Nebraska’s Emmett Johnson will be an absolute steal for Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs have won multiple Super Bowl championships over the past decade for a reason. Patrick Mahomes is a big one, but the organization offered another reminder on Saturday, when it drafted Emmett Johnson.

I might be biased as a Nebraska football fan, but this feels like one of the best moves of the draft, at least beyond the first round. Kansas City needed a running back. In Emmett Johnson, the Chiefs are getting a starting-caliber player who will be perfect to pair with Mahomes.

Johnson isn’t just a great runner, although he did lead the Big Ten in rushing yards last season, he’s also an elite pass catcher for a running back. Last season, the Nebraska football All-American caught 46 passes for 370 yards, an average of eight yards per reception. In 2025, he caught 39 passes for 286 yards. That’s 92 career receptions.

Johnson led the Big Ten in touches from scrimmage last season with 297, which produced 1,821 yards (6.1 average) and 15 touchdowns. For his career, the former three-star recruit averaged 5.7 yards per touch.

Is Johnson the biggest back in the world? No.

But that didn’t stop Johnson from gashing Big Ten defenses on a weekly basis. The dude is special. He reminds me of Aaron Jones, the former Packers/Vikings running back, who was short in stature but turned into a Pro Bowler.

Johnson could easily follow that same path. He was drafted by a team with a future Hall-of-Fame quarterback and a future Hall-of-Fame head coach, who knows how to use versatile running backs (Brian Westbrook, Shady McCoy).

It stinks that Johnson had to wait until the fifth round. He should have been off the board by day two. Yet, the first contract in the NFL isn’t the most important — the second one is.

Keeping that in mind, Johnson sort of won the lottery. He’s in a great situation, on a team with an opportunity for him to play right away. Third, fourth, or fifth round pick won’t matter. The production will, and my bet is that Johnson will produce in a major way in Kansas City.

At the very least, there may not be a more motivated player in the entire 2026 NFL rookie draft class. Here’s what Johnson said to Brian Christopherson of Huskers 247:

“I just got a chip on my shoulder. I feel like a box of Pringles at this point now. But it fuels me, man. I’ve had a lot of things that have fueled me in the past. I’ve been through a lot of adversity, so I feel like I’m ready for whatever. I just needed an opportunity like I said. I’m going to be ready to work.”