make him more preferable to receive touches over someone like Demercado.
The odds are stacked against Johnson emerging as RB1 for the Chiefs as a rookie. He can, however, carve out a meaningful role during his first season in the NFL. His campaign should be judged as a success if he finds a way to soak up 100 carries with a minumum rushing average of four yards per carry. That kind of rookie season could position Johnson to unseat Walker as the team's starter in 2027 and beyond.
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