Arrowhead Pride
Could the Miami product become the next great Chiefs running back?
Based on the Kansas City Chiefs' free agency decisions, I see two clear needs going into the draft: defensive tackle depth and a starting running back.
Running back is typically not seen as a position where teams desperately need help, but in the Chiefs' situation, it’s a dire need for them. The Chiefs' running game in 2024 was one of the most interesting case studies I remember. Last season, the Chiefs were eighth in success rate rushing the ball. That’s a very good number. Kareem Hunt was 28th in the NFL in rushing first downs last season — a great number for a player the Chiefs got in September.
And yet, despite being a relatively efficient run game, the Chiefs’ running backs didn’t take advantage of it. Of 44 qualifying rushers last season, Hunt was tied for second-worst in yards after contact per attempt at 1.6. He was 30th in yards before contact/attempt at 2.0. One reason for this was the lack of explosive runs in the offense. Between Hunt and Isiah Pacheco, each running back had one run of 20-plus yards all season.
What some of these stats suggest is that while the Chiefs had a good running game, it was almost entirely a byproduct of their offensive line winning the line of scrimmage in a short area. The Chiefs were elite at getting three or four yards on every run down, but that was it. They couldn’t create a single big play in the run game, which was an issue with the offense all season.
What could fix this? Putting more dynamic running backs in the backfield!
The test of a running back’s ability is their ability to take well-blocked plays and convert them for additional yards. The Chiefs don’t have a running back who can do that.
Over the next few weeks, I will write profiles for different backs who could help Kansas City. In this post, we’ll start with one of my favorites: Damien Martinez of Miami.
Damien Martinez wasn’t a big recruit. Out of high school, Martinez was a three-star prospect with only Power 5 offers from Oregon State, Georgia Tech and Kansas. Martinez went to Oregon State.
Martinez was instantly impactful as a freshman, rushing for 161 carries, 982 yards (6.1 yards per carry) and seven touchdowns, winning the Pac-12 offensive freshman of the year. As a sophomore, Martinez continued to produce, putting up 194 carries, 1,185 yards (6.1 yards per carry) and nine touchdowns. Martinez made the Pac-12 All-First Team at running back.
With head coach Johnathan Smith leaving for Michigan State and Oregon State being left behind in the Pac-12 destruction, Martinez entered the transfer portal as the No. 2 overall running back behind Quinshon Judkins. Martinez signed with Miami, where he went for 159 carries, 1,002 yards (6.3 yards per carry), and 10 touchdowns. Martinez has also improved his receiving yards total in each of his three seasons....
