-
Adam Teicher
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Rookie Brashard Smith is becoming a member of a bunch of veteran working backs with the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs. However his expertise units him other than these he shall be competing with for enjoying time, and Smith says he is relying on that to assist him to make an impression in his first NFL season.
“Not a number of working backs have receiver abilities and working again abilities,” mentioned Smith, who was drafted by the Chiefs this 12 months within the seventh spherical. “So I really feel like simply coming in I might contribute for certain with my talent set.
“I really feel like my talent set suits completely with the offense. They’re already dynamic, and I really feel like I am a dynamic participant. I really feel like I’ll convey a number of juice to the offense and particular groups.”
Smith’s first three collegiate seasons had been at Miami, the place he was a large receiver. He moved to working again final 12 months after transferring to SMU.
The Chiefs like his receiving abilities and see potential for Smith in display screen passes and split-wide formations out of an empty backfield. Additionally they like his pace. Smith ran 4.39 within the 40, the third-fastest time amongst working backs on the scouting mix this 12 months.
Getting sooner at working again was a precedence for the Chiefs. Neither of their two returning veteran backs, Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco, is a big-play menace. The Chiefs signed a sooner again in free company in Elijah Mitchell, however he did not play final 12 months due to a hamstring damage and hasn’t performed a full season since 2021.
The Chiefs had been additionally on the lookout for extra explosiveness from their kickoff returner. They’re anticipating extra possibilities for large returns due to the rule change placing touchbacks on the 35-yard line, so Smith will get an opportunity in coaching camp to win a job there as properly.
“That is one other factor (that) form of makes him stand out is his capability as a kick returner,” mentioned Jason Lamb, a Chiefs regional scout. “He is been fairly productive doing that, and our coaches listed here are fairly excited to see him in that function as properly.
“He is an explosive athlete. You see the quickness, you see the pace, working a 4.3. Simply his general athleticism and the dynamic capability he brings, being a former receiver, taking part in working again for the primary time. This man, when he will get the ball in his fingers, he makes massive performs occur, so it is a number of enjoyable to observe.”
Smith caught 69 passes in his three seasons at Miami. His receivers coach from his freshman 12 months, Rhett Lashlee, had grow to be the pinnacle coach at SMU and persuaded Smith — after he entered the switch portal — that he might have an enormous senior season with the Mustangs.
However to try this, he’d want to maneuver to working again.
“It’s totally totally different,” Smith mentioned. “I will not say it was a straightforward change for me.”
Smith made the swap work. He rushed for greater than 1,300 yards and caught 39 passes, greater than he had in any one in every of his three seasons at Miami.
The Chiefs believed sufficient in Smith to commerce up within the seventh spherical to choose him, giving up each of their picks later within the spherical within the course of. They consider Smith will give them returns on their funding sooner slightly than later.
“We had him increased on our board than the place we took him,” mentioned Ryne Nutt, the Chiefs’ director of participant personnel. “That is once you begin to contemplate buying and selling, when a man is there that you’ve got increased in your board and … what we’d hand over is peanuts in comparison with what we predict we’ll get. Our coaches are tremendous excited concerning the child, and they’ll discover methods to get this child on the sector, whether or not it is in a 3rd down function, an all-down function, no matter they resolve the child will play.
“When he has the ball in his fingers, whether or not it is as a runner or catching the ball, he can do some foolish issues when it comes to what he can arrange. Now he has to come back in and choose every little thing up and there must be a consolation stage that he is aware of what he is doing. However talent-wise, there ought to be no cause this child should not assist us sooner or later within the season.”
