RUNNINGBACKS
Saquon Barkley, Penn State
Game Film Evaluated:
Iowa (2017)
Michigan State (2017)
Ohio State (2017)
Analysis: Ideal frame for the back, adequate bulk and built low to the ground. Quick feet, he is a jump cutter. Instant acceleration and smooth receiver out of the backfield. Good vision, runs with patience and then explodes to daylight. In pass protection, uses his hands well once engaged. However he lacks the bulk to prevent blitzers pushing him back into the pocket. He can be indecisive understanding who to take with blitzers, he allowed 2 blitzers to get pressure vs Michigan State not sure which he should have gotten. He can run routes like a receiver. He protects himself and does not take hits unnecessarily. Needs work in pass protection, he drops his head and can miss the defender when going low. He can make cuts that will leave defenders with nothing. The moves he is capable of is on par with any back in the country. Excellent speed and he will be able to get to the perimeter at the next level. His ability to bounce the run outside, turn the corner with balance and accelerate is elite. Pass protection was much better vs Iowa than in other games observed. Needs to shift hands when carrying the ball in the open field and shield it away from the defense. He can stop on a dime and then go at a rate faster than any of the defenders close to him. His best game was against Iowa. Counted 7 broken tackles and all were against Iowa. Solid kickoff returner, took one back for a score to open up the game vs Ohio State.
Summary: Saquon Barkley has elite level elusiveness skills. His ability to cut will leave defenders on the ground thinking they had him but in reality were never even close. His vision, super quick and shifty feet are top of the scale. Excellent hands and an option to make plays as a receiver out of the backfield. He is best as a perimeter runner than an inside physical type runner. He will go down and not take unnecessary hits. The offense at Penn State ran him exclusively out of the spread and was not used in the pistol during the games observed. He is not polished in pass protection, flashes good ability to stick defenders, needs to be more consistent handling blitzers bull rush on him and surrendering too much penetration into the pocket. He needs to be more consistent breaking tackles, utilize his balance to absorb contact and keep the feet moving. An elite level athlete who is a plus speed type runner who can run inside but prefers to bounce it outside. Elite 1st round grade due to unparalleled gamebreaking ability.
Sony Michel, Georgia
Game Film Evaluated:
Notre Dame (2017)
Tennessee (2017)
Auburn (2017)
Alabama (2018)
Analysis: Elite quickness and speed. He will be able to get around the corner at the next level. Tremendous ability to find the smallest holes, hit it with authority and accelerate to top speed. Runs physical inside. He will take on safeties and not afraid of contact. Flashes well in pass protection, very well vs Tennessee. Plus vision. The dual threat of him and Chubb stretched defenses thin and several big plays were gift wrapped for him, not his fault but reality. Physical pass protector, he doesn’t just want to take his man on, he wants to dominate them. There is upside for him as a receiver, ran a few routes downfield creating separation but were never able to connect on them. Catches the ball well on dump offs. Doesn’t run with great deal of power, doesn’t use a stiff arm.
Summary: Sony Michel is an extremely talented one cut type runner. He projects well to the pros with plus speed to turn the corner, has the home run ability, vision to find holes and fit through tight places, handle himself in pass protection and run physical inside. He is an average receiver but there is good upside in that area, just didn’t get enough opportunities during the games observed to make a opinion. His best football is without question ahead of him. While not a power/strength type back, he excels at reading the play, making one cut and running to daylight. He is one of the few rookie ready backs in the draft and he may very well challenge for rookie of the year honors. He is legit a first round talent but the lack of carries drops his grade to the 2nd. There isn’t enough to see how productive he will be after 25 carries and still have the same authority and ability to generate yards when he’s tired. 2nd round grade.
