AFC West running back rotations ranked from worst to best in 2023

1. Kansas City Chiefs

Isiah Pacheco, Jerick McKinnon, Clyde Edwards-Helaire

I initially thought the Kansas City Chiefs were going to wind up last on this list, but when you look at their rotation of running backs, they are doing more than just "making it work" right now.

First off, I think there's a bit of a negative perception about the Chiefs' running back rotation because Clyde Edwards-Helaire is considered by many to be an NFL Draft "bust" as a former first-round pick not really living up to the billing. Although Edwards-Helaire may be falling short of living up to his NFL Draft status, he contributed six total touchdowns and 453 yards on 88 total touches last year (10 games).

Jerick McKinnon has really become a valuable weapon in the Chiefs' passing game over the last couple of years, and actually scored 10 total touchdowns for them last season while ranking fourth on the team with over 800 yards from scrimmage.

Isiah Pacheco was a 7th-round rookie in 2022 who wound up leading the Chiefs in rushing yards (830) and rushing touchdowns (5). He then added 262 yards from scrimmage in the playoffs, proving that his rookie regular season was not just a statistical gimmick or result of the Chiefs just blowing everyone out. Pacheco is a legit RB1 in Kansas City moving forward who had over 1,200 yards in total last season, playoffs included.

This running back rotation for the Chiefs combined for a grand total of 2,216 yards from scrimmage, 21 total touchdowns, and 86 total receptions. Forget the AFC West, the Chiefs' current running back rotation is one of the best in the league when you lay it all out like that.