This fairy tale started a long time back, 2012 to be exact, Andy Reid walked into the Eagles’ facility after landing a new job and made a business choice that, looking back, seemed like something from a sports documentary: Thank you for your hard work, kid, but I’m bringing my guy in. Nick Sirianni, a talented wide receivers coach at the time, was that “kid.” This is where it gets interesting, though. Because Sirianni? He didn’t feel offended. He continues to compliment Reid as though he were referring to the football godfather: “Coach Reid, I admire so many things about him… I worked for Todd Haley, I worked for Romeo Crennel, and I worked for Mike McCoy. But when I think about who my offensive philosophy was modeled after, it was Andy Reid.”
Fast forward to 2025, the same Sirianni is in Philadelphia, sporting gold chains of offensive invention, and Andy Reid, the man who fired him, may be borrowing a few pages from his playbook.
Because guess who’s sniffing around high-upside, dual-threat running backs despite already having a three-headed RB room? Yup — the Kansas City Chiefs. Enter: ShunDerrick Powell, the FCS burner out of Central Arkansas who just got a Top 30 visit with KC, according to an update posted on X by Chiefs Blitz. “ UPDATE The #Chiefs have scheduled a Top 30 Visit with Central Arkansas RB ShunDerrick Powell. Per, @SDudeHeinzShow.” You read that right. Even with Isiah Pacheco, Kareem Hunt, and Keaontay Ingram, the Chiefs are still window shopping for another offensive weapon — one that sounds suspiciously like a Saquon Barkley-lite, minus the contract baggage.
UPDATE
The #Chiefs have scheduled a Top 30 Visit with Central Arkansas RB ShunDerrick Powell.
Per, @SDudeHeinzShow. pic.twitter.com/iri8X4fHl6
— Chiefs Blitz (@ChiefsBlitz) April 13, 2025
Let us connect the dots for you. When Sirianni lured Barkley to Philadelphia during the offseason, it created a stir and memes. People chuckled. They yelled: You paid a running back? Sirianni responded: Yes. And I’ll do it again. Saquon was more than just a running back. For Jalen Hurts, he was a multi-tool chaos engine. Barkley piled up five touchdowns and more than 100 rushing yards in each of the first three playoff games, playing like Madden in rookie mode.
And when it mattered most — on the Super Bowl LIX sideline, with the confetti practically preloading — cameras caught Hurts turning to Saquon and saying: “That’s you. That’s you.” Barkley tried to shrug it off: “Come on. All of us, man.” But Hurts doubled down: “I know it’s all of us. But you don’t understand the difference you made. We right there… but you like that last piece.” Sirianni didn’t just sign a running back — he signed the missing piece.
Andy Reid now seems to want one of those as well. Patrick Mahomes, who continues to play three different roles on offence, is aiming for his own version. Cheaper. Faster. Sneakier. Powell’s numbers? 1,341 yards, 14 touchdowns, several games with 200 yards or more, and a vibe that screams the question, What if Devon Achane attended an HBCU and played with a Missouri-sized chip? The Chiefs don’t need another running back. But they might need this running back. And the best part? Sirianni won’t even get a royalty check.
Andy Reid’s kingdom needs reinforcements – Draft prospects
Brett Veach hit the draft board like a caffeinated army general just as the Super Bowl confetti had settled. The Chiefs have eight picks overall throughout all seven rounds, including the 31st pick in Round 1. If history’s any indication, that’s more than enough ammo for Veach to pull off something slick. This front office is responsible for transforming bench pieces into starters, late-round picks into Pro Bowl players, and day-three flyers into Super Bowl contributors. They’re not rebuilding — they’re retooling.
The shopping list includes. First up: pass rush. One harsh reality emerged from Kansas City’s Super Bowl defeat to Philadelphia: they were unable to produce steady heat. Chris Jones can’t do it all. Since none of their current DTs are on rookie contracts, they need someone young, twitchy, and moldable to plant next to him.
Next is offensive tackle. Jaylon Moore’s a short-term fix, and Jawaan Taylor is flirting with cap casualty territory by 2026. If the board slips just right, KC could pull the trigger on a developmental lineman to future-proof the edges. And yeah, running back might be in play too. Mahomes accounted for 72.5% of their total yardage last year — that’s QB abuse. Isiah Pacheco is electric but overworked. They need a second gear in that backfield, especially with no long-term RBs under contract past 2025.
Predictions are flying, and the mock draft season is in full delusion mode. Josh Simmons of Ohio State is on his way to Kansas City, according to Mel Kiper Jr. Before the injury, he was a possible top-10 choice with just one sack given in 19 starts and zero pressures over a six-game stretch. Pro Football Focus throws Oregon’s Derrick Harmon into the mix. With a 17.6% pass-rush win rate and a high IQ, this DT is sure to be a future Spags favourite. Another Buckeye, Donovan Jackson, is offered by The Athletic. He is a versatile, aggressive offensive lineman who can play either guard or tackle. NFL.com has two wild cards: Jahdae Barron from Texas, a big-bodied corner who can slide inside or outside, and Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan, a long, physical wideout with a toolbox Mahomes hasn’t had since, well, ever.
The real question isn’t what the Chiefs need. It’s how they’ll move. Veach has never been scared to trade up, trade down, or zag while the league zigs. He doesn’t draft for headlines. He drafts for February. And if the right prospect falls into his lap at 31? Good luck to the rest of the AFC.
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