It feels like it what was about this time in 2022 when we started hearing some buzz out of the Kansas City Chiefs training camp about an unheralded seventh-round pick making plays. That player was running back Isiah Pacheco, who locked down a spot on the 53-man roster and eventually took over as the top back in mid-November. He’d end up leading the team in carries, yards, and rushing touchdowns.
Fast-forward to now, and the name making the rounds is RB Deneric Prince, an undrafted rookie free agent out of Tulsa. He checks in at 6-foot, 216 pounds, and scouting reports laud his burst, big-play potential, and attacking style that allows him to shed tackles and finish runs downhill. Prince has some weaknesses in his technique in pass protection, though, where he had little experience with the Golden Hurricanes, and there’s room to grow in setting up blocks.
Thus far, Prince has opened eyes in training camp, earning first-team reps with Pacheco (shoulder) not cleared for contact and RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire missing time due to illness. None of that means the rookie has surpassed either of them on the depth chart, but his athleticism has all but earned him a roster spot, according to several media observers.
