Kenneth

Walker

Chiefs front office officials said last week that they were shocked Johnson was still available in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. KC traded up to take Johnson, 22, who had 1,823 total yards in 2025 at Nebraska. Johnson enters the NFL with a 100th percentile college dominator rating along with a 99th percentile college target share. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid recently said he was impressed with Johnson’s pass catching and compared him favorably to LeSean McCoy. With a solid offseason Johnson could function as the Chiefs’ lead back if Ken Walker misses time in 2026.

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes is currently rehabbing a season-ending knee injury, and although he has a chance to return in time for Week 1, it takes time for players to return to full strength. Enter new Chiefs RB Kenneth Walker, who Veach reminds us was the Super Bowl LX MVP. He adds that the team feels “real good” about the offensive line. Veach also indicates that the team intends to pass the ball more often as the season progresses, but if the run game is working, who’s to say they take the proverbial foot off the pedal? Walker warrants low-end RB1 treatment at this time. He is backed up by veteran RBs Brashard Smith and Emari Demercado, and fifth-round rookie RB Emmett Johnson. The depth chart order behind Walker will become clear in training camp.

Mahomes has a chance to return in time for Week 1 after suffering season-ending ACL and LCL tears last year. It sounds like the plan is to rely on the run game and the defense for the first half of the season, as Mahomes “is working back from that injury.” For those concerned that the Chiefs might stick with that game plan all year, Veach adds that he hopes by “mid-season [or] late season, Pat’s in that groove and we have this thing cooking.” We believe he’s saying that the Chiefs intend to increase their passing frequency as the season progresses and we will continue to monitor Mahomes’ offseason participation. For now, RB Kenneth Walker looks like a safe bet to handle a hefty workload this year.

Kansas City traded up to take Johnson with the 161st overall pick in the draft, adding the Nebraska product to a revamped backfield alongside free agency splash signing Ken Walker III and Emari Demercado. “He’s a juke button, he has very good feet, vision, feel, and he’s very good out of the backfield,” Nutt said of Johnson, 22, who had a 100th percentile college dominator rating at Nebraska along with a 99th percentile college target share. Arrowhead Pride’s Ron Kop, Jr. said the rookie is “projected to be the immediate backup to Walker in the lead-back role, but don’t be surprised if Johnson earns his way onto the field on pass downs or in other situations.” Johnson, who had 1,823 total yards in 2025, is a good candidate to catch major redraft stream this summer.

Per Jordan Schultz, the deal is worth up to $45 million and includes $28.7 million guaranteed. In desperate need of a talent infusion on offense, the Chiefs have opted to splurge at the cheaper position of running back rather than wideout. 25-year-old Walker has a long history of minor injuries, but an even longer track record of explosive runs. Once Zach Charbonnet’s playoff injury finally forced KWIII into unquestioned lead back status, he responded by winning Super Bowl MVP honors. Although Walker has a decent pair of hands, his Chiefs baseline will be on early downs with the potential to expand to more pass-catching situations. Ideally, he will share the backfield with someone else in the “Jerick McKinnon role.” If he doesn’t, KWIII could be an elite three-down back, just one who has a propensity to pick up nicks and bruises with his tough running style. Walker begins drafting season as a high-end RB2 you could plausibly label an RB1.

Pelissero says that Walker “still is in touch with the Seahawks” about a return, but highlights the Chiefs as the team that could swoop in and land the Super Bowl MVP. Walker rushed for 221-1027-5 last regular season and ran for another 65-313-4 in the postseason while helping the Seahawks win their second title in franchise history. Walker has been linked to multiple teams ahead leading up to his free agency, although it was reported that the Giants have already been “priced out” of his market.

Walker was reportedly on the Giants’ “wish list” this offseason but the going rate on a contract extension simply got too high, with the prevailing feeling now one in which the Giants simply can’t come to terms with. Even so, the fact that the Giants are seriously pursuing running backs through free agency paints a dark picture regarding their level of enthusiasm in continuing forward with Cam Skattebo in a workhorse role. Stay tuned through the opening of the legal tampering period Monday as numerous fantasy-relevant situations are sure to change.

If so, the Giants “can’t/won’t go there,” per Duggan. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler believes the Titans, Chiefs, Broncos, and Commanders — as well as the incumbent Seahawks — are teams to watch for Walker, who figures to be the belle of the running back free-agent market ball. Coming off his Super Bowl MVP, we wouldn’t be totally surprised if the market got this high for Walker, but it should be noted that Fowler’s prediction was a market more in the range of $12 million a season.

In other words, RJ Harvey-reliant managers, keep your head on a swivel. Kosmider names Kenneth Walker, Travis Etienne, and Rico Dowdle as three backs the Broncos could have interest in. He adds that it’s “within the realm of possibility” that J.K. Dobbins returns, and also notes that the Broncos could search for young depth on Day 3 of the draft. It’s not exactly a ringing endorsement for RJ Harvey, fantasy superstar. Harvey could very well wind up in a committee again in 2026. The Broncos have enough cap space to be in play for the bigger name backs.

It looks like the Seahawks will let Walker, the Super Bowl MVP who helped propel the team to a championship, explore the open market in the coming weeks. The Giants and Chiefs are among the teams with reported interest in Walker, who last year went for 1,027 yards and five touchdowns — along with 31 receptions for 282 yards — in a timeshare alongside Zach Charbonnet. Walker’s explosive run style could be appealing for a range of teams in need of backfield production. Obviously that includes Kansas City, which featured two of the most inefficient running backs in the game last season.