Who is Isiah Pacheco, the Kansas City Chiefs Breakout Rookie Running Back?

In a Kansas Metropolis Chiefs coaching camp with Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and two first-round picks (Trent McDuffie and George Karlaftis), essentially the most buzzed-about participant isn’t any of them. It’s seventh-round operating again Isiah Pacheco. Right here’s all the things you should know concerning the breakout rookie sensation heading into the 2022 NFL season.

Who’s Chiefs rookie operating again Isiah Pacheco?

NFL groups took 21 school operating backs within the 2022 NFL draft earlier than the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs took Rutgers RB Isiah Pacheco. The previous Scarlet Knight went No. 251 total, simply 11 spots earlier than the ultimate decide, Mr. Irrelevant 2022, Brock Purdy.

Pacheco is a New Jersey native who stayed native for faculty, committing to Rutgers in 2017.

Throughout his 4 years beneath head coaches Chris Ash after which Greg Schiano, Pacheco ran the ball 563 occasions for two,422 yards and scored 18 speeding touchdowns. He additionally added 47 catches for 249 yards and one TD. His year-by-year manufacturing regarded like this:

After his senior yr, Isiah Pacheco went to the NFL mix and carried out effectively. He measured 5-foot-11, 216 kilos, and ran a 4.37 40-yard sprint.

Regardless of the manufacturing and the superb measurables, Pacheco practically fell out of the draft altogether earlier than the Chiefs scooped him up with the thirtieth decide of the ultimate spherical.

The rookie runner is crushing it at Chiefs coaching camp and within the preseason

Isiah Pacheco got here into Chiefs coaching camp with little to no expectations. In actual fact, with Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Jerick McKinnon, Ronald Jones, and Derrick Gore forward of him on the depth chart, the probabilities of him making the group have been slim.

Nevertheless, Pacheco impressed from the bounce together with his operating, catching, and kick returning. He’s been lights out in follow and has 16 carries for 66 yards and three catches for 21 yards in three preseason video games. These numbers don’t bounce off the web page, however that’s as a result of Andy Reid is utilizing Pacheco within the preseason like a again who’s going to play rather a lot within the common season.

Isiah Pacheco beat out Gore, who the Chiefs reduce after struggling a thumb damage, and now Jones is on the roster chopping block. It seems to be like Pacheco can even significantly problem Edwards-Helaire and McKinnon when the common season arrives.

Isiah Pacheco went from a mean producing operating again at Rutgers to a heralded prospect who might make some critical noise on probably the most potent offenses within the NFL.

We’ll have to attend till the common season will get underway to actually see Pacheco’s function in Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes’ offense, however proper now, the potential upside of this rookie is big.

All stats courtesy of Sports activities Reference

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