Matt Williamson is a former scout for the Cleveland Browns and spent 10 years at ESPN as a scout and co-host of "The Football Today Podcast." Find him on Twitter @WilliamsonNFL.
In Week 3 of the preseason, some teams lost key players to season-ending injuries. Among them: the Kansas City Chiefs, who will be without running back Spencer Ware until next year after he tore his PCL. Unlike other teams that lost key contributors, though, the Chiefs are in good shape to overcome this setback.
That's not just because they drafted Kareem Hunt, but also because of Ware's limitations, which the Chiefs recognized in time to trade up and select the Toledo product. And now the Chiefs will give Hunt an excellent shot at becoming Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Ware isn't a poor player; he's a quality running back that does everything well. But he also lacks a truly distinguishing or special trait. For some teams, he would be a high-end backup, and overall, he's a below-average (but not bad) starting NFL running back.
In 2016, Ware's first season as a true lead back, he wore down as the season went on. During the first seven weeks, Ware touched the ball a little over 18 times per game and averaged nearly 130 yards per contest. He suffered a concussion in Week 8 and then missed the following game as well.
After his return, Ware still touched the ball about the same amount, but his production fell drastically to under 80 yards per contest. That left the Chiefs looking to improve this position in the draft, and wisely seeming to view Ware as more of a committee runner (it helped his cause that he contributes in any down-and-distance situation).
In the first round, the Chiefs were apparently more focused on the future than this season with their huge trade up to nab Patrick Mahomes, which cost them next year's first-round pick. Trading up for Hunt in the third round, however, was all about the present. Ware's injury just means that present has arrived a little sooner.
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
Hunt was drafted to play right away and quite possibly to supplant Ware as the top dog in Kansas City's backfield. Like Ware, he appears to be a jack of all trades, but master of none. He's impressed in the preseason so far, and though he will have a learning curve, it probably won't be steep.
While Hunt lacks home-run speed or overpowering strength, he's a compact runner that is difficult to bring down and is more than able in the passing game. He breaks a lot of tackles for his size, has a pinballing style, and adopts a never-say-die attitude with the ball in his hands. His balance is excellent too.
Hunt fumbled only once in his four-year college career and not at all during his final season at Toledo. He also scored 45 touchdowns in college. Given his situation in Kansas City, there's no reason to think he can't continue being highly productive at the next level.
Under Andy Reid, the Chiefs employ a heavy West Coast offense and want running backs with receiving skills. With Alex Smith as the quarterback and a typically strong defense, Reid has Kansas City playing rather slowly and at a methodical pace on offense.
The Chiefs' attack is pretty much always on the low end in terms of passing attempts, and when Smith does throw, it is often in a short and controlled manner. That means an awful lot of opportunity for Hunt. Don't be shocked if this young man is very much in the Offensive Rookie of the Year conversation thanks to his work in Ware's absence.