Kerryon Johnson, Auburn
Game Film Evaluated:
Alabama (2017)
Mississippi State (2017)
Missouri (2017)
Analysis: Adequate size and bulk for the position. Runs with excellent balance and he breaks a lot of tackles after engaged as a result. He is a patient runner, able to bounce it outside with a plus jump cut. Deceptive quickness, average long speed. He isn’t the biggest of backs but has no issues running the ball inside and getting the tough yards. Solid receiver and catches the ball well out of the backfield. Good vision and breaks to daylight. He isn’t an explosive type of runner, there isn’t elite burst or home run type speed. He flashes well in pass protection when he wants to, he is more than capable of sticking the defender and stopping them in their tracks. Other times he is proper position but gets pushed into the pocket against the same defender earlier he stood up.
Summary: Kerryon Johnson is one of the prospects that will not test well in drills or the combine but he will beat out many other backs on the field. He brings good inside and outside running ability, patience with vision and excellent cut back ability. He can break tackles once engaged and should be one of the best backs at yards after contact. Capable of being one of the most complete backs in the class, solid receiver, needs to be more consistent as a pass protector. Nothing about him says elite but the kid produces on the field at a high level against excellent competition. Projects best to a zone blocking one cut type scheme to allow him to let his vision, cut back ability flourish at the next level. 2nd round grade.
Ronald Jones II, USC
Game Film Evaluated:
Stanford (2017)
Ohio State (2017)
Texas (2017)
Analysis: Elite level speed and elusiveness. Does not run with power, not someone who can get you the tough yard inside in short yardage or goaline situations. Excellent balance and able to have defenders just fall off him when moving, reminds of Jammal Charles. He goes down once engaged, will not generate a lot of yards after engaged but he is able to shake loose from defenders when the feet are going. He brings home run hitting ability, his spin move to get out of tackles is impressive. He can go from 0-100 mph extremely fast especially on stretch plays cutting it upfield. Poor technique in pass protection, saw him throwing the shoulder into blitzers and not use his feet or proper hand use to keep blitzers at bay. He has excellent hands but was not used consistently as a threat out of the backfield. Not comfortable running routes.
Summary: Ronald Jones II is an elite athlete and brings tremendous game breaking potential to the position. He is a threat to score any time he touches the ball, he can run away from even fast defenders. He brings good balance, ability to break out of tackles when he keeps those feet moving. However he is not a good short yardage runner, he doesn’t run with power. Exciting player but snap to snap consistency may be an issue. He has got to improve his pass protection, it will keep him off the field on 3rd down until he improves it. There is significant upside to him as a runner and receiver and should become a better pro than he was in college. However there is considerable concern to his game since he doesn’t run with power, is a liability in pass protection and will struggle in short yardage and goaline situations decreasing his value. Late 2nd round grade due to the elite game breaking skills but high risk.
John Kelly, Tennessee
Game Film Evaluated:
Florida (2017)
Georgia (2017)
Missouri (2017)
Analysis: Compact frame and runs with tremendous balance and low center of gravity. There is no wasted motion to him and moves extremely well laterally. Allows him to shake defenders with good juke and cut moves. Fluid in space and has good upside as a receiver and was used as a weapon against LBs in man coverage. Runs physical and has a violent running style absorbing a lot of contact. Dropped his head and not properly set in pass protection vs Florida and got absolutely run over by a blitzer. One of the best tackle breakers in the class. A powerful and highly effective stiff arm. He’s a talker on the field, got a personal foul penalty due to it against Missouri. Awful pass protector, drops his head consistently and displays no technique to get set to handle rushers. Plus receiver out of the receiver with good hands and can make the difficult catch adjusting to passes behind him.
Summary: John Kelly brings one of the most physical styles to the RB class. He is a fine athlete who has excellent quickness and plus agility who runs with tremendous balance low to the ground to break a lot of tackles. There is no wasted motion when he is running, he gets to full speed immediately and has ideal patience and explode to daylight. He can make himself small in close quarters and no issues running inside and getting the tough yards. He has average long speed but plus quickness. He had virtually no help at Tennessee, the QB and OL were sub standard. He often had to handle defenders on him in the backfield and make something out of nothing. He runs angry. His best football is ahead of him and think he could become one of the most physical runners the league. He needs to get to work to improve his pass protection, that will keep him off the field as a rookie until it gets to at least an average level. Once he does that, he is a starting RB in the NFL. Until then, he could become a plus closing type back to punish a defense in the second half similar to Marion Barber coming out of Minnesota. Late 3rd round grade.
