ESPN analyst Louis Riddick is all-in on the Kansas City Chiefs’ rookie running back Brashard Smith.
Louis Riddick on Chiefs rookie RB Brashard Smith: ‘Alvin Kamara’s clone with 4.3 speed.’ @LRiddickESPN knows what he’s talking about #ChiefsKingdom #NFLRookieWatch pic.twitter.com/MKskyLgxIR
— Chief Concerns (@ConcernsChief) May 15, 2025
“Keep an eye on this kid Brashard Smith from SMU who they drafted in the seventh,” Riddick told an ESPN panel last week. “He is an Alvin Kamara clone with like 4.3 speed. They have got a lot of things going on right now in Kansas City. They may have addressed their issues as good as anybody.”
Smith comes by his speed naturally, since he played as a wide receiver in three seasons at Miami (Florida) before transferring to SMU (and running back) in 2024, when he recorded 1,332 yards (and 14 touchdowns) on 235 carries — an average of 5.7 yards per attempt — along with 327 yards (and four touchdowns) on 39 receptions.
Those numbers suggest that Smith really could become the kind of versatile weapon that the New Orleans Saints’ running back has been during his eight NFL seasons, when Kamara averaged 1,443 yards (and more than 10 touchdowns) per season.
It’s also likely that Riddick — who is known to have strong connections with Kansas City head coach Andy Reid and general manager Brett Veach after working with both of them as a scout and personnel executive during their time with the Philadelphia Eagles — is tuned in to what the Chiefs are thinking about their new running back.
Smith could easily end up being yet another late-round ball carrier who makes some noise in Reid’s offense.
