Deneric Prince 'More Comfortable' in Year Two, Getting Help from Isiah Pacheco

Now in his second training camp, Prince continues to receive advice from Pacheco and is also helping pass it down to current KC rookies.

Dec 17, 2023; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Deneric Prince (34) warms up before a game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs' running back room has a very defined one-two punch as the 2024-25 season approaches. At the top, Isiah Pacheco and Clyde Edwards-Helaire will help lead the backfield throughout the year.

Much like it has been all offseason, the No. 3 job is up for grabs. Former undrafted free agent pickup Deneric Prince hopes to take control of it, which could happen if he enjoys a good preseason debut against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday.

For Prince, this spring and summer have presented opportunities for him to build on what was a low-key rookie campaign. After signing with Kansas City on the heels of a breakout senior year at Tulsa, he only appeared in two games during the regular season. Despite that, he managed to stick around the organization all year long and became a Super Bowl champion at the end.

Entering year two, Prince knows there's more at stake. Luckily for him, he feels like he's prepared for it.

"I feel like now, I've got more understanding," Prince said this week. "I'm getting more comfortable in the offense and just steadily growing."

Last preseason, Prince led the Chiefs in rushing attempts with 22. The next-closest player, La'Mical Perine, had just 16. On those totes, Prince averaged only 3.6 yards per carry but did score a rushing touchdown and break off a 15-yard scamper. He also went three-for-three as a receiver, hauling in those passes for 10 yards.

With an offseason under his belt, Prince is making the most of training camp in St. Joseph. On the Missouri Western State University practice field, he's garnered plenty of attention and premium reps. Part of that is due to Edwards-Helaire missing a bit of time, but another stems from his improvement. Prince says he focused on weight training during the offseason, which led to him being more efficient and comfortable in pass protection.

The internal motivation of "effort and accountability" continues to guide Prince. Pacheco does too, though, which is impressive considering he's just over a year older than him. But as one of the more experienced halfbacks in the room, Pacheco knows what will help land Prince a spot on the 53-man roster. Keeping Patrick Mahomes safe is paramount, and Prince says Pacheco emphasizes it quite often.

"Day in and day out, he's telling me pass protection is key," Prince said. "Pad level. It's a mentality thing. Running backs, we set the tone, so we've just been working on that."

Last year, Zack Eisen of Kansas City Chiefs On SI broke down Prince's game and hinted at him potentially being another "running back gem" found by Brett Veach. At the time, Prince was standing out for all the right reasons at training camp and looked destined for some sort of impact role in year one. It never translated on special teams or offense, so this newfound hype is far from guaranteed to be justified.

With that said, Prince's pre-draft profile remains intriguing. Backs who can run 4.4-second 40-yard dashes at 215 pounds don't grow on trees – especially ones that accompany that with a 10-foot, four-inch broad jump. Prince's athletic testing spoke for itself then; it's still relevant now. On the Kansas City unofficial depth chart for Week 1 of the preseason, he's listed as the club's third running back. That falls in line with what many believe: Prince is ahead of rookies Emani Bailey and Carson Steele.

Now having been through the debut ringer himself, Prince is attempting to take on a bit of a leadership role while battling for that third halfback job.

"Both of them guys, they've been doing great in this camp," Prince said. "I've been trying to teach them the plays and continuing to tell them to stay locked in."

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