On the Draft Board: Damien Martinez shows shades of a young Kareem Hunt

Based on the Kansas City Chiefs’ free agency decisions, I see two clear needs going into the draft: defensive tackle depth and a starting running back.

Running back is typically not seen as a position where teams desperately need help, but in the Chiefs’ situation, it’s a dire need for them. The Chiefs’ running game in 2024 was one of the most interesting case studies I remember. Last season, the Chiefs were eighth in success rate rushing the ball. That’s a very good number. Kareem Hunt was 28th in the NFL in rushing first downs last season — a great number for a player the Chiefs got in September.

And yet, despite being a relatively efficient run game, the Chiefs’ running backs didn’t take advantage of it. Of 44 qualifying rushers last season, Hunt was tied for second-worst in yards after contact per attempt at 1.6. He was 30th in yards before contact/attempt at 2.0. One reason for this was the lack of explosive runs in the offense. Between Hunt and Isiah Pacheco, each running back had one run of 20-plus yards all season.

What some of these stats suggest is that while the Chiefs had a good running game, it was almost entirely a byproduct of their offensive line winning the line of scrimmage in a short area. The Chiefs were elite at getting three or four yards on every run down, but that was it. They couldn’t create a single big play in the run game, which was an issue with the offense all season.

What could fix this? Putting more dynamic running backs in the backfield!

The test of a running back’s ability is their ability to take well-blocked plays and convert them for additional yards. The Chiefs don’t have a running back who can do that.

Over the next few weeks, I will write profiles for different backs who could help Kansas City. In this post, we’ll start with one of my favorites: Damien Martinez of Miami.

Background

Damien Martinez wasn’t a big recruit. Out of high school, Martinez was a three-star prospect with only Power 5 offers from Oregon State, Georgia Tech and Kansas. Martinez went to Oregon State.

Martinez was instantly impactful as a freshman, rushing for 161 carries, 982 yards (6.1 yards per carry) and seven touchdowns, winning the Pac-12 offensive freshman of the year. As a sophomore, Martinez continued to produce, putting up 194 carries, 1,185 yards (6.1 yards per carry) and nine touchdowns. Martinez made the Pac-12 All-First Team at running back.

With head coach Johnathan Smith leaving for Michigan State and Oregon State being left behind in the Pac-12 destruction, Martinez entered the transfer portal as the No. 2 overall running back behind Quinshon Judkins. Martinez signed with Miami, where he went for 159 carries, 1,002 yards (6.3 yards per carry), and 10 touchdowns. Martinez has also improved his receiving yards total in each of his three seasons.

Martinez is a short yet stocky running back at 5’11” and 217 lbs. He didn’t test with elite long speed, but his jumps were good and showed the quick burst explosiveness he has.

Strengths and weaknesses

What I like about Martinez the most is that he’s worked in multiple schemes. At Oregon State, they were an outside zone offense from under center, allowing their left tackle, Tailese Fuaga, to thrive in space. Martinez was good in that scheme.

At Miami, they were built with more power and size on the offensive line and played from the shotgun, so they were more of a Duo team that attacked the middle. Martinez thrived in that as well.

Why does he succeed in multiple schemes? His blend of vision, patience, first-step explosiveness and power makes a running back comfortable between the tackles. Martinez has the mass and explosiveness to break tackles and push piles, but enough speed to bounce a run to the edge. His vision is polished — and he’s comfortable making reads.

From a weakness perspective, Martinez certainly doesn’t create many big plays. In 2024, Martinez was 47th in 15-plus-yard runs with 13. However, in 2023, he was 28th with 17. That was more than Trey Benson, Jonathan Brooks or Braelon Allen. It’s fair to point out that Martinez definitely lacks an elite fourth gear.

As a receiver, Martinez will have a limited route tree, although I think he’s a good pass protector.

How he fits with the Chiefs

Martinez being scheme-versatile makes me think his fit is fine with Kansas City. The one thing I love is Martinez is good from both under center and shotgun. With the Chiefs still being a dropback-oriented offense that sprinkles in run-pass option (RPO) plays, Martinez showed plenty of good film to lead me to believe he would work here.

The bottom line

When I watched Martinez, the comparison I had in my head was young Kareem Hunt. When Hunt was in Kansas City in 2017-18, he was known for his bowling ball power, quick first step, good vision and limited long speed. Martinez shares many of those qualities. I do think Hunt is better as a receiver than Martinez, but I still find them to be similar players.

If Martinez can mimic Hunt’s early seasons, we saw firsthand the sky-high ceiling of the Chiefs’ run game. Since then, it’s been mediocre at best. In my opinion, it’s time to invest in a running back with more talent than what the Chiefs have been using. I think Martinez can be that guy.

Grade: Round 2 (No. 5 running back)