Running Backs

Like most years, this is a position where you don’t see many Senior prospects. Most young guys know this position is the hardest to stick around at in the NFL, so I don’t blame most for leaving early. There are some very good prospects at this position though, and at least one who has the ability to be a top shelf NFL back.

Jahvid Best, California- Best was definitely one of the better running back prospects I saw last year, and even if he maintains the level from last year, he’s definitely the top prospect at the position. There isn’t much to not like about Best. He has great vision, he cuts and gets to top speed immediately, and he runs bigger than he is by keeping his pads low on contact. The only thing that will hurt him is that he has a history of injuries. I wouldn’t think twice about taking him in the top half of the draft though as he’s an explosive playmaker that can change a game with one touch of the ball.

Josh Adams, Wake Forest- Adams is probably a name you won’t hear much other than on this blog as I like what I see in him. He’s undersized, but another year may have allowed him to put some bulk on. He has great long speed, good short area quickness, and excellent vision. Like I mentioned for Riley Skinner, this team’s success will fall heavily on their shoulders seeing as the majority of their defense graduated. So Adams will get his time to shine.

Noel Devine, West Virginia- Devine is a lot like Best. He’s extremely explosive, but he’s a bit undersized and has had some injury problems. Steve Slaton has shown us smaller backs can carry the load at the next level, so Devine should benefit from this factor. He has one of the best accelerations I have seen in a running back, which is what will push him into the top two rounds of the draft.

Da’rel Scott, Maryland- Scott is someone I want to pay close attention to this year. In what little game film I saw, he was very explosive and flat out ran away from defenders. He also ran with good between the tackles power, which a lot of these top RBs haven’t shown enough of. That reason alone may help push his value up.

Trindon Holliday, LSU- To call Holliday just a running back is a disservice to the young man. He’s a flex type player who can catch the ball as a receiver and is dangerous on returns. I don’t see Holliday as anything more than a late round pick for his return ability, but he’s one of the most dangerous players at this position. He has world class track speed, and it translates to the field as well. He’s too small to be worked much into a rotation in the backfield in the NFL, but he could have a Hester like impact returning kicks and punts. He’s fun to watch though, as he can break a long one any time he touches the ball.

Charles Scott, LSU- Scott is the every down bell cow back for the Tigers. He isn’t special, but he’s consistent. He’s a good between the tackles runner who won’t break away from anyone. That’s still valuable to NFL teams especially for short yardage situations.

Jonathan Dwyer, Georgia Tech- I’m going to be paying a lot of attention to Dwyer this year. I haven’t been as impressed with him as others seem to be. But maybe I’m missing something, or just ignoring him for the large part due to my utter disdain of the triple option offense. Even if his numbers are inflated due to this, he has very good size and speed to match, which make him a candidate for the first or second rounds.

CJ Spiller, Clemson- I have no idea why Spiller came back as he was NFL ready last year. I just hope he stays healthy, as he’s a difference maker who I would take in the first two rounds without question. He has home run speed, can hit the corner consistently and run away from people, and he’s a great kick returner. I don’t think he has much else to prove to be honest, so here’s hoping he stays healthy as I think he will push Best and Dwyer for the top back in the draft.

Joe McKnight, USC- McKnight is the poor man’s Reggie Bush, in that he has a sick burst but he does not like to get hit. He also suffers from playing in a three man rotation with two other very talented backs. McKnight’s speed is what will have teams drafting him higher than he should go, but I don’t think he’s a first round prospect at this time.

CJ Gable, USC- I prefer Gable to McKnight as he’s more of an every down running back. It will be interesting to see which back steps up, and also to see if any of the always talented incoming Freshmen will take some carries away from the veterans.

DeMarco Murray, Oklahoma- Murray gets hurt by the primary shotgun formation the Sooners run, but he’s an incredibly talented running back. He may have the best hands of any of the draft eligible backs, and he has great quickness and speed as well. Durability is again a question with him as he is a bit slender and runs a bit too upright for my tastes. He has talent though, and with more and more teams in the NFL emphasizing the pass game with the running backs, his stock should move up this year if he can stay healthy.

Mikell Simpson, Virginia- Simpson may be the only bright spot on this subpar Virginia team. They’ve lost a lot of talent to the NFL over the past few years, and it’s going to show a lot this year. Simpson has shown flashes over the past two years I have watched him, but like Murray, he’s a bit slender in the legs and is prone to injury. This will affect his draft status, but I like his ability to play a compliment role and hit long runs when he gets his chances.

Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps, Florida- Both backs are very similar, so that is why they are listed together. Usually you will see compliment backs like Holliday and Scott on LSU, but the Gators are all about speed. Both backs are a bit too small for my liking, but both have incredible speed to the outside and can break long runs. Staying healthy will be the key for these two as they are not built to handle a great deal of pounding. With Percy Harvin and Louis Murphy gone, I expect to see a lot more focus on the run game, so these two guys should get their chances to shine.