[OC] HB Rankings - 2019 Draft Class
Mar 29, 2019 18:58:52 GMT -6
Reignman, Funkytown, and 2 more like this
Post by Danchat on Mar 29, 2019 18:58:52 GMT -6
With the QBs Rankings out of the way, the next position up is HB, also known as the Running Back. Last draft class saw three HBs in the first round and four in the second. While this year may not have a single 1st round HB, there is a decent amount of depth in the 2019 class. I've compiled some PFF Grades, some draftniks grades, and watched tape on 10 HBs and I ranked them in the order I saw fit. Let's see who made the list:
Key: 2018 Grade, Elusive Rating, Receiving Rating, and Pass Blocking Rating are all PFF stats. pSPARQ is a measurement of the players' athleticism based on the combine. HBs who did not participate have projected pSPARQ ratings indicated in bold and italics.
Also, for the first time, I've created .gifs for this article! I've given each HB a single key highlight from one of the games that I watched. The highlight .gifs have been placed within spoiler tags so that the article won't lag on your device.
#1: David Montgomery - Iowa State
David Montgomery is a beast! On tape, Montgomery absolutely lived up to his elusive rating. When Montgomery gets a little bit of wiggle room, he's just gone. Linebackers stood no chance against him as his cuts were incredibly decisive. He also stacked up in the pass blocking game, where I didn't see him give up any pressure. It was noticeable that Montgomery didn't quite have the breakaway speed that his '40 time suggests, but honestly, I thought he was still fast enough. For reference, James Connor, Pittsburgh's young HB who took off in his first year as a starter, ran a 4.63 at the combine. He's also got plenty of strength, as he's great at converting short yardage situations. I saw a 4th and 1 that he converted despite getting hit by 2 defenders before reaching the line of gain. Montgomery has very good vision and understands which cuts to make to maximize yardage gains. The only negative I could find is that he would try too hard on a few plays and lose a little yardage, but this didn't happen often.
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Summary
Montgomery looks like he can be a bellcow HB in the NFL, as I think he can be out there as a 3 down HB. With draft evaluators guessing he'll be a 3rd or 4th round pick, Montgomery is likely going to end up as a steal. HBs may not be worth much anymore, but I'd take David in the 2nd round if I was a team that needed a starting HB.
#2: Josh Jacobs - Alabama
Jacobs is at the top or in the top 3 for most draft analysts this year, despite Jacobs being in a heavy rotation at Alabama. He's always been the #2 HB to somebody else, and only averaged 84 carries per year over his 3 year run at 'Bama. (You may notice that the carries/fumble is low on the graph, but he didn't have fumbling issues this year with just 1 lost fumble in 2018.) With Jacobs splitting the workload with Damien Harris and Najee Harris, most games came with small sample sizes. Jacobs is a strong back, who can plow forward and gain extra yards that weaker HBs wouldn't. Jacobs has an impressive cut that devastates defenders, and he was rarely taken down in the open field without a fight. In the receiving game, Jacobs has soft hands and even made a big play 25+ yards downfield like a WR would. A couple downsides are that he doesn't have breakaway speed and ran a slower 40 than expected at his Pro Day. He also had a few runs where he made the wrong cut and lost yardage. I wasn't very impressed by his pass protection was lacking at times.
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Summary
Jacobs had a powerhouse offense to support him at Alabama, and while he proved to be a dynamic player, I don't see anything that makes him truly special. He has the receiving ability that teams are looking for in HBs, so he'll be a fine weapon on 3rd downs. He's another strong HB that is tough to bring down, and didn't get much mileage at 'Bama. I could see him being a fine 2nd-3rd round pick.
