NFL Draft player profile: running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire

A very Merry Draftmas to you all!

I wrote Tuesday I’d give out my scouting report on Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Here is my report from the KC Draft Guide on the talented LSU running back that would be an excellent fit for the Chiefs’ offense.

Clyde Edwards-Helaire, running back

Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images

5’ 7 1/4” | 207 lbs | LSU

Baton Rouge, LA | 4/11/1999

Grade (round): 2nd

Projected Draft Range: Day Two

Combine Results: 4.6 second 40-yard dash, 15 bench press reps, 39.5” vertical, 123” broad

2019 Stats: 215 carries, 1,414 yards, 16 TD, 55 catches, 453 yards, 1 TD

Background: 2019 first-team All-SEC. Grew up in Baton Rouge, LA, and ultimately decided to stay home. Teammates with Derrius Guice at Catholic High School where Edwards-Helaire became the first freshman in at least three decades to play varsity. Played a limited role in his first two years before earning the starting job in his junior year.

Strengths: Edwards-Helaire is a complete, modern NFL running back. He possesses projectable qualities in the run and pass game. As a runner, Edwards-Helaire shows good vision and patience. He sets defenders up before utilizing his excellent lateral agility and burst to run through the hole. Has displayed very good contact balance. Edwards-Helaire has smooth, quick feet that serve him well as a runner but also as a receiver. He has run a wider variety of routes than most running backs coming out of college. Edwards-Helaire has natural hands and is very comfortable catching passes away from his frame. He can even catch in contest areas. In pass protection, he has shown a lot of promise and should be able to play as a three-down back. Edwards-Helaire has range. You can put him on the field in short-yardage and trust he’ll convert on the ground at a high rate, but he can also be trusted on third-and-long in the passing game as a protector or receiver. Only has 370 carries on his career, so he hasn’t been worn down by a heavy workload during his time in college.

Weaknesses: The knocks on Edwards-Helaire start with an underwhelming athletic profile. He tested as a below-average athlete at the NFL Combine, highlighted by a 4.6 40-yard dash. The lack of long speed is evident in his game — you won’t see him consistently run away from people at the next level. He’ll certainly generate explosive plays in the run and pass game, but his potential for those is not as high as others in the class.

How he fits with the Chiefs: Edwards-Helaire is an excellent fit for the Chiefs offense. He would thrive in their zone-heavy rushing attack but also has immense potential as a pass-catcher. Giving Andy Reid a player with the versatility Edwards-Helaire possesses would be a terrifying proposition for opposing defenses. Because he can be asked to line up out wide and run routes, execute the screen game at a high level, run the football with success between the tackles and make people miss in space — the Chiefs would get the most out of Edwards-Helaire if they invested in him.

Player comp: Brian Westbrook

Team fit: High

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