Now that the Kansas City Chiefs have officially kicked off fall camp, there are plenty of intriguing players to watch. Some of those players are big-name veterans, while others are rookies proving they are worthy of a long-term role. One of those rookies to watch this year is former Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson.
The Chiefs have completely overhauled their running back room this offseason. Their biggest free-agent signing at any position this year was Kenneth Walker, who was brought in to turn around KC's struggling rushing attack. At the time, it looked as though KC wouldn’t be all that interested in getting other running backs, especially in the draft. The Chiefs also signed Emari Demercado, who could quietly be locked into a third-down back role.
The additions of Walker and Demercado give Kansas City a proven feature back and an NFL veteran who can be trusted on third downs. That means the rookie former Nebraska star won't really be forced to contribute unless one of them misses time. So Johnson's involvement in K.C.'s offense will be directly tied to what he shows them in training camp and preseason games.
He’ll be able to ease his way into the NFL. That could end up being the perfect situation for Johnson, though it also means he needs to show the coaches that he should be on the field more than in garbage time.
Emmett Johnson can earn larger Chiefs role after Nebraska football breakout
Based on Johnson's college tape, there is a strong chance that he will be the Chiefs' second-best pure rusher between the tackles from Day 1 as a rookie. Walker should be a lock as the best option there, but neither Demercado nor second-year back Brashard Smith had Johnson's production running the ball when he was with Nebraska, particularly between the tackles.
If Johnson can prove in camp that he's a valuable asset rushing the ball and can help the team right out of the gate, it would allow them to avoid overloading Walker, which would keep him fresh and more explosive. Those explosive plays are a big part of why the Chiefs wanted to bring Walker to KC. So his rushing upside is the first thing to watch at training camp.
Johnson can also be a weapon out of the backfield in the passing game. In 2025, not only did the former Nebraska star rush for over 1,400 yards and 12 touchdowns, but he also caught a whopping 46 passes for 370 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Johnson broke onto the scene at Nebraska in a big way in 2025. He’s already being largely dismissed by NFL analysts who think he’ll be part-time at best. He could be about ready to prove everyone wrong yet again.
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