#3: Darrell Henderson - Memphis
I wasn't sure why this Memphis HB was ranked so high by my formula compared to how others have ranked him. One thing jumped out to me immediately that made my eyes bulge - Henderson had 9 games where he rushed for over 130 yards, and 8 where he went over 160!! That's insane! On tape, Henderson looked like a boom-or-bust HB - his O-line provided some big holes, and Henderson was able to crank up that 4.49 '40 speed to take several long carries to the house. While Henderson isn't an especially strong HB, he was able to avoid tackles and quick burst away from defenders that might catch up to a slower HB. There were a handful of plays where I thought Henderson took a bad cut. Henderson looked good on short yardage plays, and he did a good job at bouncing off defenders when they came in to make a hit. He also has great acceleration - he just seemed to explode, even after slowing down to dodge a tackler.
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Summary
Henderson set the all-time Memphis rushing record with 1909 yards in one season with 8.9 YPC and 22 TDs. On tape, it seems like a good portion of that is due to Memphis' great blocking and poor competition. Henderson has a knack for ripping off large gains for long TDs, and he's serviceable on 3rd downs. I'm not sure I see him taking over as a 3 down HB in the NFL, but he's certainly worthy of being used heavily in a HB rotation.
#4: Devin Singletary - Florida Atlantic
First things first; Singletary is one tough cookie. The big back from FAU is a cannonball that is very difficult to tackle. It will almost always require 2-3 yards just to bring the guy down, and he won't go down without a fight. However, unlike many other HBs I watched, Singletary was consistently getting taken down at the line of scrimmage, as either their O-line was bad or teams sold out to stop the run. When he did get room, Singletary liked to cut plays to the outside and was able to slip around LBs consistently. Scouts are worried about Devin's speed, as he clocked in at a slow 4.66 at the combine. On tape, Singletary doesn't have the speed to break away on long runs like other HBs, but he still has the agility and acceleration to make up for it.
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Summary
Singletary looks very similar to David Montgomery, but with a little less speed and less receiving skills. I can understand why some teams see him as a fullback, but he's so incredibly hard to bring down, he's worth using as a 1st/2nd down back with short-yardage usage. I see him as a 3rd round pick with potential to be available in the 4th round.
#5: Damien Harris - Alabama
Harris was the lead of the Alabama rushing attack for 3 season now, and averaged 140 carries per season over those years. What stuck out to me, compared to the 4 HBs ranked above him, is that his ability to break tackles was far below the others, as his low elusive rating suggested. Harris almost always went down when he was hit for the first time, though he would typically still push forward for a few yards. While Harris is clearly faster than Jacobs, he lacked the agility of his teammate. 'Bama did use him a lot as a receiver, and he did a fine job. That'll help his stock as NFL teams have had an increased demand on HBs with receiving ability. He's the type of guy that a QB can check down to, and suddenly he'll turn on the jets and blow by the linebacker trying to cover him (check out the highlight to see what I mean, he turned a checkdown on 3rd & 14 into a 1st down). While I thought his tape was a bit unremarkable, he does because difficult to topple one he reaches full speed.
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Summary
I agree with the scouts that Jacobs is the better Alabama back, and Harris might be a bit overrated. He isn't very good at breaking tackles, but he's fast and quick and has some slick receiving skills that will make NFL QBs very happy. I fully expect him to be a 2nd round pick, but I'd wait until the 3rd or 4th round on him.
#6: Justice Hill - Oklahoma State
Hill drew attention at the combine with the fastest '40 time at 4.4 seconds. That means finally (this wasn't written in the order it ended up as), we have a true speed HB. Despite the elusive rating being fairly accurate, Hill was far more agile than the metric implies. Hill liked using a spin move to dodge tacklers and was able to blow through holes with his speed. Hill is not very strong, however, as plays running up the middle in obvious running situations did not work with him. Hill also didn't break a lot of tackles because he didn't need to, as he blew by a lot of defenders. Justice makes up for a lack of strength by having great vision and making cuts that avoid paths to defenders. Hill was scarcely used in the passing game, which is disappointing for a speedy back like Justice.
