Emmett Johnson almost certainly thought he would go earlier than the middle of the fifth round. However, now that the Nebraska football star has finally found his NFL home, it sure feels like a match made in heaven. There's also more than a little bit of irony wrapped up in EJ landing with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Johnson, whom Mel Kiper had as the third-best running back in the NFL Draft, ended up being the sixth player at his position to get drafted. The Chiefs took the former Husker with the No. 161 pick overall and the 21st pick in the 5th round.
Emmett Johnson finds perfect post-Nebraska landing spot in the NFL Draft
The Chiefs did make a move before this year's draft to get what will almost certainly be their starting running back in Kenneth Walker. Still, the Nebraska star being allowed to cut his teeth in the NFL as someone who splits time with a more pounding back, in a Kansas City offense that takes advantage of both his running and receiving talents, feels like the best of both worlds.
Likewise, the Chiefs managed to grab an All-American, All-Big Ten, and Big Ten Running Back of the Year halfway through the fifth round. It certainly seems as though Kansas City is getting some serious bang for their buck with this choice.
Emmett Johnson in Kansas City feels like match made in heaven for Nebraska star
It's also worth noting that Johnson knows his future home stadium fairly well, having opened his final season with Nebraska in Arrowhead Stadium against the University of Cincinnati. And of course, there's some irony that he'll now get to play with Patrick Mahomes at quarterback.
Johnson spent two years playing with Dylan Raiola, who was often compared physically with Mahomes, and who admittedly based quite a bit of his game on what he saw from the Chiefs' future Hall of Famer.
The former Nebraska star would almost certainly have liked to go earlier in the 2026 NFL Draft, but if Emmett Johnson had to wait this long for his name to get called, it feels like it could all work out for the best.
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