Getty Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach (left) and president Mark Donovan (right).
Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach will always have the selection of running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft on his resume. But Veach’s more recent history of selecting young talent at that position has been much different — and better — which is evident in the selection of Isiah Pacheco in the seventh round in 2022.
On top of that, Arrowhead Pride’s KC Proctor believes Veach has already hit on another running back from this year’s class of rookies despite that player not having played a single NFL game yet.
The player that Proctor feels strongly about is undrafted rookie running back Deneric Prince, and Proctor believes Prince is Veach’s best running back find yet.
“Veach’s eye for talent, however, has been made indisputably clear through his emergence as a top-tier NFL GM,” Proctor wrote on July 11. “His vision has been highlighted by savvy spending at the running back position over the past two draft cycles in particular. Some spectacular talents at the position went off the board early in each of them, but Veach flexed his RB scouting muscle after the draft concluded in 2023. This year’s sneaky find came in the shape of Tulsa’s Deneric Prince, who the Chiefs nabbed as an undrafted free agent.”
Proctor went on to explain that Prince’s abilities will be visible early on in his Chiefs tenure, as Proctor believes Prince will surprise everyone during the preseason.
What to Know About Deneric Prince
Deneric Prince, standing at 6 feet and weighing 216 pounds, played his final three collegiate seasons at Tulsa after transferring from Texas A&M his freshman year. During his three years in Tulsa, Prince accumulated 1,749 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns in 24 games played according to Sports Reference.
During his senior season, Prince had 126 rushing attempts for 729 yards — 5.8 yards per carry — and 6 total touchdowns (5 rushing, 1 receiving) in 8 games played.
Despite rather underwhelming college production which overall stemmed from a lack of touches, what Prince does bring to the table are traits that NFL evaluators really like. Take for example his 9.58 relative athletic score (RAS), which ranked the highest among all running backs at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine.
Deneric Prince’s athleticism is off the charts! 📈📈📈
He had a 9.84 RAS, the HIGHEST of any RB at the NFL Combine. Talk about an impressive performance‼️
👑@denericprince
💫4.41 40-yard dash
💫1.53 10-yard split
💫10’ 4’’ Vertical Jump
💫9.84 Broad Jump
Pair that athleticism with a Chiefs coaching staff that has shown an ability in recent years to develop young talent at running back, and Prince has the potential to become a productive NFL player alongside Pacheco in Kansas City’s backfield.
Time will tell if this is how Prince’s NFL career will actually play out. But what we do know is that being productive at the NFL level is absolutely in the range of outcomes for Prince, and he’s in a prime situation to carve out a role for himself as early as his rookie season.
Deneric Prince a Surprise Standout at Offseason Practice
On June 27, ESPN released an article in which each of their NFL reporters weighed in on the surprise standouts from offseason practices for all 32 teams. Chiefs reporter Adam Teicher’s choice for KC was Deneric Prince, who impressed those in attendance while he replaced Isiah Pacheco on the field (offseason surgery).
“Prince, a rookie undrafted free agent, took advantage of a thin running back depth chart and stood out as a receiver during offseason practice, making several difficult catches,” Teicher wrote. “With Isiah Pacheco recovering from offseason surgery, Prince has a chance to claim not only a roster spot but some playing time if he shows an aptitude for pass protection at training camp.”
Comments
Chiefs Rookie a Better Find Than RB Isiah Pacheco, Says Analyst