Through the first two days of Kansas City Chiefs full-team practices at training camp, there has been little opportunity for running back Kenneth Walker to showcase his skills. In the “acclimation” period spanning the first three days of camp, the Chiefs don’t wear full pads, limiting the run-game work.
On a few occasions, Walker has flashed in the pass game. On Thursday, one particular play had quarterback Patrick Mahomes “excited,” according to Jesse Newell of The Athletic.
It looked to be a timing screen for Walker, with Mahomes buying the appropriate amount of time for offensive linemen to set up in lead-blocking positions in the right flat. Mahomes delivered the pass, and Walker followed right guard Trey Smith, among others, down the field for an explosive play.
Observing practice, it was definitely a highlight of Thursday’s session, but the team worked on screens during Wednesday’s practice as well. Center Creed Humphrey talked about the attention that goes into working on the screen game on Thursday.
“Just focusing on the details in practice,” Humphrey said at the podium. “Locking down exactly what we need to do, exactly what we’re trying to accomplish with each screen. Really, just get the reps with the new backs… to get that cohesion.”
As camp moves forward, the use of Walker in the screen game should continue to be monitored; he has the explosiveness in the open field that makes screen plays worth calling, to a much higher degree than Kansas City’s backfield was able to offer before.
“He’s a dynamic player,” Humphrey said about Walker. “Freak athlete, great with his reads, everything like that.”
After Wednesday’s practice, Walker talked about learning the balance between patience and explosiveness as a runner from doing it over and over in football from an early age, working with his father.
“I feel like it helps the offensive line,” Walker said of that skill. “Sometimes, you have to be fast, but other [times], you have to be patient and let the blocks develop, then hit the hole.”
Head coach Andy Reid’s screen game has been mostly dormant since he was able to deploy running backs Jamaal Charles or Brian Westbrook as elusive playmakers in space. Walker has a chance to bring life back to one of the strongest features in Reid’s offensive scheme.
