Chiefs 2020 rookie season review: RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire

The Kansas City Chiefs added six draft picks in the 2020 NFL draft and a number of undrafted free agents too. Several of those rookies made contributions during the course of the 2020 regular season and postseason. In some ways, the Chiefs’ top draft pick lived up to his draft slot.

Let’s take a look at Clyde Edwards-Helaire’s rookie season and see what we can project for the future.

LSU RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire - Round 1, Pick 32

AP Photo/Charlie Riedel

2020 season review:

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Edwards-Helaire was originally envisioned as a back who would share the load with Damien Williams in his rookie season. Williams, of course, opted out of the 2020 season to take care of his mother as she battled cancer. That decision thrust Edwards-Helaire into the starting role quickly and he attacked the challenge. In Week 1, Edwards-Helaire was a huge part of the gameplan against the Texans, rushing for 131 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries. In the five following weeks, Edwards-Helaire would see no fewer than 10 carries and three catches per game. As the season continued, Edwards-Helaire seemed to hit a bit of a rookie wall. Injuries mounted on the offensive line and the yards didn't seem to come quite as easily. In Week 15 against the New Orleans Saints, Edwards-Helaire suffered a nasty-looking lower-body injury. He was twisted up and contorted, suffering a hip injury and a high ankle sprain. That injury kept the rookie sidelined up until the AFC Championship Game against the Buffalo Bills. In Super Bowl LV against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Edwards-Helaire averaged over seven yards per attempt on nine carries and over 11 yards per attempt on two catches. Overall, this wasn't a bad rookie campaign for Edwards-Helaire. He finished the year with the fourth-most scrimmage yards among rookies and 10th among all players. After the season, Edwards-Helaire received the Chiefs' annual Mack Lee Hill Award, which denotes him as the franchise Rookie of the Year.

2021 outlook:

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

With Damien Williams slated to return, the backfield for the 2021 season should look like what 2020 was originally slated to look like. That means you shouldn't expect a massive increase in snaps for Edwards-Helaire. In fact, his snap share will probably be very similar to what it was as a rookie. Edwards-Helaire only scored six touchdowns as a rookie, including his touchdown in the playoffs. I think we can expect him to see the endzone more frequently, especially if the Chiefs can get some consistency on the offensive line in 2021. I also think fans will be looking for some more explosive plays compared to what they saw in his rookie season. His longest run as a rookie was just 31 yards. Another area where fans can expect improvement is his ability to contribute in the passing game. He was highly regarded as a pass-catcher coming out of LSU, but he never seemed to be firmly entrenched in the passing game for Kansas City. That should change with another offseason working with Patrick Mahomes and Eric Bieniemy. The one wildcard with Edwards-Helaire is that he'll have a new running back coach in 2021. Deland McCullough is leaving to coach with the Indiana Hoosiers. It'll be interesting to see how he adjusts to working with a new position coach and whether they'll be able to get more out of him or not.

Chiefs 2020 rookie season reviews:

AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann

We'll debut our rookie season reviews over the next several weeks, with the exception of Lucas Niang given the opt out. Check back here for hyperlinks when they're available.

• P Tommy Townsend

• OG Yasir Durant

• DT Tershawn Wharton

• CB BoPete Keyes

• DE Mike Danna

• CB L'Jarius Sneed

• LB Willie Gay Jr.

• RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire

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