Chiefs have rare shot at RB they loved in draft but left on the board

Martinez was a prospect that the Chiefs had in for a top-30 visit back in April. Coming out of Miami, he was a back who brought a diverse skill set that could profile as a true three-down back for the Chiefs.

Martinez brings a rare blend of size and agility to the backfield. For a runner with his frame, his footwork is surprisingly light, allowing him to reach top speed quickly. Once he finds daylight, he wastes little motion and drives downhill with purpose.

Martinez is also capable of lowering his pads to punish defenders while maintaining momentum, and his sheer power makes him difficult to bring down with arm tackles. Near the line of scrimmage, he demonstrates excellent feel for the game, showing vision, patience, and controlled pace to set up his runs.

For the Chiefs’ current roster, this brings in much higher upside than they had with Elijah Mitchell or Carson Steele. It would be almost like adding an extra draft pick to their class. Martinez was drafted in the seventh round by the Seahawks, so the salary would be very palatable as well.

Martinez wasn’t able to make the roster in a crowded backfield of two former second-round picks (Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet). He rushed for 84 yards and 1 touchdown this preseason. While Martinez might not be as enticing as some of the names Chiefs fans have asked for (e.g. Breece Hall, Brian Robinson, or Travis Etienne), the cost makes sense, and his youth and years of control also do, too.

In 2026, Brashard Smith is the only running back under contract for the Chiefs. Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt will both be set to hit free agency. If Martinez can reach the Chiefs all the way at the back end of waivers, it could give the team a nice young core of running backs to build around going forward.