The Kansas City Chiefs have a few underrated needs heading into the 2024 NFL draft.
One of those underrated needs is finding a complement to RB Isiah Pacheco, who has been nothing short of tremendous during his two seasons in the NFL. Both Jerick McKinnon and Clyde Edwards-Helaire are set to hit free agency, and even if one of those players is re-signed in free agency, the team could use another young player to pair with Pacheco.
His physical running style has left him prone to injuries as evidenced by his shoulder and hand injuries in Super Bowl LVII, followed by the clean-up surgery he had during the 2023 NFL season. Having not just a backup, but a complement to his style could prove vital for the future, and the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine has shown that the team has some level of interest in finding that player in the upcoming draft. Chiefs have shown interest in NFL Combine star Isaac Guerendo
No player at the running back position turned more heads in Indianapolis this week than Louisville RB Isaac Guerendo.
Listed at 6-foot and 221 pounds, Guerendo jumped out of the building with a 41.5-inch vertical (first among RBs). His 4.33s 40-yard dash at his height and weight was legendary (also first among RBs). He posted a 99th-percentile speed score and a 98th-percentile burst score, making him one of the rarest athletes the NFL has ever seen at the RB position.
Why is Guerendo only projected as a Day 3 pick with such elite athleticism? Well, production for starters. He spent four years at Wisconsin where he recorded just 99 attempts for 582 yards and six rushing touchdowns before transferring to Louisville. With the Cardinals in 2023, Guerendo averaged a respectable 6.1 yards per carry for 810 rushing yards with 11 touchdowns. He also can catch passes out of the backfield with 42 catches for 358 yards and a touchdown during his collegiate career.
The Chiefs met with Guerendo at the Shrine Bowl according to friend of the site, Justin Melo, and they met with him again at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine. Adding a player like Guerendo to the backfield could give the team some lightning to Pacheco’s thunder. If they can manage to do that with only investing Day 3 draft capital, color it a major win.
Oregon RB Bucky Irving meets with Kansas City at NFL Combine
Oregon RB Bucky Irving told reporters at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine that he met with the Chiefs, and he had a big grin on his face when said it.
The 2024 NFL Scouting Combine wasn’t kind to Irving. At 5-foot-9 and 197 pounds, he ran a 4.56s 40-yard dash, with a broad jump of 115 inches and a vertical jump of 29.5 inches. Irving didn’t quite blow up the combine as many thought he would, but the tape doesn’t lie. The explosion, speed, and burst that you often see on tape, just wasn’t there in terms of his athletic testing. He’ll have a chance to improve on his numbers at the Oregon Pro Day, should he choose to compete.
How exactly does he fit with Kansas City? He’d excel as a pass-catcher, coming out of the backfield on option routes, catching screen passes and even motioning out to play in the slot.
“I’m able to line up in the slot and do multiple things to showcase my game,” Irving told reporters.
Irving’s performance might give evaluators a measure of pause, but it’s hard to see them losing interest entirely given the skill set he developed with the Ducks.
USC RB MarShawn Lloyd follows up Senior Bowl meeting with informal interview
The Chiefs’ handling of Lloyd was not dissimilar scenario to Georgia WR Ladd McConkey. That’s to say, they first met with this prospect at the Senior Bowl, so they didn’t feel the need to devote a formal prospect interview at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine. Rather, they had scouts or coaches catch up with Lloyd during a 15-minute informal interview.
Lloyd was voted the top RB on the national team at the Senior Bowl by opposing linebackers. He proved during the practice week that he had the potential to impact the game on all three downs. At the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, the 5-foot-9 and 220-pound halfback was able to reinforce that performance with a highly athletic display, ranking in the 90th percentile in A to Z Sports’ Athletic Composite.
“You’re getting a very elusive guy, who is not going to get taken down. I’ll break many tackles. Yards after contact, that’s my bread and butter,” Lloyd told reporters at the combine. “I’m a guy who can catch the ball. I’m also a leader. Not necessarily vocally, but by example.”
Ultimately, an investment in Lloyd might mean investing a late Day 2 or an early Day 3 pick. Having a one-two punch at running back to take some stress off Patrick Mahomes and the rest of the offense could make it a worthy investment.