Why the Chargers selected Troy RB Kimani Vidal

Kimani Vidal was a workhorse during his time at Troy, ending his career with over 4,000 rushing yards.

With the 181st pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Chargers selected Troy running back Kimani Vidal. After losing both Austin Ekeler and Joshua Kelley earlier this offseason, the Chargers have now added Gus Edwards, J.K. Dobbins, and Vidal to a room that still hosts Isaiah Spiller, Elijah Dotson, and Jaret Patterson.

Even with Edwards and Dobbins leading the backfield, Vidal was a necessary addition with Dobbins on a one-year deal coming off another season-ending injury. The Chargers are hoping the cheap deal ends up working out for them but in case it doesn’t, Vidal provides a great backup plan.

At 5’8 and 213 pounds, Vidal owns a stocky and powerful build that he runs behind every single play. Despite the shorter stature, Vidal still posted a 4.46 in the 40-yard dash to go with a 37.5-inch vertical and a 4.15 in the short shuttle. This past season, Vidal led the country with 94 missed tackles forced.

One of the red flags with Vidal is his immense workload that he took on while at Troy. Over the past two years alone, he handled 528 carries. In his career, he touched the ball 873 times. That’s a lot of tread on the tires for any player but a lack of injuries throughout that time should ease the mind of the Bolts. As a receiver, Vidal caught 92 receptions for 700 yards and a single touchdown.

Vidal ended his career with a notable mark of 5.1 yards per carry. He also posted double-digit touchdowns each of the past two seasons, on top of leading the nation in 2023 with 47 rushes of 10+ yards.

When I watch Vidal, I see a compact runner who knows how to take contact with good contact balance in an attempt to stay as vertical as possible to maximize yards after contact. He keeps his eyes up and tries to adjust his body in an attempt to make the second guy miss despite already being contacted by another defender.

The final grades on Vidal are a bit all over the place but most believed he’d certainly come off the board in the fifth or sixth round. If you’re noted draft analyst Brett Kollmann, you had Vidal as your fifth-best in the class. That’s some high praise from a guy who knows ball.