Ranking the 2021 AFC West RBs: Where do the Las Vegas Raiders rank

Ranking the 2021 AFC West RBs: Where do the Las Vegas Raiders rank

4. Kansas City Chiefs

It seems strange to put a team that has a first round pick in Clyde Edwards-Helaire as the starting back at fourth, but the Kansas City Chiefs don’t have much else beyond him in the backfield. Even Edwards-Helaire was solid, but not spectacular in his rookie season, where he put up 800 yards rushing and close to 300 yards receiving in 13 games.

Perhaps the grind of the NFL was too much for the smaller back, but he was talked up in the preseason as a potential Pro Bowler, and some people even had him as a top-five fantasy draft pick. Obviously, he did not reach those expectations, but he still has room to grow after a full NFL offseason.

Aside from Edwards-Helaire, the Chiefs have a trio of young backs in Darrel Williams, Elijah Mcguire, Darwin Thompson and a journeyman in Jerick McKinnon, who has shown great promise but has been unable to stay healthy. They will likely lean on Edwards-Helaire and Williams, who is a bigger back, but either way they will be one of the more pass heavy teams in the NFL thanks to Patrick Mahomes and their receiving weapons.