The Kansas City Chiefs rode to three straight Super Bowl appearances on the strength of Patrick Mahomes and a dynamic passing attack, even though the rushing game was lacking at times.
That ride came to an end in 2025, with the Chiefs dropping to 6-11 and missing the playoffs for the first time in more than a decade. The offense struggled in both the air and ground phases, with the Chiefs failing to find consistent production out of their backfield.
One insider believes they will address that in the coming months, using their unusually high draft pick to land the top running back in this year’s class.
Chiefs Address Rushing Woes in PFF Mock Draft
In a mock draft published on Jan. 19, analyst Gordon McGuinness of Pro Football Focus predicted the Chiefs would use the No. 9 overall pick on Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love.
McGuinness noted that the Chiefs would see vast improvement across their offense if they can establish a rushing game, which he believes would start with drafting Love.
“As long as Patrick Mahomes is the Chiefs’ quarterback, opposing defenses will have reason to worry,” McGuinness wrote. “A dynamic running back would only lift Kansas City’s attack in 2026. Love earned elite PFF overall grades of 91.1 and 93.9 over the past two seasons, and he averaged 4.5 yards after contact in 2025. He would instantly be the favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year if he landed in Kansas City.”
Love was a strong two-way running back for the Fighting Irish, netting 1,650 yards from scrimmage last season. He is considered the top running back in this year’s draft class — and a popular pick for the Chiefs.
Pro Football Network analyst Josh Weil also predicted the Chiefs would snag the Heisman Trophy finalist.
“With Kansas City in a rare position to pick so high and needing to add a new element to their team, bringing in a running back with the upside of Jeremiyah Love would be perfect to do just that,” Weil wrote. “Love followed up on a 19-touchdown sophomore season with a 1,372-yard and 21-touchdown season that had him in New York as a finalist for the Heisman.”
The Chiefs have picked near the end of the first round for most of the last decade, so their top-10 pick could give them a chance to make an immediate impact on the roster.
Chiefs Could Pick Same College Team, Different Back
While many analysts expect the Chiefs to use their top pick on a running back, there is some disagreement about who they might take. SI.com’s Jared Feinberg suggested the Chiefs could stick with the Fighting Irish, taking Love’s backup — running back Jadarian Price — in the third round.
Feinberg suggested that Price would address the rushing woes and help the Chiefs restart their backfield.
“Boy, do the Chiefs need help at running back. It’s clear that outside of Brashard Smith, this team will have a clean reset in the backfield, which requires unique and talented skill sets across the board,” Feinberg wrote.
Price racked up 1,692 rushing yards across his three college seasons, scoring 11 touchdowns. He added 162 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns.