Brashard Smith | SMU 5’ 10”/194 lbs April 11, 2003 (22)
Brashard Smith was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs, becoming the 22nd running back and 228th overall player in the 2025 NFL Draft.
COLLEGE PRODUCTION
| Year | Games Played | Attempts | Rushing Yards | Yards Per Rush | Rushing TD’s | Receptions | Receiving Yards | Yards/Catch | Receiving TD’s |
| 2021 (UM) | 12 | 6 | 23 | 3.8 | 0 | 14 | 199 | 14.2 | 2 |
| 2022 (UM) | 11 | 3 | 22 | 7.3 | 0 | 33 | 308 | 9.3 | 0 |
| 2023 (UM) | 12 | 9 | 132 | 14.7 | 1 | 22 | 263 | 12.0 | 2 |
| 2024 (SMU) | 14 | 235 | 1,332 | 5.7 | 14 | 39 | 327 | 8.4 | 4 |
*Statistics Pulled from Sports Reference
Smith was a four-star recruit who originally had committed to the University of Miami as a wide receiver. He spent his first three collegiate seasons in Miami playing in the slot and returning some kicks before he transferred to Southern Methodist and converted to a running back for the 2024 season, where he had an impressive stat line on the ground and through the air. This past season, Smith received many accolades, including being named a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award and a semifinalist for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award.
FILM
STRENGTHS
Most impressive about Smith is his versatility and dynamic play. When he transferred from Miami, he switched positions from wide receiver to running back. Being new to the position, he has fresh legs with only 253 career carries. Smith, with the ball in his hands, is slippery on the first two defensive levels as he uses quick cuts and spin moves to elude defenders. He possesses very good stop-and-start quickness when waiting for a play to develop. He has a feel for finding soft spots along the interior as well as second-level quickness to spin around or sidestep defenders. Being a former wide receiver, he has outstanding hands and ball skills, along with being able to line up and run a variety of routes from the slot. Smith is someone who could be used in a Jerick McKinnon-type role and succeed with limited touches. He also shined as a kick returner and punt returner at Miami and will likely get that opportunity at the NFL level.
WEAKNESSES
The first noticeable red flag about Smith is that he lacks the ideal size to carry a full workload and displays some hesitation in his early reads. Also, when watching his tape, he runs with a little too much hesitation with his approach and has a difficult time outrunning the pursuit to the corner. Smith required a better understanding to ready and set up block development, as this will take time with him being new to the running back position. Additionally, he has below-average leg drive to break through arm tackles and doesn’t offer enough effort in pass protection.
ATHLETIC TESTING
At the combine, Smith measured 5’10” and 194 lbs. His arms were measured at 30 ½” with a hand size of 8 ¾”. He checked in with an impressive 4.39 40-yard dash time, 1.58 10-yard split, 32.5” vertical jump, and a 9’9” broad jump. He finished with an NFL NextGen Stats composite score of 74, ranking him 13th amongst running backs in the class and projecting him to be an above-average backup. Smith’s strengths are based on his raw athleticism and versatility, particularly his speed, elusiveness, and receiving ability, which all combine to make him a dynamic playmaker. He has all the raw athletic tools to succeed at the next level and be used as an explosive chess piece in the right offense.
DRAFT ANALYSIS
Rapid Reaction to Draft Capital: Poor
Rapid Reaction to Landing Spot: Above-Average
Smith was selected with the 228th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs.
FANTASY INSIGHTS
I have Brashard Smith ranked as the twentieth running back in this year’s deep running back class for projected future Dynasty value, but he also has sleeper potential with more upside. He’s an underdog prospect and has generated buzz due to his versatility.
Expect Smith to be selected in the mid to late fourth round of Dynasty Fantasy Football rookie drafts. His immediate and future upside could be capped by the current running backs on the Chiefs roster, Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt, but if given touches and a chance to show that he can shine, Smith is a player who can do more with less. He can also line up in the slot for the Chiefs, which is perfect for a creative play caller like Head Coach Andy Reid. I love this landing spot for Smith, as this is exactly where I would have wanted him to get drafted, too. He can step into a role that Jerick McKinnon held for the team a few years ago as a primary third-down back and multi-dimensional weapon.
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