Clyde Edwards-Helaire should be a Rookie of the Year frontrunner

The Chiefs made their offense even more lethal with their first round selection of Clyde Edwards-Helaire and he’ll definitely shine in his first year in the league.

When the Kansas City Chiefs made the decision to go with a running back in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, they made a strong statement. Even though they already had a top five offense the season prior in which they won a Super Bowl, they continued to add to it by drafting LSU sensation Clyde Edwards-Helaire.

Edwards-Helaire is coming off a National Championship season with the Tigers and played a pivotal part in getting LSU to that point. He rushed for 1,414 yards and 16 touchdowns while also grabbing 55 receptions for 453 and a touchdown. His ability to both run and catch the ball efficiently makes him someone the Chiefs will immediately want to slot in on the field.

The Chiefs still have Damien Williams on their roster and a strong case could have been made for Williams to have won Super Bowl MVP because he was tremendous in that game and had the eventual game-sealing touchdown.

Kansas City Chiefs didn’t draft Clyde Edwards-Helaire for him to sit on the bench

If there was any weakness on the Chiefs offense last year, it was easily at the running back position. Williams played well in the Super Bowl, but during the regular season, he battled injuries and inconsistencies.

Edwards-Helaire gives Kansas City that elusive running back they’ve been missing. The guy evades tacklers with ease and he’ll easily be able to pad his stats in this offense.

Some might say that drafting him takes the ball out of Patrick Mahomes‘ hands, but it doesn’t have to! Edwards-Helaire showed he can catch passes at LSU, evidenced by his 55 receptions he had in 2019.

The Chiefs lacked a true running back threat last year, but they have one now. Andy Reid won’t shy away from coming up with incredible play calls for Edwards-Helaire and he will shine in the Chiefs offense.

Although Edwards-Helaire will be competing with the likes of CeeDee Lamb, Jerry Jeudy, and LSU teammate Joe Burrow for the Rookie of the Year honors, he’s in the best situation out of the big names from the first round of the draft. His team is the reigning champion and know how to churn out stars on offense.

Now that the Chiefs have a true running back talent, they won’t hesitate to use him as much as possible and that’s why Clyde Edwards-Helaire will put himself in the Rookie of the Year discussion.