After leaving the LSU Tigers following the 2019 national championship season, running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire couldn’t have fallen into a better situation. The Kansas City Chiefs were coming off a Super Bowl Championship and were expected to make a run again, they did but fell short against Tampa Bay.
Still, the Chiefs needed a playmaker in the backfield and Edwards-Helaire fell right into their laps. The talented back from Baton Rouge was coming off a junior season where he appeared in all 15 games. He accounted for 1,867 yards from scrimmage and 17 touchdowns that year. Even though he was small in stature, Edwards-Helaire played much bigger than his size.
As a rookie in 2020, the Chiefs back would account for 1,100 total yards from scrimmage with five touchdowns. His 803 rushing yards put him at No. 19 in the NFL, No. 2 among rookie running backs. The former All-SEC runner’s season was off to a hot start. Going into year two, how much better could he be?
According to Mike Jones of USA TODAY Sports, Edwards-Helaire has been one of the standout players in NFL training camps.
After making upgrades to the offensive line this offseason, the Chiefs have made a concerted effort in recent practices to work on building a physical run game capable of imposing its will on opponents. But Edwards-Helaire’s impact figures to expand in the passing game as well. Coach Andy Reid said coaches last year didn’t want to overwhelm the rookie, so they limited his involvement in this department. But now, Reid believes Edwards-Helaire is capable of playing a key role as a passcatcher as well.
As a rookie running back, 297 yards receiving was nothing to scoff at but now Edwards-Helaire could have a greater impact on the entire offense. He and fellow LSU back, Darrel Williams provide a great one-two punch at the running back position.
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If you ask Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire, Edwards-Helaire is among the top year-two breakout candidates in all of the NFL.
The LSU alum started his NFL career hot, with 25 carries for 138 yards and a touchdown on opening day against the Texans’ hapless defense, which tried running a bunch of two-high stuff to stop Patrick Mahomes, and wound up being a huckleberry for the rookie.
Edwards-Helaire gained 874 yards and scored five rushing touchdowns on 196 carries; not that he’ll get 300-plus carries in this offense, but he might get 300 touches for a good 1,500 yards behind a reinvented front five.
The Chiefs are also using Edwards-Helaire on routes he’s familiar with leading up to the new season, which is nice.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire could be in for a monster season, which means he should be prioritized in your fantasy football drafts.
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