RADIO
Clyde Edwards-Helaire 2021 Outlook: Top-10 Upside in Feature Role
4 years agoClyde Edwards-Helaire landed in the perfect spot, on one of the best offenses in football. He ran for 135 yards and a score in his first NFL game and showed flashes of brilliance as the Chiefs' feature back through Week 6 of his rookie season. Then the Chiefs brought in Le'Veon Bell and CEH's role was diminished. He averaged just 10.6 carries and 3.3 targets from Week 7 on compared to 17.8 carries and 5.2 targets in the first six weeks of the season prior to Bell's arrival. The Chiefs didn't take a running back in the 2021 NFL Draft and both Damien Williams and Le'Veon Bell are no longer on the team. Additionally, Edwards-Helaire scored just five touchdowns on 235 opportunities (carries + targets) on an offense that scored 53 total touchdowns (one touchdown every 47 opportunities). For comparison, Kareem Hunt scored 14 touchdowns on just 216 opportunities with the Chiefs in 2018 (one touchdown every 15.4 opportunities). Expect positive regression in the touchdown column for CEH and a more feature role, similar to what we saw at the start of his rookie campaign. He's got the skillset and opportunity to be a top-10 running back in 2021.
