2020 NFL Draft: Clyde Edwards-Helaire pro comparisons – The next Maurice Jones-Drew

Former LSU running back Clyde Edwards-Heialre’s pro comparisons have him likened to Maurice Jones-Drew, Mark Ingram and one Hall of Famer.

Heisman Trophy winner and presumptive No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow got a lot of the attention, as he should have. But he had some NFL-caliber talent around him as LSU made their run to the national title, and running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire became a star in his own right.

Edwards-Helaire was an all-around threat for the Tigers last year. He finished second in the SEC in rushing yards last year (1,414), while leading the conference in scores on the ground (16) and yards from scrimmage (1,867). His 55 receptions were good for 10th in the conference, with 453 yards and an additional score through the air.

Edwards-Helaire is a smaller back, at 5-foot-7, but he weighs in at a fairly stout 207 pounds. That low center of gravity works to his advantage, as 36 percent of his carries in 2019 went for a first down or a touchdown.

An easy comparison for Edwards-Helaire is Maurice Jones-Drew, and the hyphenated last names are a pure coincidence. Darren Sproles is another comparison that’s easy to make. Mark Ingram is another shorter, stout back that “CEH” is being compared to.

Comparisons to Devonta Freeman are also prevalent.

Edwards-Helaire looks like a Day 2 pick and may go off the board early in the second round.

Clyde Edwards-Helaire pro comparisons

• Lance Zierlein of NFL.com compares Edwards-Helaire to Freeman
• The Draft Network sees Devin Singletary or Ingram
• Walter Football sees some Brian Westbrook in Edwards-Helaire
• Mike Tagliere of Fantasy Pros sees a mix of Doug Martin and Ray Rice in Edwards-Helaire
• ESPN’s Matt Bowen is on the bandwagon comparing Edwards-Helaire to Freeman
• Eric Edholm of Yahoo! Sports compares Edwards-Helaire to Jones-Drew and Westbrook, with a mention of LSU running backs coach Kevin Faulk seeing some Barry Sanders in his former pupil

Edwards-Helaire will be on the radar of a lot of teams in the second or third round of the draft. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, Los Angeles Rams, Atlanta Falcons and Pittsburgh Steelers stand out as teams likely to have the most interest.

Jones-Drew is the ceiling for Edwards-Helaire, and a pass-catcher/return specialist like Sproles was is the floor. Somewhere in the middle, in the vein of Freeman, Westbrook, Martin or Rice but with a longer run of good production to edge toward that ceiling, is where I see Edwards-Helaire landing.