Kansas City Chiefs rookie RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire is poised for a big rookie campaign.
The Chiefs are set to hand over the starting gig to their top draft pick in the 2020 NFL Draft after former starter Damien Williams opted out of the season. Edwards-Helaire had a strong training camp, reassuring the coaching staff that he’s ready to step in and be the No. 1 back in Kansas City. Chiefs running back coach Deland McCullough even dubbed Edwards-Helaire “a perfectionist” in the final days of training camp.
So what can we expect in terms of on-field production from the former LSU star? At The Huddle, they are projecting Edwards-Helaire to a total of 1,630 yards from scrimmage and 12 touchdowns in 2020. Here’s what they had to say about him:
“Say hello to the sleeper that will never be a sneaky late draft add. The Chiefs used their 1.32 pick to take the LSU star as the first RB of the 2020 NFL draft. The Chiefs have struggled to mount a formidable backfield since the loss of Kareem Hunt. No back cracked 500 rushing yards for KC and they relied on a mish-mash of six different RBs. Edwards-Helaire is at a disadvantage with the COVID-19 situation robbing rookies of invaluable team time. But he brings in the same sort of talent (or better) that saw Hunt rack up 1,782 total yards and 11 TDs as a rookie in the same offense. His final National Championship season at LSU saw him rush for 1,414 yards and catch 55 passes for 453 yards and total 17 TDs. He may start slowly, but Edwards-Helaire should be a great fit in this offense. With Damien Williams opting out for the season, Edwards-Helaire’s stock is going to go through the roof. And he may well be worth it.”
The big thing that the folks at The Huddle neglect to mention is that Hunt’s rookie season saw Alex Smith at quarterback in Kansas City. No offense to Smith, but having Patrick Mahomes leading the offense could give Edwards-Helaire the edge he needs to have a monster season, perhaps one that eclipses that of Hunt’s rookie year with the team. The threat of Mahomes and an array of offensive weapons like Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce, Sammy Watkins and Mecole Hardman could really open up the ground game for a successful year.
Our own Kevin Scott has a projection for Edwards-Helaire that is a bit more modest, with 1,485 yards from scrimmage and 11 touchdowns on the year. What do you think, Chiefs Kingdom? What type of numbers will Edwards-Helaire put up during his rookie season? Be sure to let us know your projections on Facebook and Twitter.
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