How Brashard Smith Became the Chiefs’ Midseason Rookie Star

Despite drafting a few ballplayers that were among the headliners at their position in the predraft process, Kansas City entered the 2025 campaign with modest expectations from their rookie class.

Seven picks in total, led by first-round offensive tackle Josh Simmons, offered a blend of developmental depth and potential role players for a roster already rich with veteran talent.

Yet halfway through the season, with Simmons missing time due to injury and others still carving out rotational spots, the most heavily involved has been their final selection in seventh-round offensive chess piece Brashard Smith.

Taken 228th overall out of SMU, the Chiefs, as they often have, found immense value in a player that remained one of college football's most dynamic playmakers over the last few seasons.

Trough nine weeks, he’s earned the title as Kansas City’s Midseason Rookie of the Year.

His numbers -- 82 rushing yards on 28 carries and 14 receptions for 122 more -- don’t jump off the page, but they speak to a player making the most of every opportunity. In a Chiefs offense searching for more dynamic backfield production, Smith has provided bursts of energy and reliability that stand out in limited touches.

Looking back on his journey, his path to Kansas City was anything but conventional.

Once a highly touted recruit to Miami, he began his college career as a wide receiver before transferring to SMU, where he reinvented himself as one of the ACC’s most versatile offensive threats. That background has carried over seamlessly to the NFL level.

His receiver’s instincts -- soft hands, route precision, and spatial awareness -- have given Patrick Mahomes a trustworthy outlet in the short passing game, and allowed Andy Reid to stay uniuqe in his personnel packages and spacing within an offense loaded with speed.

When you watch Smith on tape, his play mirrors that a bit of former Chief Jerick McKinnon -- a player whose utility and intelligence helped Kansas City’s offense stay balanced during its Super Bowl runs. Smith has similar qualities: quick in his cuts, patient behind blocks, and unafraid to take contact.

Resultantly, offensive coordinator Matt Nagy has started to dial up more situational snaps for him particularly on third downs and motion looks where his versatility can be weaponized. He’s proven capable of pass protection responsibilities -- an underrated element for a young back -- and continues to flash strong vision in space. Those small but crucial traits have helped him carve out snaps, and are what ultimately seperated him from a loaded RB class last spring that saw 25 ball-carriers taken.

The Chiefs still expect Simmons to anchor the offensive line for years to come, and other rookies like CB Nohl Williams, DL Ashton Gillotte, and DL Omarr Norman-Lott have flashed (specifically Williams), but at the midpoint of the season, it’s Smith who’s delivering the most tangible impact week to week.

For a team with championship aspirations, having a seventh-round rookie carve out a meaningful role is the type of depth win that often pays off late in the year.