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Summary
Hill's metrics lowered my expectations for him, but wow, Justice Hill has some fantastic highlights. His 4.4 speed was visible on tape, as he made plays other HBs couldn't because he flew right by LBs. And it's not just speed, as Hill can break tackles and evade defenders. He may be easier to tackle than other HBs, but you have to catch him first. I think Hill will be a late 2nd round pick and potentially go at the top of the 3rd.
#7: Bryce Love - Stanford
Love made the disastrous decision to return for his senior year at Stanford after ripping after a historic 2,116 yard seasons in 2017 as a junior. Love was slated to be a late first round selection, but instead he returned to Stanford and had a mediocre season, and topped that off with tearing his ACL. Now he's considered a 3rd-6th round prospect. He had 4.4-ish speed when healthy, but we shouldn't assume he'll have a perfect recovery from his injury. Onto the 2018 tape:
When Love was healthy, which wasn't most of the 2018 season, teams sold out to stop him. Love got hit in the backfield all the time, and several negative plays happened although they weren't his fault, as he's also not a power back. Love is dependent on his blocking to open holes, but he'll fly right through with his speediness. My problem with him is that he would usually fall over once hit by a defender. Play after play I watched as he ran into brick walls of defenders... evaluating him proved difficult (I watched one of two games where Love averaged under 2 yards a carry. Oof da!). One thing I did not expect is that he's a phenomenal pass blocker. He was able to block defenders for several seconds and looked better than all of the other HBs in this class. Love wasn't used very much in the passing game, which is a shame as it'd be big for his draft stock.
Highlight
Summary
Love is a hard player to pin down because his 2017 season was so outstanding and it was followed up by a bad 2018, but it wasn't all his fault. Injuries and poor offensive line play plagued his senior year... and with HBs being rather replaceable in the NFL, drafting an injury-prone HB can turn out to be a waste of a draft pick. Love was too much of a one trick pony as a speed back in 2018 and didn't have the tackle-breaking ability that other HBs in this class have. He'll make for a great upside selection in the 4th round, and I could see him falling into the 5th round.
#8: Elijah Holyfield
Holyfield got his first and only crack at the Georgia HB job with Nick Chubb and Sony Michel out of the way. What I saw on tape from Holyfield is yet another power HB that will fight for every yard. While not especially great at breaking tackles, Holyfield has a willingness to run straight into defenders and bowl them over, or at least stay upright and get tackled after an extra 3-5 yards (see highlight for an example). He had a fantastic O-line blocking for him, so he didn't have to do a ton of work on his big runs. Holyfield is also a very smart runner who displayed patience for the blocking to develop. On another note, scouts have major issues with Holyfield as his '40 time was molasses-slow (4.78), but he doesn't look that slow on tape. He has plenty of burst and can make smooth cuts away from defenders, but he'll usually be running right at them. Elijah looked very good as a blocker in the run and pass department, and should be able to handle pass protection duties as an NFL HB.
Highlight
Summary
This draft class seems rather heavy on those "slower" HBs that can't be brought down, Holyfield might get underrated by scouts. Despite his slow '40 and middling elusive rating, Holyfield is a pain to bring down and can power through groups of defenders. He isn't going to hit home runs, but he'll slug plenty of doubles. He seems to be a slightly inferior version of Devin Singletary. He should be selected early in the 4th round.
#9: Benny Snell Jr. - Kentucky
Snell put up 3 straight 1000+ yard seasons for the Kentucky Wildcats with an impressive 48 TDs on a big workload of 738 carries over that stretch. On tape, Snell didn't pop out at me like the other HBs did. While he was a strong runner capable of taking a big hit, he was rather easy to tackle in the open field. He also lacked the speed to blow by defenders, as his 4.66 '40 time suggests. On a lot of plays, he would just fall forward with his O-line doing all the work. When he had room to run, Snell liked to lower the helmet and plow or throw out a stiff arm - he never seemed to use a cut move to try and throw defenders off him. Kentucky liked to give him 25+ touches a game and wear the defense out after continuous plays up the middle with him. In the passing game, few passes headed Snell's way, but he did a great job in pass protection.
