KC Chiefs: Three things to know about Clyde Edwards-Helaire

The KC Chiefs made Clyde Edwards-Helaire their first round pick on Thursday night. What are some things Chiefs Kingdom should know about their future running back?

While drafting a running back in the first round isn’t the most popular decision by NFL teams these days, the Kansas City Chiefs were in prime position to do so in the 2020 NFL Draft.

For one, they held the final pick of the first round and also, running back was an area of weakness in the 2019 season. It picked up in the playoffs, but throughout the regular season, the run game struggled to do much damage on a week to week basis.

Brett Veach and the Chiefs decided to find the final Infinity Stone for their Infinity Gauntlet (nerdy Avengers reference, not even sorry about it) by drafting an incredible running back with the 32nd overall pick. This is just unfair to opposing defenses.

So, with Clyde Edwards-Helaire joining the explosive Chiefs offense, what should fans know about the LSU running back? Here are some things that might not be out there about the National Champion.

HE TAKES CARE OF THE FOOTBALL

One of the most important things for an offense is not only to score points, but also to hold onto the football and not turn the ball over and hand things back to the opposing offense. The Chiefs have had some running backs in the past who were talented, but definitely more prone to coughing up the football.

Clyde Edwards-Helaire isn’t that player. During his time at LSU, the kid had 438 touches and had just ONE fumble in that span. ONE FUMBLE.

Clyde Edwards-Helaire LSU career:

438 Touches
1 Fumble pic.twitter.com/U6l6iDc9rL
— PFF College (@PFF_College) April 24, 2020

Now we all remember how when Kareem Hunt didn’t fumble in college either and then did so on the first carry of his pro career, but that was purely coincidence. The Chiefs might have opted to pass on someone like Jonathan Taylor due to his fumbling issues because they know that just about any time they have the football, they can score.

Turning the pigskin over prevents that and Edwards-Helaire is going to make sure that football stays in either his or Patrick Mahomes‘ hands.

BRINGING HIM DOWN IS QUITE A CHALLENGE

The Chiefs defense – at least in recent years – has shown that tackling in the league isn’t what it once was. Hard tackles are few and far between and Edwards-Helaire is going to take full advantage of the lack of tackling in the sport these days.

One coach told me new #Chiefs RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire was the best player he saw on tape in this draft:
"He's such a playmaker. He’s a good ball-carrier, but his value in the pass game is pretty substantial. He never gets tackled by the first guy."

Another toy for Andy Reid.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) April 24, 2020

The tweet above from Tom Pelissero is interesting because of where he says “He never gets tackled by the first guy” and if that’s the case, NFL defenses might just hang out in the locker room rather than try to slow down the Chiefs. The highlight video the Chiefs put out after they took Edwards-Helaire constantly showed him barging through the line and barely getting touched in the process.

This is the exact kind of running back the Kansas City Chiefs need in 2020 and beyond. Good luck bringing him down, defenses.

HE WASN’T A FOCAL POINT FOR LSU UNTIL 2019

As good of a season as the new Chiefs running back had with LSU in 2019, it was actually his only year in the spotlight for the eventual National Champions. He had just 689 yards rushing and seven touchdowns in his first two seasons combined and doubled that during the 2019 season.