Nick Chubb, Georgia
Game Film Evaluated:
Oklahoma (2018)
South Carolina (2017)
Auburn (2017)
Alabama (2018)
Analysis: Strong compact frame with strong lower body. Runs physical and power type back. More quick than fast. Solid long speed. Effective side step away from defenders and keeps the feet moving once engaged. Not an explosive type runner, getting to the outside will be a struggle at the next level. He can break tackles once engaged when he keeps his feet moving going north and south. Defenders cannot bring him down one on one when they go waist up. Most effective when he has momentum behind him, not the type of back who can create much from nothing. Only observed a few instances in pass protection, results were not good. He struggles to locate the biggest threat or get into proper position. His receiver and ability to consistently protect the QB are unknowns.
Summary: Nick Chubb is one of the more traditional RBs in the class who brings good size and speed combination to the next level. He runs with power and authority, he can do the impossible and break away from multiple defenders tackles. He brings plus quickness and has the ideal lower body strength. However he is not an overly dynamic back until he gets to the second level of the defense. He will be dependent on the OL to create holes for him, not someone who can create much when the play doesn’t work as drawn up. His ability to protect the QB and be an adequate receiver are questionable and could not be determined based on the games observed. He should be a solid starter in the NFL and one of the old school type backs who can get dirty and would be fun to watch in the northeast playing in bad weather with his physical running style. 3rd round grade.
Mark Walton, Miami
Game Film Evaluated:
Duke (2017)
Florida State (2017)
Toledo (2017)
Analysis: Smaller back who runs physical and plus muscle tone. Elite level quickness, ability and one of the best cut runners in the game. Penalized for unsportsmanlike for throwing dice after a TD run. Explosive change of direction ability. Indecisive runner who waits for something to open up. Runs with good balance and broke a few tackles once engaged. Went down with ankle injuries during all 3 games observed. Used mostly on check downs and occasional screen passes as a receiver. Dances too much in the backfield trying to make something happen. Gives excellent effort as a pass protector, can get overwhelmed strength wise by a blitzer giving up ground in the pocket. However he has underrated core strength and moves feet well. When he locates the blitzer and gets into position, he generally can neutralize blitzers. Can sometimes be late to locate and caught reaching and off balance to make much of an impact preventing pressure. He wants to bounce runs outside consistently but he will cut it up inside and take the punishment. Not an effective short yardage runner, his dancing behind the line prevents him getting the 1-2 yards for the FD.
Summary: Mark Walton is an exciting elusive speed back who brings similar skillset to Saquon Barkley. Their change of direction ability and acceleration are elite. Walton is not just a speed back, he brings excellent vision and can make a big play out of nothing. However he needs to become a smarter back, understanding when 1-2 positive yards is acceptable and when to try and make the big play. He struggles with short yardage and red attempts dancing too much in the backfield allowing penetration from the defense and eliminating conversions. He ran exclusively out of the shotgun in college. He needs to improve as a pass protector but the tools are there for him to be successful in that area, effort is not the issue at all. Just needs to get set up more consistently and add some lower body strength to held him absorb the rush more without surrendering as much ground in the pocket. There is definite starting upside with Walton assuming the ankle is cleared, he went down with ankle injuries during all games observed eventually requiring season ending surgery after Florida State. Early 3rd round grade who could become one of the most exciting backs in the NFL if he continues to round out his game and the medical checks are acceptable. Exciting player for sure.
