Chiefs Draft: Oregon’s Jordan James may be a perfect late-round fit

The Kansas City Chiefs could be in the market for a running back during the 2025 NFL Draft, and Oregon’s Jordan James could be on their radar in the later rounds of the draft.

James was a productive runner during his time at Oregon, and his skill set translates to what the Chiefs have looked for in backs in the past. He does have some physical limitations, but his film was solid and shows a physical back with solid hands.

Player profile

James tested as only a modest athlete at the NFL Scouting Combine in March. His height and weight also showed that he is a slightly undersized player.

His 40-yard dash time didn’t blow anyone away — but, given his profile, it is not in his cards to be a “speed back” at the next level. While his physical stature and athletic ability leave something to be desired, he used his compact and sturdy frame to deliver punishment when he ran the ball, and this is where his value lies.

Bruising running

If you can’t run past defenders, and you can’t run around them, the next best option is to run through them — and this is where James thrives.

In Oregon’s outside zone-heavy scheme, James thrived using his vision and quick jump cuts to navigate his way through the line of scrimmage and find space at the second level. This is where his bruising running style became his biggest asset.

A powerful runner with great contact balance and low pads, James punished secondary players who got in his way and rarely went down on first contact.

The contact balance and slippery running style gave arm-tacklers fits and made him one of the best in college football at picking up yards after first contact. Even though his athletic testing didn’t show a player with elite speed, once he did build momentum, he became a bowling ball in the open field and had no trouble turning opposing defenders into pins.

This bruising running style helped him rush for over 1,000 yards in his final season at Oregon, but the physicality showed up even more when he was catching the ball out of the backfield.

Pass catching

James has fantastic hands for a running back; this is where Kansas City could maximize his value. Running designed routes out of the backfield, James continued his punishment of defenders while also showing good route running and his savvy hands.

James catches the ball in space on a designed leak-out look into the flat, leaving defenders scrambling to stop him. After securing the catch in stride, he quickly turned his attention upfield, building momentum.

As he raced toward the sideline, the secondary player tried to square him up and prepared to make the tackle in space. The defender hesitates for just a second as James approaches, and in one explosive movement, James lowers his pads and blasts the defender off his feet.

Stunned from the contact, all the defender can do is try to wrap up the legs and pray that his teammates can rally to make the play. James is brought down just short of the end zone, but this hit gave his team a major spark and left a lasting impression on the defender who attempted to make the tackle.

The same quick feet and good timing that helped him make jump cuts in the running game also helped him in his running route.

On the snap, James exits the backfield quickly, and as the linebacker starts to flow outside, he plants his feet and runs an angle route back to the middle of the field. In stride, he makes an impressive catch over the middle and is just a few steps away from turning the catch into a big play.

Having backs with the versatility to regularly make plays in the passing game out of the backfield is a must for NFL teams in the modern era of football, and this is especially important for a team like the Chiefs.

The bottom line

James has the tools and traits that the Chiefs have valued with running backs during the Andy Reid and Brett Veach era. Reid has always coveted backs with the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield, while Veach has assembled running back rooms with physicality.

The running back room last season showed the team’s desire for physical runners with Isiah Pacheco, Kareem Hunt, Samaje Perine and Carson Steele — who all could break tackles and catch the ball out of the backfield.

Hunt, Pacheco and Steele will all be back on the roster come training camp. Steele is likely the fullback, and Perine re-signed with the Cincinnati Bengals in the offseason, meaning there is a need on the roster for the spot to be replaced.

The team signed Elijah Mitchell this offseason, but his contract indicates his roster spot is not a lock.

An area that James will have to show he is competent in is pass protection. To have value to the team as a pass catcher, he must be able to protect Patrick Mahomes regularly — and that will set up the passing game out of the backfield. James was not asked to pass protect much at Oregon, so this will be a learning curve he will need to overcome to make it in the NFL.

James isn’t an elite athlete, and he will likely be selected in the fifth round or later, but finding value players to fill needs has been a specialty of Veach.

He likely won’t be a star in the NFL, but James can carve out a solid career catching passes and imposing his will on defenders.