Report: Emani Bailey agrees to UDFA deal with Kansas City Chiefs

TCU running back Emani Bailey has agreed to a UDFA deal with Kansas City Chiefs, per report.

Bailey is coming off a monster 2023 season after emerging as the lead back for the Horned Frogs. He ran for 1,209 yards on 223 carries, churning out 5.4 yards per carry. He scored eight times. He also emerged as a legitimate receiving threat.

During his junior season at TCU, Bailey caught 25 passes for 184 yards and a touchdown, showing the ability to be a versatile threat out of the backfield. That’s something NFL scouts will have loved.

In total at in college — two years at Louisiana and two years at TCU — Bailey accounted for 2,161 yards rushing and 18 touchdowns. He also caught 47 passes for 380 yards and a score.

Prior to enrolling at Louisiana and later transferring to TCU, Emani Bailey was a three-star prospect and the No. 1,324 overall recruit in the 2020 recruiting class, according to the On3 Industry Rankings.

He also checked in as the No. 104 running back in the class and the No. 168 overall recruit in the state of Texas that cycle, hailing from Denton (TX) Ryan.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Emani Bailey

There isn’t a ton to poke holes in when it comes to Bailey’s game, though his height is a bit of a concern at just 5 foot 7. Still, he plays with a lot of power for a back his size.

The question will be how everything translates to the NFL level.

Writes NFL Network analyst Lance Zierlein, in evaluating how Emani Bailey will fit at the next level:

“Short back with muscular lower body who might possess the skill set to compete for a future three-down role. Bailey is a decisive runner with the vision and burst to choose correct pathways and turn runs into chunk plays. While he can be fairly elusive, he’s not a loose-hipped creator in space and doesn’t appear to have a home-run gear with which to run away from the defense.

“He’s more capable than most prospects as a pass protector and adds value as a target out of the backfield. Bailey isn’t special in any one area, but he’s solid in all. His three-down potential and quickness to process and burst give him a shot at becoming a productive member of a running back room.”