Emmett Johnson was one of the breakout stories of the NFL preseason.
The Kansas City Chiefs rookie, selected in the sixth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, showed the makings of a late-round gem who could become the type of running back Andy Reid and the Chiefs' offense have been missing.
In this edition of NFL Rookie Running Back Evolution, we take a stop in Kansas City to look at how Johnson could go from sixth-round pick to pushing for the team's RB1 role before the season is over.
Johnson also lived up to his NFL Mocks All-Underrated Team hype. The former Nebraska star showcased his all-around ability by rushing for 123 yards on 26 carries while adding six receptions without a drop.
Just as he did at Nebraska and during the NFL Combine, Johnson flashed the combination of quickness, burst and power that caught Reid's attention before the rookie ever took a snap in pads.
Andy Reid sees shades of LeSean McCoy in Emmett Johnson
In fact, Reid saw shades of a former All-Pro running back in Johnson early in the spring.
“First of all, he’s got a good feel for things, a smart kid, good kid. He’s got that lateral quickness. We had LeSean McCoy here for a bit and he has a little bit of that to him, where he can shift gears and still get himself up the field quickly,” Reid said, via NFL.com. “I like the way he pass protects, I like the way he catches the football, and it looks like he can do that here. We’re not doing live stuff, but the catching part he does easy. Probably most of all I just like his smarts.”
Reid also noted Johnson's ability to contribute on special teams, but the McCoy comparison is what really stands out.
The lateral quickness, pass protection and ability to catch the football out of the backfield could make Johnson an ideal weapon for Patrick Mahomes. The question now is whether that complete skill set can eventually earn him a three-down role in Reid's offense.
Emmett Johnson has the skill set to push for a bigger Chiefs role
With the addition of Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III and Brashard Smith also in the mix, Johnson will likely be sharing the workload to begin the season.
But while the rookie doesn't possess elite top-end speed, his elusiveness, vision and decisiveness once a running lane opens make him dangerous. That's exactly what he showed throughout the preseason.
If Johnson can carry that production into the regular season, the McCoy comparison could become even more intriguing. McCoy was near the end of his career when he helped Reid and the Chiefs win a Super Bowl, but his versatility gave Kansas City another weapon out of the backfield.
Johnson could provide some of those same qualities at the beginning of his NFL career.
More importantly, his ability to contribute in multiple areas could make it difficult for Reid to keep him off the field.
Could Emmett Johnson eventually challenge for the Chiefs' RB1 role?
With Mahomes working his way back to 100 percent after suffering a torn ACL and LCL, Kansas City's running game will be especially important. That's a major reason the Chiefs invested in Walker III.
But Johnson could turn out to be their biggest bargain.
The sixth-round pick has already shown he can run between the tackles, make defenders miss, catch the football and hold up in pass protection. That last part could be especially important with Mahomes returning from injury.
Johnson can protect Mahomes when asked and give the All-Pro quarterback another outlet in the passing game when he releases into a route.
Walker enters the season as the more established option, but Johnson has already given Reid plenty of reasons to find ways to get him on the field. If his preseason performance carries into games that count, his role could grow quickly.
And if there's one coach who knows how to maximize a running back with that type of skill set, it's Andy Reid.
Add us as a preferred source on Google