Kareem Hunt Fantasy News and Statistics

When the Kansas City Chiefs drafted Kareem Hunt with the No. 86 pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, they probably didn’t expect to hand him the keys to the starting running back job as a rookie. However, a preseason knee injury knocked out Spencer Ware for the season, leaving the Chiefs in a difficult position. Hunt was named the starter heading into the 2017 campaign.

Hunt was a tremendously productive player in high school, running for 2,685 yards and 44 touchdowns as a senior in Ohio. A three-star recruit, Hunt turned down offers from Pitt and Cincinnati to play at the University of Toledo.

As a true freshman, Hunt made an instant impact with the Rockets. He finished with more than 900 yards and six touchdowns despite starting only three games. As a sophomore, he racked up 1,670 total yards and scored 16 times en route to being named to the All-MAC first team. His shining moment came in the GoDaddy.com Bowl when he tied Barry Sanders’ bowl record with 271 rushing yards and five touchdowns.

Though he made the All-MAC second team in 2015, it was a disappointing season for Hunt. He was suspended for the first two games for violating team rules. When he returned, he was injured and missed two additional contests. Hunt bounced back as a senior, totaling 1,878 yards and 11 touchdowns. In his final collegiate game, Hunt rushed for 120 yards and two scores in a loss to Appalachian State in the Camellia Bowl.

The pre-draft process was not particularly kind to Hunt. He was named the MVP of the North Team in the Senior Bowl but struggled at the NFL Scouting Combine. Though standing only 5-foot-10 and weighing 216 pounds, he ran the 40-yard dash in a pedestrian 4.63 seconds. His other measurable didn’t stack up well, either, and he tested as a 27th percentile SPARQ athlete.

Hunt certainly has the tools to have a productive NFL career. He has a devastating spin move and has the size to hold up to a pro workload. At Toledo, he showed quick feet in the hole and the vision and ability to quickly bounce a run to the outside if need be. Additionally, Hunt catches the ball well, a skill Chiefs head coach Andy Reid looks for in his running backs.

KC obviously saw potential in Hunt when it selected him in the third round of the draft. While Hunt was the sixth running back taken, he has an excellent opportunity to make a name for himself in the NFL as a rookie.

Going back to his days in Philadelphia, Reid has been a one-running back coach. Whether it was Brian Westbrook, LeSean McCoy, Jamaal Charles or Ware, Reid prefers to give the majority of the running back work to one player. The Chiefs play a conservative, run-first offense, and Hunt will get the first crack at the job. He is a coachable talent who holds onto the ball and always seems to fall forward. If he is able to remain healthy, he should be a capable running back for the Chiefs for years to come.