Kansas City is primarily a passing team, but it stumbled onto a nice running back in the seventh round. Isiah Pacheco has been starting for them for most of the year, and he moved into that role before Clyde Edwards-Helaire ran into injury problems.
Pacheco carried 10 times for only 26 yards last week, but he caught 5 passes for 59 yards in that game. The previous week, he was a key factor in the win over Jacksonville, rushing for 95 yards on 12 carries. He ran for over 60 yards nine times in the preseason.
This isn’t the kind of production you typically get from a seventh-round pick. Typically, players selected in that round are hoping to make the team and maybe contribute some on special teams or in a backup role.
That Pacheco will be a factor at all in the Super Bowl is unlikely. Only 13 rookie running backs have logged 10-plus carries in Super Bowls, including only four in the last 20 years. Only 20 rookie running backs have carried the ball more than 5 times in Super Bowls, and none of them were selected as late at Pacheco.
| ROOKIE RUNNING BACKS IN SUPER BOWLS | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | Pick | Opp | Result | Att | Yds | Avg | TD |
| 2018 | Sony Michel, N.E. | 31 | LAR | W 13-3 | 18 | 94 | 5.2 | 1 |
| 2012 | Bernard Pierce, Balt. | 84 | S.F. | W 34-31 | 12 | 33 | 2.8 | 0 |
| 2010 | James Starks, G.B. | 193 | Pitt. | W 31-25 | 11 | 52 | 4.7 | 0 |
| 2006 | Joseph Addai, Ind. | 30 | Chi. | W 29-17 | 19 | 77 | 4.1 | 0 |
| 2000 | Jamal Lewis, Balt. | 5 | NYG | W 34-7 | 27 | 102 | 3.8 | 1 |
| 1991 | Ricky Ervins, Was. | 76 | Buff. | W 37-24 | 13 | 72 | 5.5 | 0 |
| 1989 | Bobby Humphrey, Den. | 3 | S.F. | L 10-55 | 12 | 61 | 5.1 | 0 |
| 1988 | Ickey Woods, Cin. | 31 | S.F. | L 16-20 | 20 | 79 | 4.0 | 0 |
| 1987 | Timmy Smith, Was. | 117 | Den. | W 42-10 | 22 | 204 | 9.3 | 2 |
| 1977 | Tony Dorsett, Dall. | 2 | Den. | W 27-10 | 15 | 66 | 4.4 | 1 |
| 1977 | Rob Lytle, Den. | 45 | Dall. | L 10-27 | 10 | 35 | 3.5 | 1 |
| 1970 | Duane Thomas, Dall. | 23 | Balt. | L 13-16 | 18 | 35 | 1.9 | 0 |
| 1970 | Norm Bulaich, Balt. | 18 | Dall. | W 16-13 | 18 | 28 | 1.6 | 0 |
| 2007 | Ahmad Bradshaw, NYG | 250 | N.E. | W 17-14 | 9 | 45 | 5.0 | 0 |
| 1994 | William Floyd, S.F. | 28 | S.D. | W 49-26 | 9 | 32 | 3.6 | 0 |
| 2020 | Clyde Edwards-Helaire, K.C. | 32 | T.B. | L 9-31 | 9 | 64 | 7.1 | 0 |
| 1967 | Travis Williams, G.B. | 93 | Oak. | W 33-14 | 8 | 36 | 4.5 | 0 |
| 1973 | Chuck Foreman, Min. | 12 | Mia. | L 7-24 | 7 | 18 | 2.6 | 0 |
| 1966 | Mike Garrett, K.C. | 18 | G.B. | L 10-35 | 6 | 17 | 2.8 | 0 |
| 2013 | Montee Ball, Den. | 58 | Sea. | L 8-43 | 6 | 1 | .2 | 0 |
| 1981 | Bill Ring, S.F. | -- | Cin. | W 26-21 | 5 | 17 | 3.4 | 0 |
| 1984 | Derrick Harmon, S.F. | 248 | Mia. | W 38-16 | 5 | 20 | 4.0 | 0 |
| 2022 | Isiah Pacheco, K.C. | 253 | Phil. | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
—Ian Allan