Chiefs rookie running back Kareem Hunt has been one the biggest revelations of the first month of the season.
Hunt went from a player who the NFL advisory board recommended stay in school his junior year (2015) and likely would not be drafted, to an impact player in Kansas City.
Hunt had a strong season at Toledo as a sophomore and was viewed as an emerging top running back, but struggled with injury and his weight as a junior. As a result, he was urged to stay in school by the advisory board, which generally consists of six evaluators who work with the NFL's Football Operations department and give recommendations to draft-eligible players about when they might be drafted.
Hunt was advised to return to school, with the board citing concerns about his weight and health, identifying him as a potential injury risk, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. "He looked like a player that was going to get hurt again," the source said. Hunt was hardly intent on leaving school, and already expecting to return to Toledo, I'm told, and the report confirmed that.
Hunt transformed himself into his senior year, shedding weight and playing with an explosive burst. "He's a totally different back from his junior year," said one evaluators who watched Hunt closely in college. "He changed his body."
The Chiefs moved up to take Hunt in the third round, at 86th overall, aware that several other teams were high on the running back as well. The Eagles did abundant work on him, the Buccaneers were hot on him, and the 49ers and Texans were among the teams prepared to take Hunt as well on the second day of the draft, sources said.
