the_idle_threat
04-21-2007, 12:24 AM
NFL Draft Analysis: Running Backs
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel pro football writer Bob McGinn assesses the top running backs and fullbacks in the draft next weekend. Included are each player's school, height, weight, 40-yard dash time and round in which he is projected to be selected.
RUNNING BACK
School ... HT. ... WT. ... 40-Yd. Dash ... Rd.
1. ADRIAN PETERSON
Oklahoma ... 6-1 1/2 ... 217 ... 4.40 ... 1
Third-year junior. "Adrian runs like he's mad at everybody," Tampa Bay personnel consultant Jim Gruden said. "He just runs hard. And I mean, he's big." Second in Heisman Trophy voting as a freshman when he led country with 1,925 yards. "He's got a chance to be a star," San Diego GM A.J. Smith said. "He's so exceptionally talented and exceptionally tough. But he's got a problem." Meaning durability. He missed time with shoulder, ankle and collarbone injuries. Runs high and is an inviting target. "Up there, you run tall and they'll knock your head off," Tennessee national scout C.O. Brocato said. "His running style reminded me of Eric Dickerson but Eric had some elusiveness about him. If he can outrun you, he'll outrun you, but the guy don't make too many people miss. I don't know how long he's going to last." Scored 16 on the 50-question Wonderlic intelligence test (NFL average is 19). "He walks in the room and the room lights up," one scout said. "Very, very positive person. Always has a big smile." Finished with 4,405 yards (5.4) and 41 TDs.
2. MARSHAWN LYNCH
California ... 5-11 ... 218 ... 4.46 ... 1
Third-year junior and two-year starter. "He's a complete pro back," Gruden said. "Strong runner. Elusive. He's no midget. He's got great hands." Just 490 career carries. Finished with 3,230 yards (6.6 average) and 29 TDs. "I kind of compare him to Emmitt Smith a little bit," one scout said. "Great balance. Runs with a real good base. I thought he was a 4.6 guy. Faster than I expected. He's not spectacular. I saw him in the Arizona game when he broke one and it would have been an 80-yard touchdown and he got caught. Peterson doesn't get caught." Also caught 68 passes and returned 33 kickoffs (22.5), but an AFC special-teams coach said he lacked return skills. Scored 14 on the Wonderlic. "The character bothers you a little bit," another scout said. "How he's going to handle all this."
3. KENNY IRONS
Auburn ... 5-10 1/2 ... 203 ... 4.45 ... 2
Two-year starter. "He's as hard a running guy as I've seen in a long time," one scout said. "The problem with him, he's 195. If he keeps on throwing his body around like he did in college I don't know how long he'll last." Spent two unfulfilled seasons at South Carolina and transferred to Auburn, where he was two-year starter. "Never gives up on a run," Buffalo national scout Marc Ross said. "Tries to run people over. Now if you have another back and the way people are running two-back stuff now, he's going to be dynamic." Finished 10th in Auburn history with 2,114 yards, and had 2,366 (4.8) for full career.
4. ANTONIO PITTMAN
Ohio State ... 5-10 1/2 ... 210 ... 4.40 ... 2-3
Third-year junior and two-year starter, surpassing 1,200 yards twice. "He has vision between the tackles," Arizona scout Jerry Hardaway said. "He can get skinny in there and he runs hard. But he's not the home-run hitter." Regarded as best receiver among top backs by Philadelphia GM Tom Heckert, who compared him somewhat to Brian Westbrook. "I don't think he's an every-down guy," Tennessee director of player personnel Rich Snead said. "If you ask him to do stuff out of the backfield and catch the ball and be a change of pace guy, he could be a pretty good player." Finished with 2,945 yards (5.3), 22 TDs and 37 receptions.
5. TONY HUNT
Penn State ... 6-1 1/2 ... 234 ... 4.68 ... 2-3
Possibly the smartest (29 Wonderlic) and hardest-running back on the board. "Tony Hunt can really pound," Indianapolis President Bill Polian said. "Certainly tough as hell and hard-nosed and all that stuff. He would (be a starter) for Parcells. Who else wants that kind of back?" Strictly an inside runner and might have a weight problem. "He's a nothing," one scout said. "He has no speed. Very slow. And he's really not a talented inside runner." MVP of the Outback and Senior bowls. Carried 623 times for 3,162 yards (5.1) and 25 TDs. "He'd be good in Green Bay because of the weather," said Gruden.
