Georgia's D'Andre Swift and Wisconsin's Jonathan Taylor were widely expected to be the first two running backs selected in the 2020 NFL draft.
The Kansas City Chiefs saw things differently.
As Thursday night's opening round spilled into Friday morning, the Chiefs used the 32nd and final pick on LSU's Clyde Edwards-Helaire. The 5-foot-7, 207-pounder was overshadowed at times this past season by Tigers quarterback Joe Burrow, who won the Heisman Trophy by the largest margin ever and was Thursday night's top overall choice of the Cincinnati Bengals, but Chiefs general manager Brett Veach saw traits in Edwards-Helaire that separated him from Swift and Taylor.
"All three of those guys are good players, but this kid has interior running ability, vision and instincts that are rare or unique," Veach said early Friday morning on a media call. "The guy has the ability to play the game in slow motion. He can start and stop and redirect out of the backfield. Some of those other guys had some of those traits, but we felt like he had all of them.
"This guy is explosive and has the ability to make something out of nothing."
The first virtual draft due to the COVID-19 pandemic resumed Friday night with the second round, with Cincinnati tabbing Clemson receiver Tee Higgins, the Indianapolis Colts taking Southern California receiver Michael Pittman and Swift going to the Detroit Lions as the 35th overall pick. Swift's selection was followed by the New York Giants taking Alabama safety Xavier McKinney.
AP file photo by Sam Craft / Alabama defensive back Xavier McKinney was picked by the New York Giants early in Friday's second round of the NFL draft.Taylor, who rushed for an eye-popping 6,174 yards in three seasons with the Badgers and surpassed 2,000 yards both as a sophomore and a junior, went to Indianapolis as the 41st selection overall.
The Seattle Seahawks used the 48th overall pick on Tennessee outside linebacker/defensive end Darrell Taylor.
Edwards-Helaire rushed 215 times for 1,414 yards (6.6 per carry) and 16 touchdowns last season in 15 games for the undefeated Tigers, and he also amassed 55 receptions for 453 yards (8.2) and one score. Swift, meanwhile, rushed for 1,218 yards and 6.2 yards per carry in 14 games for the Bulldogs, adding 24 catches for 216 yards (9.0) and a score.
As if transitioning from the reigning national champions to the reigning Super Bowl champs isn't exciting enough, Edwards-Helaire will go from supporting Burrow to assisting Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the MVP of Super Bowl LIV and the MVP of the 2018 NFL season.
"Being able to line up next to him is something I've absolutely dreamed of," Edwards-Helaire said on a conference call. "They are big in getting the running back out into space, and I feel like that is where I absolutely thrive. The whole offense is a perfect fit for me."
Edwards-Helaire was the 15th Southeastern Conference player taken in Thursday's opening round, shattering the previous mark of 12 for a league that was shared by the SEC and the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Swift became the third Georgia player taken, following first-round tackles Andrew Thomas, who went fourth to the New York Giants, and Isaiah Wilson, who went 29th to the Tennessee Titans. Thomas and Wilson matched the number of offensive linemen that Georgia produced in the first three rounds of the previous 16 drafts combined, with Cordy Glenn having gone to Buffalo in the second round of the 2012 draft and with Isaiah Wynn having gone to New England as the 23rd overall pick in 2018.
The Atlanta Falcons used the No. 16 pick Thursday on Clemson cornerback A.J. Terrell.
The NFL announced Friday that the opening round drew a record 15.6 million viewers on ABC, ESPN and NFL Network, up 37% from the 11.4 million viewers last year and up 26% from the previous record of 12.4 million in 2014.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524. Follow him on Twitter @DavidSPaschall.