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Summary
I'm doubtful about how Snell's limited dynamic ability is going to translate to the NFL. He'd be a fit for a ground-and-pound offense that has a good run-blocking O-line. He's a subpar athlete and isn't likely going to be a receiving back, but he can pass protect very well. I wouldn't be surprised if NFL teams wait until late in the draft to pick Snell. I would think about drafting him in the 5th round.
#10: Miles Sanders - Penn. State
Miles had big shoes to fill in his lone year as the top dog, as Saquon Barkley was drafted 2nd overall last season.
Sanders is a smart and patient runner who has great vision. On one player where he had nowhere to go, be jumped backwards and let his O-line push forward, gaining more yards than he would have if he just would have trucked forward. However, compared to the other HBs, he wasn't especially fast, not especially strong... a bit of a jack of all trades, but master of none. One major weakness was that he fumbled too often - fumbling once every 34.5 carries. Not only that, but he had 2 almost-fumbles in the games I watched, so it's a big problem for him. In the passing game, Sanders was a below average pass protector, as he let blitzers through too often. He was used sparingly in the passing game, but I did spot a time when he lined up as a WR and ran a crisp route to burn a CB for a first down. He also dropped a routine pass, which was the only HB drop I saw during all this tape watching.
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Summary
Sanders has decent speed and decent strength, but he's a middling prospect overall. His fumble problems are severe and his pass protection issues might keep him off the field on 3rd downs. Teams will like his vision and patience as a runner, but the negatives stick out too much for me. I would think about drafting Sanders in the 5th round; but I expect he'll go sometime in the 4th.
Honorable Mentions
Dexter Williams - Notre Dame
Mike Weber - Ohio State
Trayveon Williams - Texas A&M
Metrics Chart
The Total score is based on the previous factors, also including Charlie Campbell's and CBS' ratings of the prospects.
Thank you for reading, and feel free to leave a comment! Is there any HBs you think were underrated or overrated? Did I miss a college HB who should be on this list? And which HB should the Vikings potentially go after?
Key: 2018 Grade, Elusive Rating, Receiving Rating, and Pass Blocking Rating are all PFF stats. pSPARQ is a measurement of the players' athleticism based on the combine. HBs who did not participate have projected pSPARQ ratings indicated in bold and italics.
Also, for the first time, I've created .gifs for this article! I've given each HB a single key highlight from one of the games that I watched. The highlight .gifs have been placed within spoiler tags so that the article won't lag on your device.
#1: David Montgomery - Iowa State
David Montgomery is a beast! On tape, Montgomery absolutely lived up to his elusive rating. When Montgomery gets a little bit of wiggle room, he's just gone. Linebackers stood no chance against him as his cuts were incredibly decisive. He also stacked up in the pass blocking game, where I didn't see him give up any pressure. It was noticeable that Montgomery didn't quite have the breakaway speed that his '40 time suggests, but honestly, I thought he was still fast enough. For reference, James Connor, Pittsburgh's young HB who took off in his first year as a starter, ran a 4.63 at the combine. He's also got plenty of strength, as he's great at converting short yardage situations. I saw a 4th and 1 that he converted despite getting hit by 2 defenders before reaching the line of gain. Montgomery has very good vision and understands which cuts to make to maximize yardage gains. The only negative I could find is that he would try too hard on a few plays and lose a little yardage, but this didn't happen often.
Highlight
Summary
Montgomery looks like he can be a bellcow HB in the NFL, as I think he can be out there as a 3 down HB. With draft evaluators guessing he'll be a 3rd or 4th round pick, Montgomery is likely going to end up as a steal. HBs may not be worth much anymore, but I'd take David in the 2nd round if I was a team that needed a starting HB.