Royce Freeman, Oregon
Game Film Evaluated:
Washington (2017)
Arizona (2017)
Stanford (2016)
Analysis: Patient runner. Good vision and allows his blocks time to set it up. He has a good stiff arm to break tackles. Bit of a dancer behind the LOS, like to see him more decisive and cut upfield. Plus vision and able to cut effectively without losing any speed. He has deceptive quickness and can outrun angles bouncing it outside. He can step up to take on a blitzer but he fails to stay engaged with them. He needs to improve his footwork and effort level in pass protection. He runs with a short stride and allows him to get to max speed quickly and outrun defenders much smaller than him.
Summary: Royce Freeman is a physical and athletic runner with ideal size and speed combination that projects well to the next level. He needs a lot of work in pass protection but he was at his best vs Arizona. However he must become more consistent to earn the trust of his coaches. He is a patient runner that allows his blockers to open up holes for him. He gets to full speed quickly and can break a few tackles although not a dynamic game breaker in that area. He wasn’t used as a pass receiver consistently in the games observed. He projects best to a zone blocking offense to allow his vision, cutting ability and patience to be best utilized. He cuts to daylight and often not where the play is drawn up. He can be a rookie starter but he isn’t polished as a pass protector nor comfortable as a regular receiving threat. Early 3rd round grade.
Rashaad Penny, San Diego State
Game Film Evaluated:
Stanford (2017)
Senior Bowl (2018)
Analysis: Excellent vision and will go against the grain to find daylight. Good hands and no issues as a receiver in space as a safety valve or screen passes. He did fumble vs Stanford. Good balance and runs low to the ground allowing him to move forward after contact and shake off tackle attempts. He has good patience to allow the hole to open and then get through it with an impressive burst. He has the speed to get outside on a defense but is definitely more of an inside runner. He lacks top strength or power type rusher. His pass protection needs a lot of work, his technique is poor along with his footwork.
Summary: Rashaad Penny is fine RB prospect who should surprise people as a top rookie contributor in the NFL. He is a speed one cut type runner who excels at going north/south in a hurry with speed, no wasted motion juking or trying to find the hole. His vision, ability to run with patience and then accelerate to daylight is impressive. He brings a good receiving element to his game to be a weapon on option, wheel routes but also safety vales and screen passes. The only real concern is his pass protection which could keep him off the field if he doesn’t improve in a hurry. He needs to improve his technique, hand placement and footwork to become an average protector. At this point, his QB will not trust him to pick up a blitzer. He also is not a power runner who has a strong stiff arm or a powerful lower body to run through tackles. Top 100 player and late 3rd round grade.
Derrius Guice, LSU
Game Film Evaluated:
Alabama (2017)
Ole Miss (2017)
Auburn (2017)
Florida (2016)
Louisville (2016)
Analysis: Indecisive runner, ran up the back of his lineman often. He got the yards the line provided to him, did not make something happen out of nothing. He excels at getting through the smallest of holes and exploding to daylight. He is capable of making the big play but it is overshadowed by many other pedestrian runs. Not the type of back who can cover up for mistakes of others. Adequate pass protector, gets into proper position, sets his feet and uses adequate hand placement to neutralize most blitzers. Solid receiver out of the backfield but not a dynamic threat. Struggles to break tackles one on one. He needs to stay north/south when running, he can get out of a few tackles when he keeps the feet moving but doesn’t happen nearly enough. Lacks the home run speed to run away from defenders. Plus quickness and can turn it on once he finds daylight. Better cut ability and flashed improved balance in 2016.
Summary: Derrius Guice is a better athlete than football player heading into the draft. He lacks the balance, strength in the lower body, elusiveness to project that he will be a dynamic back in the pros. He is a product of the offensive line, good or bad. If the line gives him 8 yards then that is what he will produce in most instances. He is a adequate pass protector and has good hands to be on the field in 3rd down situations. There is little separation between other prospects and lacks any plus trait to suggest he will be more than an average player in the NFL. He projects as as a back up player who can get some early playing time as a 3rd down back and earn about 8-10 touches per game. There are reports he fought through injuries in 2017 and that resulted in the average film performance. However his 2016 film did not showcase a much different player than the one from 2017 in my opinion. Average prospect who is a far better athlete than football player at this point. Perhaps those 2 will meet and he can become an impactful pro RB. 4th round grade.
