Clyde Edwards-Helaire’s dynasty value is all but guaranteed to be as high as it has been at any point in the last three months, after hearing his name called last during the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. That pick means that Edwards-Helaire is now a member of the Kansas City Chiefs, arguably the best possible outcome for his dynasty stock.
With an offensive-minded head coach, possibly the best offensive coordinator, and a former MVP as organizational support, he will have every opportunity to be a difference-maker for both his new NFL team and your dynasty roster as well.
[sv slug=mocksim]CEH
Champion to Champion
There may be no better landing spot for someone coming off a College Football National Championship than the reigning Super Bowl champions. The junior out of LSU was a workhorse in his final season, bringing physicality to the ground game and keeping opposing defenses on edge with his receiving prowess.
Perhaps the best all-around running back prospect in this draft, Edwards-Helaire will look to set the tone for the Chiefs after finding himself in one of the most coveted spots dynasty players were watching.
The jump to the NFL is often tricky for premier players on a national championship squad. Still, with Edwards-Helaire joining a Chiefs team that is returning 20 of 22 starters from the Super Bowl, there is tremendous continuity for him to take advantage of.
While the number of offensive weapons the Chiefs have may be seen as a negative by some, it can also be seen as a positive in another light. CEH will likely be at highest, the 4th offensive threat opposing defenses prioritize behind former MVP Patrick Mahomes, TE Travis Kelce, and WR Tyreek Hill. With all eyes elsewhere, Edwards-Helaire should be allowed to feast, and that is a great argument for why he should be the 1.01 pick in your rookie drafts this season.
[sv slug=dynastysocial]Looking to the past to see the future
There is going to be an intriguing name drop by the Chiefs’ top brass featured later, but for now, I’ll say that when watching Edwards-Helaire’s LSU film, one name immediately came to mind, Maurice Jones-Drew. More than just a hyphenate in common, MJD (5’7″ 210 lbs) and CEH (5’7″ 207 lbs) have similar builds, running styles, and skillsets.
Edwards-Helaire runs incredibly hard between the tackles and shows enough burst to turn the corner on the edge. They both came out as juniors with impressive receiving chops, and awareness to get upfield after securing a pass.
Ideally, you would like to see him have more of a plan when encountering a safety in the open field. Too often, Edwards-Helaire just lowers his shoulder, trying to take advantage of his stature to bulldoze his way to extra yards. Interestingly enough, when he is met in the backfield by a defender, there is impressive choppy footwork and shiftiness that should easily translate to these situations, it’s just all about being aware when making these moves in space.
With only two fumbles, one lost, in his final season, ball security is as big an asset as any that Edwards-Helaire possesses. His acceleration is on display every time he employs a stop-and-go to throw off a defender’s pursuit timing and added experience as a kick returner only speaks further to his impressive vision.
The angle route out of the backfield, spin move at the sideline, and jump cuts are Edwards-Helaire’s biggest strengths and will undoubtedly be employed by Andy Reid and Eric Bieniemy at the next level.
All of these traits were on show in the 2020 National Championship against Clemson, as Edwards-Helaire put up some impressive highlights among an all-around juggernaut LSU offensive performance.
Impressive Company
It seems there is no bigger fan of Edwards-Helaire than Chiefs head coach Andy Reid and general manager Brett Veach. Veach appeared on a Chiefs’ Youtube draft party after the selection. He was speaking to play by play man Mitch Holthus and reporter BJ Kissel when he said, “A few weeks ago when we were kind of putting the final touches on our board and looking at a group of players that we thought would be there. I remember talking to coach [Reid] and reminding him how much he reminded me of Brian Westbrook. And coach called back, and after a few conversations he had mentioned, he thought he was better than Brian. So we knew we had a good one.”
Clyde Edwards-Helaire checks off boxes for toughness, competitiveness, knowing what it takes to be a champion, draft capital, and most important: opportunity. While I have previously said that Damien Williams showed well in the Super Bowl, when the rubber met the road, the Kansas City Chiefs sought to upgrade that area of their offense. Edwards-Helaire’s dynasty value in 2020 rookie drafts currently sits at the 1.01 in 1QB leagues while entering the discussion for 1.03 in Superflex formats. Williams won’t vanish, but it is clear that Edwards-Helaire will be expected to take over the primary running back duties as Andy Reid looks to bring another Lombardi trophy to Arrowhead.
Andrew Thomas Jordan is an editor and analyst for the Pro Football Network covering Dynasty Football. You can follow him @The_ATJ on Twitter.