#2: Josh Jacobs - Alabama
Jacobs is at the top or in the top 3 for most draft analysts this year, despite Jacobs being in a heavy rotation at Alabama. He's always been the #2 HB to somebody else, and only averaged 84 carries per year over his 3 year run at 'Bama. (You may notice that the carries/fumble is low on the graph, but he didn't have fumbling issues this year with just 1 lost fumble in 2018.) With Jacobs splitting the workload with Damien Harris and Najee Harris, most games came with small sample sizes. Jacobs is a strong back, who can plow forward and gain extra yards that weaker HBs wouldn't. Jacobs has an impressive cut that devastates defenders, and he was rarely taken down in the open field without a fight. In the receiving game, Jacobs has soft hands and even made a big play 25+ yards downfield like a WR would. A couple downsides are that he doesn't have breakaway speed and ran a slower 40 than expected at his Pro Day. He also had a few runs where he made the wrong cut and lost yardage. I wasn't very impressed by his pass protection was lacking at times.
Highlight
Summary
Jacobs had a powerhouse offense to support him at Alabama, and while he proved to be a dynamic player, I don't see anything that makes him truly special. He has the receiving ability that teams are looking for in HBs, so he'll be a fine weapon on 3rd downs. He's another strong HB that is tough to bring down, and didn't get much mileage at 'Bama. I could see him being a fine 2nd-3rd round pick.
#3: Darrell Henderson - Memphis
I wasn't sure why this Memphis HB was ranked so high by my formula compared to how others have ranked him. One thing jumped out to me immediately that made my eyes bulge - Henderson had 9 games where he rushed for over 130 yards, and 8 where he went over 160!! That's insane! On tape, Henderson looked like a boom-or-bust HB - his O-line provided some big holes, and Henderson was able to crank up that 4.49 '40 speed to take several long carries to the house. While Henderson isn't an especially strong HB, he was able to avoid tackles and quick burst away from defenders that might catch up to a slower HB. There were a handful of plays where I thought Henderson took a bad cut. Henderson looked good on short yardage plays, and he did a good job at bouncing off defenders when they came in to make a hit. He also has great acceleration - he just seemed to explode, even after slowing down to dodge a tackler.
Highlight
Summary
Henderson set the all-time Memphis rushing record with 1909 yards in one season with 8.9 YPC and 22 TDs. On tape, it seems like a good portion of that is due to Memphis' great blocking and poor competition. Henderson has a knack for ripping off large gains for long TDs, and he's serviceable on 3rd downs. I'm not sure I see him taking over as a 3 down HB in the NFL, but he's certainly worthy of being used heavily in a HB rotation.
#4: Devin Singletary - Florida Atlantic
First things first; Singletary is one tough cookie. The big back from FAU is a cannonball that is very difficult to tackle. It will almost always require 2-3 yards just to bring the guy down, and he won't go down without a fight. However, unlike many other HBs I watched, Singletary was consistently getting taken down at the line of scrimmage, as either their O-line was bad or teams sold out to stop the run. When he did get room, Singletary liked to cut plays to the outside and was able to slip around LBs consistently. Scouts are worried about Devin's speed, as he clocked in at a slow 4.66 at the combine. On tape, Singletary doesn't have the speed to break away on long runs like other HBs, but he still has the agility and acceleration to make up for it.
Highlight
Summary
Singletary looks very similar to David Montgomery, but with a little less speed and less receiving skills. I can understand why some teams see him as a fullback, but he's so incredibly hard to bring down, he's worth using as a 1st/2nd down back with short-yardage usage. I see him as a 3rd round pick with potential to be available in the 4th round.