Bo Scarbrough, Alabama
Game Film Evaluated:
Clemson (2017)
Georgia (2018)
Florida State (2017)
Fresno State (2017)
Analysis: Has the look of a LB and a big one at that. Taller frame than ideal for the position. Extremely powerful in the lower body, he excels at getting yards after contact but not because he breaks tackles. He just keeps his legs moving and consistently gains multiple yards after the defender wraps him up. Not a quick lateral back or someone who is shifty in close quarters. He has good straight line speed. Solid hands out of the backfield and can make the difficult catch. Below average vision, runs up the backs of his offensive line too often. He doesn’t run to daylight, might be result of coaches insisting him to run where it is designed. Solid pass protector showcasing solid footwork and good strength to absorb contact and prevent defenders from pushing him into the pocket. Flashed a good jump cut vs Fresno State but did not come up consistently. He is able to break tackles when he uses his free hand on defenders but often he is focused more on protecting the ball.
Summary: Bo Scarbrough is a plus athlete similar to former Alabama back Derrick Henry. He is physically imposing and runs a violent high style that dishes out a lot of contact on defenders. However he is not overly quick, shifty or someone who can make much out of nothing. He can create a big play when blocked up well for him but that can be true for any pro prospect. However he is an adequate receiver out of the backfield and plus pass protector for the QB. He may never be a starter at the next level but a fine rotational back especially for a team that likes to run power football. 4th round grade.
Nyheim Hines, North Carolina State
Game Film Evaluated:
North Carolina (2017)
Louisville (2017)
Analysis: Very short and thin frame for the position. Ultra quick and shifty type back. Needs to be more decisive as a stretch runner, he often sticks with the play when the cut back lane is there. He runs up the back of his lineman and then realizes to cut it back. Needs to make that decision quicker and put his foot in the ground and cut it upfield. Zero power but will stick his nose inside when running the ball. He will take punishment running between the tackles. Doesn’t possess elite balance or low center of gravity to be capable of breaking tackles at the next level. He runs with good patience and then really take off like a bullet when he sees daylight. Excellent elusiveness when he gets some space either by spin or good cut. He will out run angles and safeties will have to readjust their angle when trying to cut him off. He ran routes in college and projects well to be an asset in the passing game especially when matched up against a LB in man coverage. Served as a kick off returner.
Summary: Nyheim Hines is an extremely undersized back with elite quickness and elusiveness but does not bring much power. He is not a feature type back but could be a guy serving as a rotational guy and underneath receiver in a Christian McCaffrey type role. His value as a kick off returner increases his stock and would be a guy want to get around 5-7 touches per game in addition to his duties as a returner. 5th round grade.
FULLBACK
Dimitri Flowers, Oklahoma
Game Film Evaluated:
Iowa State (2016)
Ohio State (2017)
Analysis: Solid frame with adequate bulk and good athlete. He runs well with the ball and is a tremendous receiver. He is a weapon out of the backfield capable of running routes like a TE or WR. He made catches in traffic, going up and getting it for TD and making the catch down the seam. Average blocker who is more of a position blocker than someone with good strength. He is not a impact blocker who can knock his man out of the hole. Used as an H back option at Oklahoma lining up in the backfield, on the line as a TE. Solid pass protector and moves his feet well in pass protection.
Summary: Dimitri Flowers is a unique prospect, he is only prospect in the class that can run the ball inside, a plus receiving option out of the backfield and challenge the intermediate areas of the defense and be at least an average blocker in the run game. If you need a run blocker to add value with your rushing attack, look elsewhere but he is your guy if you want to add a dynamic option capable of creating mismatches against the defense base personnel. 4th round grade.
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