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Isiah Pacheco turning heads in training camp with Kansas City Chiefs
By Andrew Olson
Published:
Isiah Pacheco was far from guaranteed a roster spot with the Kansas City Chiefs as a seventh-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft (No. 251 overall). The former Rutgers running back, however, is off to a strong start in his first training camp.
On Saturday, Pacheco even got some reps with the starters.
— Rutgers Football (@RFootball) July 30, 2022
Pacheco is turning the heads of teammates and coaches.
“He just has the right temperament,” Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bienemy said of Pacheco, per Arrowhead Pride. “He’s a tough guy who doesn’t take anything for granted. He has that attitude and determined mindset that wants to be great — just like everybody in that group.
“But at the end of the day, he understands: ‘When I get those opportunities, I have to maximize [each] opportunity and make the very most of it’ — because he doesn’t know when that opportunity is going to come again.”
Fellow running back Jerick McKinnon also spoke highly of the rookie from Rutgers.
“He’s a humble guy and his work ethic is top tier,” McKinnon said, per Chiefs Wire. “He’s real explosive and has nice size. Him and (Tayon) Fleet (Davis) both, big backs but they move really well. They have good footwork in the individual drills. I know the coaches think highly of them and so does everybody else on the team.”
“These last couple of days he has shown what he can do with the ball,” McKinnon continued. “Like I told him and the other guys, when you come in as a rookie, it’s going to be that big learning curve. Especially now, everything is flying. In OTA’s, it’s a little slower and you get to learn with the coach, and they break it down. Once you get to camp, it’s all cylinders. Just watching those guys each day just learn and come out and make progress has been amazing.”
Pacheco looks to be in line for playing time this fall.
A former Florida beat reporter, Andrew writes for the Saturday Tradition News Desk.