Clyde Edwards-Helaire Overview
Position: Running back
Height: 5’7
Weight: 207 lbs
School: LSU Tigers
NFL Combine Performance Data
40-yard Dash: 4.6 seconds
Bench Press: 15
Vertical Jump: 39.5″ (tied for third with running backs)
Broad Jump: 123″ (tied for ninth with running backs)
Clyde Edwards-Helaire 2020 NFL Draft Profile
The LSU Tigers had one of the best seasons offensively in college football history. Many players including Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Joe Burrow and two elite wide receivers leading the helm. Running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire was another top-tier playmaker for the Tigers due to his impact in the running game and his versatility as an extra receiving target. Edwards-Helaire came to LSU as a three-star recruit in the 2017 recruiting class. Edwards-Helaire came on as the fifth-ranked all-purpose back from his hometown in Baton Rouge, home to the Tigers. He provided minimal support in his freshman year in the ten games he played. It was his sophomore season in 2018 where he stepped his impact for the Tigers in the run game and passing game. That season, Edwards-Helaire rushed for 658 yards and three touchdowns on 146 carries. He also caught 11 receptions for 96 yards.
This past season, the Tigers had the number ranked scoring offense (48.4 points per game) and total offense (568.9). This was the season where Edwards-Helaire showed his potential due to his availability in workload. Edwards-Helaire rushed for 1,414 yards and 16 touchdowns on 215 carries for an average of 6.6 yards per rush. He also caught 55 receptions for 453 yards and a touchdown. Edwards-Helaire had seven games where he rushed over 100 yards and nine games where he caught at least four receptions. His versatile as a play-maker came big in big games. In the big win over the Alabama Crimson Tide, Edwards-Helaire rushed for 103 yards and three touchdowns on 20 carries as well as nine receptions for 77 yards and a touchdown. Edwards-Helaire makes a big case as one of the top running backs in the 2020 NFL Draft having a huge recent boost in draft stock.
Strengths
- Handles the ball great with shifting and securing on runs and catches;
- Incredible balance and flexibility;
- Great cut and go mobility;
- Top-tier flex running back systematics as a runner and a receiver;
- Great usage of spin moves and juking ability;
- Run routes out of the backfield at an instant;
- Can change speed instantly to alter defenders timing;
- Quick burst off the snap;
- Can square pads to make contact and push for extra yardage.
Weaknesses
- Doesn’t have the speed for longer runs;
- Lacks the power to withstand head-on contact;
- Undersized as an interior runner;
- Lack of pure speed to get to the corners on runs;
- Lacks proper vision in-between the tackles;
- Has limited catch radius due to short arm length;
- Experiences some concentration lapses;
- Often gives away position in sets and RPO plays;
- Slight durability issues.
NFL Comparison: Devonta Freeman
Teams with Need at position: Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Rams, Pittsburgh Steelers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Redskins
Projection: Second round
Bottom Line on Clyde Edwards-Helaire
In today’s NFL, running backs are limited but can have a distinctive purpose. Most backs have certain attributes that define them as some of the top playmakers in the league. Running backs like Christian McCaffery and Alvin Kamara have become two of the most electrifying players in the league due to their dual-threat abilities. Edwards-Helaire can create an immediate impact for an NFL offense as a runner and wide receiver in the backfield. His draft stock has been rising due to the need of younger running backs, who can impact a team in the passing game.
Edwards-Helaire has been getting a lot of interviews with teams including the Dallas Cowboys and the Los Angeles Rams. He may not be the pure inside runner that most backs in the league are but he provides support from other angles. Edwards-Helaire will likely be a target for a team to select needing his versatility and talent somewhere in the second round. McCaffrey’s new early contract extension highlights how flex running backs are essential to a high-volume offense.
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