Kansas City Chiefs have secret superstar rookie emerging at camp
The Kansas City Chiefs have a new no. 10 in town. Rookie running back Isiah Pacheco is making huge waves so far at training camp.
The Kansas City Chiefs and the faithful fans of Chiefs Kingdom will certainly be familiar with no. 10 making plays for the offense.
Now, no. 10 is no longer star wide receiver Tyreek Hill but seventh-round pick Isiah Pacheco, a rookie running back out of Rutgers who didn’t even average four yards per carry last season.
Pacheco was a four-year player at Rutgers who contributed nearly 2,700 yards of offense, 19 total touchdowns, and even 18 kickoff returns in his time with the Scarlet Knights.
The Chiefs took a shot on him in the 2022 NFL Draft and so far, it’s paying huge dividends. Pacheco has arguably been the talk of camp for the Kansas City Chiefs’ offense.
Kansas City Chiefs rookie Isiah Pacheco showing out at training camp
Pacheco finding the hole well. Joshua Williams with an INT in 1v1 vs MVS .. Juju with a nice catch in 1v1. #Chiefs pic.twitter.com/LP8nWahHpt
— Harold R. Kuntz (@HaroldRKuntz3) August 9, 2022
Pacheco has drawn some comparisons to Kareem Hunt, who was once an absolute superstar in Kansas City’s offense.
The Chiefs tried to replace Hunt (after his dreadful off-field incident led to the Chiefs cutting him) with 2020 first-round pick Clyde Edwards-Helaire, a member of the vaunted 2019 LSU Tigers roster.
So far, things have not gone according to plan with Edwards-Helaire and the Chiefs have been searching for some stability in the running game.
They added former second-round pick Ronald Jones this offseason and also brought back Jerick McKinnon, who did a great job for them in the playoffs, especially as a receiver, last year.
But it’s Pacheco who is out there impressing and even getting some run with the top offense for Kansas City. The Chiefs are also giving him “every chance” to be the top man in the return game.
#chiefs rookie RB Isiah Pacheco had some run with the 1's again today. He's picking up the offense and the protections faster than they thought. He's physical & their fastest back. They know he'll run hard, but they want to see if he'll break tackles in the NFL. Guy to watch
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) August 7, 2022
Andy Reid has also been complimentary of Pacheco and right now, the hype train is basically leaving the station. If you’re not drafting Pacheco in your dynasty league, you’re doing it wrong.
Pacheco is emerging as the superstar of training camp for the Kansas City Chiefs and frankly, he’d be a missing piece of that offense.
While Clyde Edwards-Helaire has talent and a knack for breaking tackles, you can’t really replace efficiency in the running game and Edwards-Helaire hasn’t been efficient.
Even if a player like Pacheco is out there running with a little bit of reckless abandon, he’s going to play with the utmost confidence and that can be a scary (good) thing for a team like the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Chiefs are heading into this season with a major question mark at wide receiver now that Tyreek Hill is in Miami, but there’s no doubt that the presence of Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes still raises the tide for all the other players on this offensive roster.
A rookie like Isiah Pacheco, even as a relatively unassuming seventh-round pick, could come in and be a big-time playmaker for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022.