We all know about the arm of Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
We all know about the speed of Tyreek Hill, Mecole Hardman, and Sammy Watkins a.k.a. The Legion of Zoom.
We all know about the NFL’s best tight end, Travis Kelce, and the overall impact and swagger he brings to a game.
CBS Sports NFL announcer Tony Romo probably described the Chiefs fire-powered offense the best during a game last season; “The Chiefs are playing Madden and we’re just trying to watch football.”
In two seasons, Kansas City has made themselves known for possessing an offense straight out of a video game, however, there was just one thing missing.
A shake and bake, ground and pound, a hard-to-bring-down, physical specimen of a running back with the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield and the speed to take it to the house.
The Chiefs managed to find all that in a single player with the 32nd overall pick in Clyde Edwards-Helaire.
I’ll admit, I as well as many other people inside the Chiefs Kingdom did not expect this selection. But I have a feeling that in a few months, we’re going to love it!
Chiefs General Manager Brett Veach was on a conference call on Thursday night to talk about the 32nd overall selection of LSU running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire:
“The kid, his interior running ability, just the vision and the instincts are just rare and unique,” said Veach. “The guy kind of has the ability to play the game in slow motion. Lateral, agility, vision, his ability to start and stop and redirect his hands out of the backfield, some of those guys, one guy may have one trait, the other guy has another trait. We felt like he kind of had all of those traits.”
During his junior season at LSU, Edwards-Helaire, 21, rushed for 1,415 yards and 16 touchdowns on 215 carries. He also notched 55 receptions for 453 yards to earn All-SEC first-team honors as a running back in 2019 with 1,867 all-purpose yards.
No doubt, Edwards-Helaire is a game-changer for the Chiefs offense, and if he can do the same things while at college, I’m not sure how the other 31 NFL defenses will be able to defend against it.
On paper, Kansas City is down right unstoppable offensively.
So much so that according to NFL analyst Peter Schager, he had reports that multiple GMs tore their draft sheets in pure rage following the pick.
Edwards-Helaire likely won’t start right away, but should help create a nice one-two punch the Chiefs need in the run game with Damien Williams.
He also reunites with former LSU running back Darrel Williams, who helped him under the offense at LSU during Edwards-Helaire’s freshman year.
While on conference call last night, Edwards-Helaire expressed his excitement and why he fits in the Chiefs offensive scheme:
“Watching the Kansas City offense last year, they were big on getting the back out in space,” said Edwards-Helaire. “Any checkdown, any way the back can get out and run a route, that’s where I absolutely did most of my damage as far as being in the passing game, and that’s what Kansas City is big on and that’s what the foundation is built on — being able to get the ball in space and spread the ball out,” explained Edwards-Helaire.
“That makes defenses stressed. Being able to be a running back and catch the ball out of the backfield and run routes — I feel like everything is a perfect [fit].”
Edwards-Helaire will doan number 25, which has been worn previously by legendary Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles and most recently, LeSean McCoy.
Kansas City now just needs to shore up that offensive-line and build up the defense a bit they’ll be in prime shape to run it back in 2020.
