The Kansas City Chiefs had to wait until the very bottom of the first round of the NFL Draft to pick, but they got on the board with Clyde Edwards-Helaire.
It’s unfamiliar territory for the Kansas City Chiefs to be picking at the very bottom of each round of an NFL Draft, but Chiefs Kingdom will undoubtedly be fine if they have to get used to it as Super Bowl champs. With the very last pick of the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, the Chiefs picked Clyde Edwards-Helaire, a running back out of LSU.
The selection of Edwards-Helaire gives the Chiefs another excellent piece to pour gasoline on top of the NFL’s most fiery offense. The Chiefs were able to win a Super Bowl with a committee approach to the backfield, but no one has the well-rounded skill set and dynamism of a player like Edwards-Helaire.
Edwards-Helaire is officially the first running back taken in the draft, a bit of a surprise given the amount of buzz (and previous production) around others like Jonathan Taylor of Wisconsin or D’Andre Swift of Georgia. Yet Edwards-Helaire is an ideal fit for what Andy Reid asks of his backs.
Last season, Edwards-Helaire had 215 carries for 1,414 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground. He added another 55 catches for 453 yards and 1 touchdown through the air.
The Chiefs now have a loaded backfield for 2020 and the competition will be tough, but Edwards-Helaire’s presence is especially nice for the long run. The contracts for Damien Williams is up after this season, and DeAndre Washington only signed a one-year deal. Darrel Williams is a restricted free agent after this year, so only Darwin Thompson was a sure thing in 2021 and beyond. Now the Chiefs have their primary weapon beside Patrick Mahomes in the backfield for the next four to five seasons.
As for the competition for reps for this year, it will be tough considering that all of the above will be jostling for position on a depth chart along with Mike Weber and Elijah McGuire.
The Chiefs have four more official selections coming up over the next two days of the draft, including two on Day 2 and two more on Day 3. The Chiefs traded away their final two selections in Rounds 6 and 7 in previous deals. The draft begins again on Friday at 6:00 p.m. C.T.