What Will Brashard Smith’s Role in the Chiefs’ Offense Be?

The Kansas City Chiefs ended their most recent draft by trading up and selecting running back Brashard Smith from Southern Methodist University. The Chiefs have a plethora of running backs already on their roster, so why draft another?

For starters, taking someone with Smith's skill set in the seventh round is a steal, as he is quick and explosive. Even if he does have a lot of players ahead of him on the depth chart, he can still carve out a role for himself in their offense based on his shiftiness alone.

He certainly is buried in the Chiefs' depth chart, currently projected to be their fourth-string running back behind free agent signings like Elijah Mitchell and Kareem Hunt. They'll all be battling for who gets to back up Isiah Pacheco, who should be the starter next season.

Smith has a long road ahead of him if he wants to be a part of the Chiefs' offensive scheme consistently. He was once a receiver before converting into a running back, but the Chiefs drafted Jalen Royals for a season, and they'd have him run routes for them, except in specific scenarios.

Mike Clay is a sports writer for ESPN, and he published an article going over each rookie running back and placing them in tiers based on what he believes to be their workload for next season. For Smith, he doesn't have much faith in seeing him on the field often as a rookie.

"Smith is one of the smallest rookie RBs at 5-foot-10 and 194 pounds. He ran a solid 4.39-second 40 at the combine, but he performed poorly in the vertical (32½ inches, second last at the position) and broad jump (9-foot-9, tied for last).

A converted WR, Smith is elusive but has room to grow at the position. He played only one season at running back after transferring from Miami to SMU. Behind Isiah Pacheco, Kareem Hunt and Elijah Mitchell, Smith might start 2025 as a kick returner/reserve".

Smith has the potential to be a versatile chess piece on the offensive side of the ball, and with Andy Reid as his head coach, he's sure to find opportunities for him. However, he'll have to be patient as it seems like he won't get much playing time as a rookie.

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