Chiefs 53 Man Roster Projection: Running Back

With the 2021 NFL preseason drawing to a close soon, the regular season is just around the corner. These next couple of weeks become even more crucial for coaching staffs and front offices alike. In just over a week, NFL rosters will drop from 80 to 53 players.

Who are the fringe players worth keeping on the roster? How many individuals should be available at certain positions? All of those questions will need to be answered. Other factors like game film, injuries to other players, being able to play special teams or not, or simply locker room leadership could help make the decisions somewhat easier.

Over the next week and a half, we will be going position by position to forecast our projections for who will and will not make the Kansas City Chiefs 53 man roster for 2021. We will also note which players we believe will stick around on the practice squad, if they cannot fit into the initial 53 man roster. Today we will be focusing on the Chiefs running back position.

As of this writing, there are currently six running backs on Kansas City’s depth chart. That includes Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Darrel Williams, Jerick McKinnon, Darwin Thompson, Derrick Gore and fullback Michael Burton. Andy Reid has not done away with the fullback position in recent years, as Anthony Sherman was a mainstay for eight seasons under Reid in KC. Meanwhile, we saw the Chiefs opt to keep just three running backs (not counting fullback) last year. How will they go about that this time around?

Taking That Next Step

Last season, Edwards-Helaire saw a rapidly strong start to his rookie season. He then saw a massive decrease in usage. Despite scoring three touchdowns from Week Seven To Week Eleven, Kansas City only gave him a combined 44 carries during that timespan. That is an average of just 8.8 carries per game. Edwards-Helaire began to hit his stride again near the end of the regular season. Unfortunately for him and the Chiefs, he suffered a devastating hip and ankle injury. This forced him to miss the final two regular season games and the first playoff game against Cleveland.

Where was Edwards-Helaire most disappointing in 2020? That would be in the receiving game. The Chiefs targeted him 54 times and he hauled in 36 receptions for 297 yards and one touchdown. His other stats help to paint a greater picture. His receptions per game (2.8), receiving yards per game (22.8), catch percentage (66.7 percent) and yards per target (5.5) were all greatly worse than many anticipated.

More Usage In The Passing Game?

Yes, he was a rookie and needed some adjustment period to the NFL game. Knowing Coach Reid’s creativity on offense and seeing what Edwards-Helaire was capable of as a receiving back at LSU left a lot to be desired, though. From a route running and consistent hands perspective, we were left longing for more of the Chiefs passes to go his way. CEH did have a few moments that allowed him to shine bright as a receiver. Yet, that should be much brighter in 2021.

It appears as though Kansas City understands that entering this year. They are seemingly placing a greater workload onto Edwards-Helaire’s shoulders. To boot, this will not just come in the receiving game, but the running game as well. The additions that the team made to the offensive line mix in well with his tough, yet shifty style of play. This group up front is physical and will definitely be creating more movement than the previous blockers did. If anything, it would be a shock to not see Edwards-Helaire receive some more runs centralized to the middle of the field this season. If all goes well from a blocking perspective, the sky could be the limit for Clyde as the lead back.

Doing The Dirty Work

Williams enters his fourth season with the Chiefs offense. As each year has come and gone, his roles have expanded to a degree. He simply serves his role and goes largely unnoticed. In the running game, his vision and straightforward approach keep the offense churning. Williams can also add versatility as a pass catcher.

There are a couple of other parts of his game that fly under the radar. In pass protection, Williams takes great confidence in keeping his quarterback clean. Furthermore, the LSU product provides a dense size that makes it tricky for pass rushers or linebackers to deal with. Even Williams’ ability on special teams is a place where he can provide stability if need be. Darrel will assume the RB2 role once again in 2021.

Battle For RB3

The third and final running back spot for the Chiefs will be won by either McKinnon or Thompson. There are a couple of signs to point towards when deciding who does indeed win the job.

Does one running back provide more versatility to the offense over the other? Additionally, can either one of them make a difference or be a mainstay on special teams?

Realistically, the answer to those questions for each player would likely be yes. McKinnon has clearly provided more of an impact, though. Patrick Mahomes believes that he could become a “playmaker” within the offense. His vision and ability to make tacklers miss can be utilized in both the running game or screen passing game. Finally, we have also seen McKinnon make some jarring hits on punt coverage in the preseason.

On the flip side, Thompson has been stuck in neutral in both areas. His ability to read blocks or holes that are opening is largely erratic. There is just not much room for improvement or waiting on a breakout to happen that the Chiefs can depend on at this point. Even though he was never expected to be a starter for the long term, Kansas City likely expected way more from him at this point. Maybe they’ll bring him back on the practice squad. Yet, I believe Thompson will simply not be back with the team, either via release or trade.

Mini Package For Fullback?

When the Chiefs signed Burton at fullback, I did not have much belief that he would stick on the 53 man roster. He has been used in a variety of roles in both preseason games, however. We have seen him line up next to the quarterback in shotgun and run a route to the flat. Or, Burton has become open after running a route from the I formation. His blocking appears to hold him to a certain standard, given the likelihood of Kansas City running more multiple running back or multiple tight end sets in 2021.

Although Sherman was capable of providing results offensively, the production and athleticism may be more natural from Burton. He is also yet another guy who the Chiefs will love to have aligned on the special teams units. There is nothing that has been shown or indicated so far that will keep him off of the roster. My expectation is Burton will make the team, point blank period.

FINAL DEPTH CHART

RB1: Edwards-Helaire

RB2: Williams

RB3: McKinnon

Fullback: Burton

Be on the lookout for the rest of our Chiefs 53 man roster projection pieces and other articles in the upcoming weeks. For more great sports and NFL content, stay tuned to Full Press Coverage.

– Braden Holecek is the Kansas City Chiefs managing editor for Full Press Coverage. He covers the NFL. Like and follow on Follow @ebearcat9//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Follow @FPC_Chiefs//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js and Facebook.