3 Kansas City Chiefs players that could emerge at training camp

Kansas City Chiefs key player no. 3: Jerick McKinnon, RB

With Clyde Edwards-Helaire healthy and the arrival of former Bucs running back Ronald Jones, it’s hard to know exactly what the path to impacting the offense looks like for a player like Jerick McKinnon.

All I know is, he was impressive when the Chiefs sort of featured him at times last season, including in the playoffs.

McKinnon averaged over five yards per carry in limited regular season action for the Chiefs last season. He also caught 13 passes with a touchdown in regular season action.

His usage increased in the playoffs, averaging over four yards per carry and catching 14 more passes with another receiving touchdown.

He racked up over 300 yards from scrimmage in three playoff games for the Chiefs, which was outstanding to see given all McKinnon has been through with injuries throughout his career.

He’s always been a really dynamic threat as a receiving option dating back to his time with the Minnesota Vikings.

Although things didn’t work out for him when he was with the 49ers, I think being on the Kansas City Chiefs, McKinnon is in a really great position to be able to make a substantial impact on a Super Bowl caliber team.

With his receiving chops, he could quickly gain the trust of Patrick Mahomes. I think there’s a clear pecking order for the Chiefs at running back in terms of financial/draft investment and pedigree, but if McKinnon goes out there and consistently makes plays like he did in the playoffs, he’s going to be hard to keep off the field.