Chiefs select LSU running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire in first round of 2020 NFL Draft
The Chiefs added to an already formidable offense built around Super Bowl MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
The Chiefs drafted LSU running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire with the 32nd overall pick Thursday night, and he’s a player that has general manager Brett Veach and coach Andy Reid excited.
“We were super-excited to stay true to our board and draft who we feel is just a unique player, a unique talent,” Veach said. “You throw him in with this offense, it’s going to be real exciting.”
The 5-foot-7, 207-pound Edwards-Helaire, who met with the Chiefs at the NFL Scouting Combine in February, enjoyed a productive and dynamic career in the most competitive football conference in college sports — the Southeastern Conference.
In a twist, Edwards-Helaire was once told by one of LSU’s rivals before he entered college that he wasn’t good enough for the SEC.
“We were actually going to ‘Bama,” Edwards-Helaire said. “But yeah, I remember that I was told I wasn’t SEC-caliber.”
Edwards-Helaire would go on to prove the doubters in Tuscaloosa, Alabama wrong with an accomplished collegiate career.
He came into his own as a junior in 2019, rushing for 1,414 yards and 16 touchdowns, averaging a healthy 6.6 yards on 215 carries. The powerfully built rusher is a capable receiver, too, a must in Reid’s offense.
He totaled 453 yards and a touchdown on 55 catches last year while helping LSU win a national championship with an unblemished record.
He said Thursday night that he believes he’s in an ideal spot with the Chiefs after watching tape of his new team.
“They were big on getting the running back out in space and I feel like that was where I absolutely thrived,” Edwards-Helaire said. “And the Chiefs, they made a great call. The offense, the whole game-plan and everything is a perfect fit.”
Edwards-Helaire finished his college career with 2,698 yards from scrimmage (2,103 rushing) and 24 touchdowns in three seasons. He also showed he could contribute on special teams, amassing 877 yards on 40 kickoff returns.
Along the way, he reminded Veach of someone who used to play for Reid in Philadelphia.
“I told Coach, ‘Wait until you finish up your work on Clyde Edwards-Helaire; he’s going to remind you of Brian Westbrook,’” Veach said in comparing Edwards-Helaire to the former Eagles back. “Coach called me back and said, ‘He’s better than Brian.’”
Given his skill-set and the high compliment, there’s little doubt the Chiefs will find a way to utilize Edwards-Helaire in what currently projects to be a crowded backfield this fall.
The Chiefs exercised a club option on incumbent starter Damien Williams to keep him in Kansas City for the 2020 season. They also have Darrel Williams, Darwin Thompson, Elijah McGuire, Marcus Marshall, Mike Weber and DeAndre Washington, who signed a one-year deal during free agency, at running back.
But the selection of Edwards-Helarie provides a view to the future, as both Williamses and Washington will be playing in contract seasons this fall.
Undeterred by his somewhat shorter stature, the Chiefs say Edwards-Helaire is eminently capable of carrying a full load.
“I think the way we can spread teams out and make them play east and west, and the threat of our vertical passing game, and, again, this kid is low center of gravity, his ability to make people miss,” Veach said. “I think just the way our offense is constructed, I think this guy will thrive and I think he’ll be able to handle a workload.”
This story was originally published April 23, 2020 at 11:42 PM.
