Emmett Johnson: Everything you need to know

Johnson is competing with Brashard Smith and Emari Demercado for slotting on Kansas City's running back depth chart behind Kenneth Walker, Grant Gordon of NFL.com reports. The Chiefs almost completely remade their backfield compared to last season, letting Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco walk while retaining the 2025 seventh-round pick Smith, and signing Walker and Demercado before drafting Johnson in the fifth round. Kansas City also signed undrafted free agents Jaydn Ott and EJ Smith. Demercado and Brashard Smith both seem best suited for change-of-pace roles on passing downs, so Johnson could have a clear lane to getting the second-most carries behind Walker. Head coach Andy Reid compared Johnson's skill set to that of former NFL running back LeSean McCoy, who exceeded 1,000 regular-season rushing yards on six occasions.