#5: Damien Harris - Alabama
Harris was the lead of the Alabama rushing attack for 3 season now, and averaged 140 carries per season over those years. What stuck out to me, compared to the 4 HBs ranked above him, is that his ability to break tackles was far below the others, as his low elusive rating suggested. Harris almost always went down when he was hit for the first time, though he would typically still push forward for a few yards. While Harris is clearly faster than Jacobs, he lacked the agility of his teammate. 'Bama did use him a lot as a receiver, and he did a fine job. That'll help his stock as NFL teams have had an increased demand on HBs with receiving ability. He's the type of guy that a QB can check down to, and suddenly he'll turn on the jets and blow by the linebacker trying to cover him (check out the highlight to see what I mean, he turned a checkdown on 3rd & 14 into a 1st down). While I thought his tape was a bit unremarkable, he does because difficult to topple one he reaches full speed.
Highlight
Summary
I agree with the scouts that Jacobs is the better Alabama back, and Harris might be a bit overrated. He isn't very good at breaking tackles, but he's fast and quick and has some slick receiving skills that will make NFL QBs very happy. I fully expect him to be a 2nd round pick, but I'd wait until the 3rd or 4th round on him.
#6: Justice Hill - Oklahoma State
Hill drew attention at the combine with the fastest '40 time at 4.4 seconds. That means finally (this wasn't written in the order it ended up as), we have a true speed HB. Despite the elusive rating being fairly accurate, Hill was far more agile than the metric implies. Hill liked using a spin move to dodge tacklers and was able to blow through holes with his speed. Hill is not very strong, however, as plays running up the middle in obvious running situations did not work with him. Hill also didn't break a lot of tackles because he didn't need to, as he blew by a lot of defenders. Justice makes up for a lack of strength by having great vision and making cuts that avoid paths to defenders. Hill was scarcely used in the passing game, which is disappointing for a speedy back like Justice.
Highlight
Summary
Hill's metrics lowered my expectations for him, but wow, Justice Hill has some fantastic highlights. His 4.4 speed was visible on tape, as he made plays other HBs couldn't because he flew right by LBs. And it's not just speed, as Hill can break tackles and evade defenders. He may be easier to tackle than other HBs, but you have to catch him first. I think Hill will be a late 2nd round pick and potentially go at the top of the 3rd.
#7: Bryce Love - Stanford
Love made the disastrous decision to return for his senior year at Stanford after ripping after a historic 2,116 yard seasons in 2017 as a junior. Love was slated to be a late first round selection, but instead he returned to Stanford and had a mediocre season, and topped that off with tearing his ACL. Now he's considered a 3rd-6th round prospect. He had 4.4-ish speed when healthy, but we shouldn't assume he'll have a perfect recovery from his injury. Onto the 2018 tape:
When Love was healthy, which wasn't most of the 2018 season, teams sold out to stop him. Love got hit in the backfield all the time, and several negative plays happened although they weren't his fault, as he's also not a power back. Love is dependent on his blocking to open holes, but he'll fly right through with his speediness. My problem with him is that he would usually fall over once hit by a defender. Play after play I watched as he ran into brick walls of defenders... evaluating him proved difficult (I watched one of two games where Love averaged under 2 yards a carry. Oof da!). One thing I did not expect is that he's a phenomenal pass blocker. He was able to block defenders for several seconds and looked better than all of the other HBs in this class. Love wasn't used very much in the passing game, which is a shame as it'd be big for his draft stock.
Highlight
Summary
Love is a hard player to pin down because his 2017 season was so outstanding and it was followed up by a bad 2018, but it wasn't all his fault. Injuries and poor offensive line play plagued his senior year... and with HBs being rather replaceable in the NFL, drafting an injury-prone HB can turn out to be a waste of a draft pick. Love was too much of a one trick pony as a speed back in 2018 and didn't have the tackle-breaking ability that other HBs in this class have. He'll make for a great upside selection in the 4th round, and I could see him falling into the 5th round.
#8: Elijah Holyfield
Holyfield got his first and only crack at the Georgia HB job with Nick Chubb and Sony Michel out of the way. What I saw on tape from Holyfield is yet another power HB that will fight for every yard. While not especially great at breaking tackles, Holyfield has a willingness to run straight into defenders and bowl them over, or at least stay upright and get tackled after an extra 3-5 yards (see highlight for an example). He had a fantastic O-line blocking for him, so he didn't have to do a ton of work on his big runs. Holyfield is also a very smart runner who displayed patience for the blocking to develop. On another note, scouts have major issues with Holyfield as his '40 time was molasses-slow (4.78), but he doesn't look that slow on tape. He has plenty of burst and can make smooth cuts away from defenders, but he'll usually be running right at them. Elijah looked very good as a blocker in the run and pass department, and should be able to handle pass protection duties as an NFL HB.
Highlight
Summary
This draft class seems rather heavy on those "slower" HBs that can't be brought down, Holyfield might get underrated by scouts. Despite his slow '40 and middling elusive rating, Holyfield is a pain to bring down and can power through groups of defenders. He isn't going to hit home runs, but he'll slug plenty of doubles. He seems to be a slightly inferior version of Devin Singletary. He should be selected early in the 4th round.
#9: Benny Snell Jr. - Kentucky
Snell put up 3 straight 1000+ yard seasons for the Kentucky Wildcats with an impressive 48 TDs on a big workload of 738 carries over that stretch. On tape, Snell didn't pop out at me like the other HBs did. While he was a strong runner capable of taking a big hit, he was rather easy to tackle in the open field. He also lacked the speed to blow by defenders, as his 4.66 '40 time suggests. On a lot of plays, he would just fall forward with his O-line doing all the work. When he had room to run, Snell liked to lower the helmet and plow or throw out a stiff arm - he never seemed to use a cut move to try and throw defenders off him. Kentucky liked to give him 25+ touches a game and wear the defense out after continuous plays up the middle with him. In the passing game, few passes headed Snell's way, but he did a great job in pass protection.
Highlight
Summary
I'm doubtful about how Snell's limited dynamic ability is going to translate to the NFL. He'd be a fit for a ground-and-pound offense that has a good run-blocking O-line. He's a subpar athlete and isn't likely going to be a receiving back, but he can pass protect very well. I wouldn't be surprised if NFL teams wait until late in the draft to pick Snell. I would think about drafting him in the 5th round.
#10: Miles Sanders - Penn. State
Miles had big shoes to fill in his lone year as the top dog, as Saquon Barkley was drafted 2nd overall last season.
Sanders is a smart and patient runner who has great vision. On one player where he had nowhere to go, be jumped backwards and let his O-line push forward, gaining more yards than he would have if he just would have trucked forward. However, compared to the other HBs, he wasn't especially fast, not especially strong... a bit of a jack of all trades, but master of none. One major weakness was that he fumbled too often - fumbling once every 34.5 carries. Not only that, but he had 2 almost-fumbles in the games I watched, so it's a big problem for him. In the passing game, Sanders was a below average pass protector, as he let blitzers through too often. He was used sparingly in the passing game, but I did spot a time when he lined up as a WR and ran a crisp route to burn a CB for a first down. He also dropped a routine pass, which was the only HB drop I saw during all this tape watching.
Highlight
Summary
Sanders has decent speed and decent strength, but he's a middling prospect overall. His fumble problems are severe and his pass protection issues might keep him off the field on 3rd downs. Teams will like his vision and patience as a runner, but the negatives stick out too much for me. I would think about drafting Sanders in the 5th round; but I expect he'll go sometime in the 4th.
Honorable Mentions
Dexter Williams - Notre Dame
Mike Weber - Ohio State
Trayveon Williams - Texas A&M
Metrics Chart
The Total score is based on the previous factors, also including Charlie Campbell's and CBS' ratings of the prospects.
Thank you for reading, and feel free to leave a comment! Is there any HBs you think were underrated or overrated? Did I miss a college HB who should be on this list? And which HB should the Vikings potentially go after?
... and neither is this Chris guy.