While he showed flashes after being drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022, running back Isiah Pacheco was never able to put together a 1,000-yard season, eventually settling into a timeshare with veteran running back Kareem Hunt. The Chiefs decided to make a change after both departed in the offseason, and finally completed their revamp by selecting Nebraska RB Emmett Johnson in the fifth round.
With the PFSN Draft team giving the selection an A+ grade in the NFL Draft HQ, let’s see how the rest of the NFL world reacted to the selection.
NFL World Impressed by Chiefs’ Fifth Round Selection of RB Emmett Johnson
The Chiefs’ rebuild of the running back room started in free agency after signing Super Bowl 60 MVP and former Seattle Seahawk Kenneth Walker III to a three-year, $43.05 million contract, which included $28.7 million in guaranteed money. They also added former Arizona Cardinals back Emari Demercado to a one-year, $1.25 million contract.
After spending the first four picks of the 2026 NFL Draft on defensive additions, Kansas City finally filled the new room by making their first offensive draft pick, selecting Johnson 161st overall in the fifth round.
A lean but well-leveraged creator at 5’11”, 200 pounds, Johnson sets himself apart with his blistering foot speed, cutting flexibility, 360-degree vision, spatial feel, and explosiveness out of cuts. He doesn’t have the mass to churn through contact and break tackles consistently, but his constant leg action keeps him balanced through crowds, and he’s an expert at managing space, pressing, and manipulating defenders.
Kansas City Fox Sports anchor Harold Kuntz highlighted the selection, posting, “An addition to the Running Game for the Chiefs — Emmett Johnson, an All-American at Nebraska, is headed to KC. Coming off running for 1,451 yards this past season. Johnson was named Big 10 RB of the Year; another new Chiefs RB, Kenneth Walker, also won this award.”
Locked on Cowboys host Marcus Mosher gushed about Johnson’s fit with the Chiefs’ new RB group behind Walker and alongside Demercado, explaining, “Oh man, I love this. Perfect change of pace RB.”
Chiefs senior team reporter Matt McMullen was also impressed by the Chiefs’ fifth and first offensive pick, saying, “Emmett Johnson is the pick at No. 161! Johnson was the only player in the FBS to average more than 150 scrimmage yards per game in 2025. He led the Big 10 with 1,451 rushing yards and finished second among all FBS running backs in catches (46). Scored 15 TDs, too. Playmaker!
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The Chiefs have a decent amount of uncertainty heading into the beginning of the 2026 season after quarterback Patrick Mahomes went down with a torn ACL and LCL in Week 15 of the 2025 season.
While there’s hope he can be QB1 to start the season, a Week 2 or 3 start seems more reasonable. The Chiefs did add Justin Fields in the offseason in hopes of the sixth-year signal-caller being a better backup than starter.
What’s not in question is the quality of talent Kansas City has added to the running back group. While Walker is sure to be the lead back, both Demercado and now Johnson will be vital in allowing him a chance to rest his legs and provide a change of pace for the Chiefs’ offense.
According to PFSN’s Offense Impact Metric, the Chiefs’ offense ranked 17th in the league last season, and they will hope that the new running backs will propel them into becoming a top-five unit again.
