One Kansas City Chiefs Rookie Falling Behind

Denny Medley-Imagn Images

One Kansas City Chiefs Rookie Falling Behind

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Ryan Dodson | Last updated Aug 6, 2026 6:32 PM ET

The Kansas City Chiefs took running back Emmett Johnson in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft out of Nebraska. The 5-foot-11, 202-pound back could wind up being a value pick after what he did in college. However, he appears to be an afterthought after the early days of camp.

Johnson has impressed with his work ethic as he is routinely one of the first on the practice field. Before his teammates arrive, Johnson has worked on his pass-catching skills with the JUGS machine. For now, though, he is clearly behind RBs Kenneth Walker III , Brashard Smith and Emari Demercado.

Head coach Andy Reid said Wednesday that one thing the team needed to see more from Johnson was keeping his pad level low while running.

“You go high at this level, and you’re going to get rearranged,” Reid said. “And you don’t want that to happen.”

Johnson was a prolific dual-threat in college, rushing 251 times for 1,451 yards and 12 touchdowns while catching 46 balls for 370 yards and three scores through the air as a junior. Walker is a between-the-tackles kind of runner, and Johnson's skill set seems to mesh perfectly to complement K9. It may take some time for that to come to fruition.

Smith has received a lot of work with the first-team offense in goal-line and red zone areas. While he was once on the fringe of making the team, he seems to be firmly entrenched while Johnson may be relegated to special teams while he refines his running.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: