One Chiefs Rookie With the Best Chance to Surprise Everyone in Training Camp

As the dog days of the NFL summer roll on, training camp will be here before anyone knows it. For teams like the Kansas City Chiefs, this marks the official hitting of the reset button following the franchise's worst year since head coach Andy Reid arrived in town back in 2013.

Kansas City will surely lean on its homegrown veterans and external free agent pickups, but general manager Brett Veach's rookie class could also factor into things. The group is headlined by first-round cornerback Mansoor Delane and defensive tackle Peter Woods at the top. Is there a key organizational depth piece beyond that?

Someone not many folks seem to be talking about is fifth-round running back Emmett Johnson. It makes sense, as the club shelled out a hefty free-agent contract to Kenneth Walker III, which overshadows the rest of a new-and-improved halfback room.

Don't get it twisted: Johnson may have a minimal role in his debut campaign. It's hard for rookies to crack the rotation, especially when an established player is ahead of them. On the other hand, Johnson's NFL readiness seems legit and his skill set aligns as an eventual backup for Walker. Could that be reality for him as soon as this year? There is a case to be made for it.

Let's start with simply the two vets who most would put above Johnson on the depth chart. Walker, for as talented as he is, missed six games in 2024-25 and has averaged just over 205 carries per season. The speedy Emari Demercado, who was signed to a one-year deal during the offseason, boasts an elite 6.5-yard-per-carry average but has never strung together a full season. He has just 126 attempts to his name.

From a sheer numbers and availability standpoint, there's a world where Johnson could be moved up a rung on the depth chart should Walker or Demercado unfortunately need a spell. The rookie is a better player — yes, already — than 2025 seventh-round pick Brashard Smith, whose 3.4 yards per carry and 40.9% success rate last year did nothing to inspire confidence.

There's some proof of concept, too, even without Johnson having played a professional down yet. Despite a 5.55 Relative Athletic Score that likely contributed to him slipping in the draft, turning on Johnson's film showcases someone with much more adequate speed and explosiveness.

Emmett Johnson is the most elusive RB in the 2026 NFL Draft pic.twitter.com/0Al2UTNDzx
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) November 11, 2025

Johnson's final collegiate season with the Nebraska Cornhuskers was one to remember. In 12 games, he racked up 1,821 scrimmage yards and 15 touchdowns, good for 6.1 yards per touch. He put together 120.9 yards per game on the ground, ranking as Pro Football Focus' No. 36 running back (out of 406 qualified players) in rushing grade.

The No. 161 overall pick forced a whopping 68 missed tackles in the regular season, slotting in at sixth in the nation. His 36 runs of 10 or more yards were tied with Rutgers' Antwan Raymond for fifth. Add in a 27.9% breakaway run clip and an average of 2.95 yards after contact per try, and you get a fuller picture of his profile.

The receiving game is another feather in Johnson's cap. Across his last two seasons in Nebraska, he hauled in 85 passes for 656 yards and five scores. A career 1.13 yards per route run figure, 2.2% drop rate and 8.1 YAC per reception mark are all pluses. One wrinkle that could make Smith more expendable: Johnson lined up in the slot 12.6% of the time in 2025.

As is normally the shake for first-year players at the running back spot, pass protection and special teams are avenues to more playing time down the road. Johnson needs some work before becoming a factor in either regard, so the possibility remains that he's buried on the depth chart once Week 1 rolls around.

In a training camp and/or preseason environment, however, it wouldn't surprise this writer if he managed to turn some heads.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news.

Add us as a preferred source on Google