As an undrafted rookie last spring and summer, Kansas City Chiefs running back Deneric Prince earned a lot of hype and praise before losing steam during the preseason outings.
That August drop-off — followed by a quiet rookie campaign — has led to Prince flying way under the radar in year two despite the Chiefs mostly running it back at the position. But that may not carry on for much longer as the second-year ball carrier continues to climb the depth chart throughout the early stages of training camp.
With headlines often surrounding rugby experiment Louis Rees-Zammit or exciting new UDFA Emani Bailey this offseason, Prince has been the running back pushing KC stalwart Clyde Edwards-Helaire for the RB2 role so far.
“Order of rotation for running backs during the first-team run period,” Arrowhead Pride beat reporter Pete Sweeney listed on July 23. “Isiah Pacheco (2 [reps]), Deneric Prince (2), Clyde Edwards-Helaire (2), Pacheco [again], Kadarius Toney.”
That last part is a recent development in its own right, but Toney’s potential position change has only contributed in masking Prince’s rise at this time. Considering the RB prospect was also the first rusher to spell Pacheco on July 22 according to a video shared by Kingdom Kast.
“He’s been working hard, so he’s worked hard this offseason,” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said of Prince after practice. “He’s a great kid and he’s getting reps now, so we’ll see how that goes and how he does once we get the pads on.”
Sweeney added that veteran running back Keontay Ingram and Louis Rees-Zammit “saw the work with the second team” on July 23, with Bailey and fellow rookie Carson Steele presumably rotating in after that.
Can Chiefs RB Deneric Prince Finish What He Started as a Rookie?
It’s okay to be excited about Prince, but it’s also fair to point out that the former Tulsa product made a similar push last summer and eventually fizzled out in padded practices and live-game situations.
Can he finish what he started and make the 53-man roster this time around? And going one step further, can the 24-year-old seriously challenge a regressing Edwards-Helaire for a key backup role behind Pacheco as the season progresses?
After an offseason of Rees-Zammit hype and new rookie fever, it’s somewhat unexpected that those may be the two biggest running back questions to monitor in Kansas City this summer.
Chiefs RB Deneric Prince Is Also Getting Work as a Returner
Adding to his odds of making the Week 1 roster are Prince’s versatility and vision as a potential kick returner for Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub.
Sweeney relayed the “first look” at Toub’s new kickoff gameplan on July 23, which included four different pairs of returner auditions. They were:
Wide receiver Nikko Remigio and Rees-Zammit.
Wide receivers Mecole Hardman and Montrell Washington.
Prince and wide receiver Phillip Brooks.
Bailey and wide receiver Skyy Moore.
Needless to say, the returner competition could be more important than ever in 2024 — considering the new kickoff rules. If Prince can continue to win the coaching staff’s favor at running back while also showing that he can potentially contribute on special teams, that added impact will only increase his likelihood of making the team in late August.
And with crowded rooms at running back, wide receiver and tight end, any bit of separation between skill position players could end up being the difference at the cutdown.
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