Five Kansas City Chiefs players who must step up in 2022
RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire
Remember when Peter Schrager from NFL Network’s GMFB said that NFL general managers were outraged and “threw their papers off their desk” when Clyde Edwards-Helaire fell to the Chiefs in the 2020 NFL Draft? At the time, the Chiefs were reigning Super Bowl champions. A comment like that from a national pundit had to excite Chiefs fans.
Fast forward to today, other general managers don’t have a reason to be upset that Edwards-Helaire fell to the Chiefs.
When healthy, Edwards-Helaire is capable of doing damage against opposing defenses. He was in the top 10 in rushing yards in the first five weeks of 2021 prior to his injury. At one point during the 2020 season, Edwards-Helaire was second in rushing yards behind Derrick Henry.
He’s averaged 4.4 yards per carry in his career. However, he’s only had four 100-yard rushing games in 23 regular-season appearances. He’s scored just 11 touchdowns in his two seasons so far in the NFL.
Edwards-Helaire played in two of the three playoff games this past year. Out of 36 total snaps, he ran the ball 13 times for 96 yards and caught two passes for 13 yards.
Compare that to free-agent backup running back Jerick McKinnon in the playoffs, McKinnon played 158 snaps, ran the ball 34 times for 150 yards, and caught 14 passes for 165 yards with the Chiefs. McKinnon had nearly three times the total yards Edwards-Helaire had this past postseason.
Yes, Edwards-Helaire dealt with a lot of injuries in 2021, which played a role in McKinnon getting more snaps. But availability is key.
Edwards-Helaire has not had eye-glowing stats for a first-round pick. He’s Kansas City’s only first-round draft selection the past four years.
At the moment, Edwards-Helaire leads the team’s running back corp with Derrick Gore coming back and newcomers Ronald Jones and Brenden Knox behind Edwards-Helaire. Going into his third year, it is likely that Edwards-Helaire will be the lead man at running back again. With Tyreek Hill gone, the Chiefs will need someone to step up on offense to fill for Hill’s playmaking ability. Edwards-Helaire will have the opportunity to lead the Chiefs’ offense this year and could do so if he stays healthy.