This is Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach's 10th season with final decisions on the roster. They have produced three Super Bowl champions in the process. Except, Veach had a big task this offseason after the Chiefs missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014.
With free agency and the 2026 NFL Draft in the rearview mirror, the bulk of that work has already been completed. Still, now that the Chiefs have 90 players on the roster, Kansas City will have some tough decisions to make when it comes time to trim the roster down to 53 players.
something, like athleticKey insider Jesse Newell believes Kansas City could land a player from its 2025 NFL Draft class. Specifically, Newell believes the additions of Kenneth Walker III, Imari Demercado and fifth-round rookie Emmett Johnson could make 2025 seventh-round running back Brashard Smith expendable.
"The Chiefs traded up in the seventh round a year ago to select running back Brashard Smith, but from the start, he looked like an awkward fit with their offense. Even Kansas City failed to find any explosiveness with its 2025 run game, but it didn't turn to Smith for carries until a meaningless final week's game against Las Vegas. That means Smith faces a significant training camp. He "He's a seventh-round pick, so there's not a lot of investment in him if the team chooses to move on."
Brassard Smith at The Athletic
The Chiefs made Smith the 228th pick last year. He ran the ball 44 times for 151 yards, caught 25 passes for 172 yards and one touchdown. He's still only 23, but clearly, Walker is the immediate and future head forward in Kansas City, and Johnson could be part of the solution, offering help on third downs as well.
Walker and Johnson's roster spots are absolutely safe. That means Smith, Demercado, and undrafted newcomers Jaden Ott and EJ Smith, son of Hall of Fame RB Emmitt Smith, could all find themselves fighting for a roster spot and an extra slot on the practice squad.
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