{"id":868958,"date":"2026-04-18T06:54:37","date_gmt":"2026-04-18T06:54:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/868958\/"},"modified":"2026-04-18T06:54:37","modified_gmt":"2026-04-18T06:54:37","slug":"chiefs-gm-brett-veach-signals-shift-in-run-game-ahead-of-2026-nfl-draft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/868958\/","title":{"rendered":"Chiefs GM Brett Veach signals shift in run game ahead of 2026 NFL Draft"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Kansas City Chiefs<\/a>\u2019 top decision makers aren\u2019t hiding their intentions heading into the 2026 NFL Draft.<\/p>\n

For general manager Brett Veach, the message is clear: this offense is going to get more physical \u2014 and more intentional \u2014 in the run game.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone knows the potential and the flashes that (left tackle) Josh [Simmons] has shown, and then working on that interior with (left guard) Kingsley [Suamataia], (right guard) Trey [Smith] and (center) Creed [Humphrey]\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019d be a smart play to take advantage of that interior trio there.\u201d Veach continued, leaning into the identity shift. \u201cTo be more violent, to kind of utilize those guys and their strengths.\u201d<\/p>\n

That interior trio \u2014 built around physicality and cohesion \u2014 is exactly where Kansas City believes it can control games. Pair that with a backfield addition like running back Kenneth Walker III, and the vision starts to come into focus.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo when you add a guy like Ken Walker,\u201d Veach began to explain, \u201cthat was why he was so attractive to us: he has explosive speed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe can do damage in the pass game,\u201d Veach added, highlighting an overlooked factor in Walker\u2019s game. \u201cI don\u2019t think he got enough credit for that because [the Seattle Seahawks<\/a>] had [Zach] Charbonnet.\u201d<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s the balance of power and explosiveness that stands out most.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe squares his shoulders,\u201d Veach said, describing Walker\u2019s running style, \u201cand he runs with power, and runs with violence, but also has some elusive qualities.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you combine a back like that with as talented an inside three as you do,\u201d Veach continued, bringing it all together, \u201cI think it would make sense to want to go out there and impose your will on other teams\u2019 defensive lines.\u201d<\/p>\n

That approach isn\u2019t just about identity \u2014 it\u2019s also about efficiency and sustainability, particularly for franchise quarterback Patrick Mahomes.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt will be beneficial for Pat too,\u201d Veach said, shifting to the bigger picture, \u201cI don\u2019t think we want him back there dropping back 50 or 60 times a game at the start of the season\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo I think that\u2019s going to be something we\u2019re looking forward to,\u201d he added. \u201cCertainly, with [Eric Bieniemy] coming back [as offensive coordinator], with his running back roots, there is going to be a high priority with that run game.\u201d<\/p>\n

That balance \u2014 between protecting the present and building for the future \u2014 remains at the core of how Kansas City operates.<\/p>\n

\u201cEach year presents a new challenge,\u201d Veach said, \u201cWhen you have Pat, there\u2019s that mindset that you always have a chance to go out there and compete for a championship, compete for a division title.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the tricky part,\u201d Veach continued, outlining the front office\u2019s responsibility, \u201cis trying to maintain that standard, but also keep an eye on the future, knowing that Pat is still going to be here for a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n

That long-term vision starts where it always has in Kansas City \u2014 up front.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe always have to build this thing out, and build through the offensive and defensive lines,\u201d Veach said. \u201cAnd that\u2019s where it starts.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery team has that blueprint,\u201d he added, \u201cOnce you get the quarterback, you have to protect him, and then on the defensive side, get after the other team\u2019s quarterback.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still, Veach made it clear that balancing immediate needs with long-term sustainability is a constant challenge.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are some of those maybe more immediate, short-term needs that you want to fill,\u201d he said, describing the draft approach, \u201cso it\u2019s just a counterbalance of going out there and getting Pat what he needs now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026but also keep an eye on the future,\u201d Veach finished, \u201cto make sure we can maintain this run.\u201d<\/p>\n

For a team that has built its identity around elite quarterback play, the next evolution may be just as much about what happens on the ground \u2014 and how forcefully they can control it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Kansas City Chiefs\u2019 top decision makers aren\u2019t hiding their intentions heading into the 2026 NFL Draft. For…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":868959,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[7,923,6],"class_list":{"0":"post-868958","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nfl","8":"tag-football","9":"tag-kansas-city-chiefs-draft","10":"tag-nfl"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116424405447103925","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/868958","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=868958"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/868958\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/868959"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=868958"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=868958"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=868958"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}