6. CHRIS HENRY
Arizona ... 5-11 ... 230 ... 4.40 ... 2-3
Fourth-year junior. Third-string in 2004 and '05, made six starts in '06 and finished career with 892 yards (3.3) and nine TDs. After a phenomenal combine workout, he could go astonishingly high. "Oh, stop it," Polian said. "Why would you say he's a good back? He hasn't proven it. He does have fresh legs because he hasn't used them in college." One scout said he didn't even stand out in high school. Fumbled early in career and dropped too many passes. Called the "sleeper of the draft" by one scout and a "completely manufactured player" by another. Still, his 29-carry, 191-yard game late in '06 against Oregon showcased his ability. "He's probably more talented than Lynch," a third scout said. "If he runs behind his pads he's really heavy." Said St. Louis VP Tony Softli: "He looks like our guy (Steven Jackson). Not a bad receiver at all. But that's a gamble to take him real high."
7. MICHAEL BUSH
Louisville ... 6-1 1/2 ... 243 ... 4.65 ... 3-6
Best back out of the city of Louisville since Paul Hornung. "The kid has great hands, great feet," Seattle scout Charles Fisher said. "And he can catch the ball." Came out a year early after suffering a broken fibula and tibia in Week 1 of 2006. After bones failed to knit, a second titanium rod was inserted last month. Some doctors say he won't be ready until 2008 but one team with a doctor who examined him two weeks ago expects him to be ready in '07. Compared by two scouts to T.J. Duckett, by another to a "niftier Ron Dayne." Said a fourth scout: "He's a big finesse back. Not a power runner. He can make you miss a little bit." Finished with 2,508 yards (5.8), 39 TDs and 50 catches.
8. BRANDON JACKSON
Nebraska ... 5-10 ... 208 ... 4.51 ... 3-4
Third-year junior. After two seasons as a backup and pair of shoulder operations, he broke from a backfield-by-committee situation to rush for 989 yards (5.3) and eight TDs in '06. "He runs hard," Buffalo assistant GM Tom Modrak said. "For me, he's not a big burst guy. He's sort of the old-school Steeler thing. He's going to average 3.8 but you know what you're getting." Scored 11 on the Wonderlic, low among the leading backs. "He has a low center of gravity," Softli said.
9. LORENZO BOOKER
Florida State ... 5-10 1/2 ... 190 ... 4.46 ... 4
Started merely 16 of 47 games. "He won't be your featured guy but you can put him out (wide) and match him up," Hardaway said. "He's got hands. You ain't going to slam him up inside often but you can run zone schemes and get him on the edge." Ranks seventh on Seminoles' all-time list with 2,298 yards (4.8) and scored 13 TDs. Also caught 109 passes. "He is a quick son of a gun," one scout said. "Great kid. At the Senior Bowl he showed his elusiveness in the open field. He's never returned kicks but he could do it."
10. KOLBY SMITH
Louisville ... 5-11 ... 218 ... 4.50 ... 4
Destined for another season backing up when Bush went down. Responded with 780 yards in 138 carries (5.7) and seven TDs. Had just four starts before '06. "He's my sleeper," one scout said. "Hold me to it. He knows how to run and put his shoulder down. He can be a change of pace type. He can block." Finished with 300 carries for 1,781 yards (5.9). Solid receiver. "Decent speed for a guy that size but vision is very limited and can't create on his own," another scout said. "Given their wide-open system, he never did much. I don't see him being a player."
OTHERS: DeShawn Wynn, Florida; Darius Walker, Notre Dame; Tyrone Moss, Miami; Garrett Wolfe, Northern Illinois; Selvin Young, Texas; Ramonce Taylor, ex-Texas; D.D. Terry, Sam Houston State; Alonzo Coleman, Hampton; Justise Hairston, Central Connecticut State; Ronnie McGill, North Carolina; Kenneth Darby, Alabama; Jon Cornish, Kansas; Thomas Clayton, Kansas State.
NFL Draft Analysis: Fullbacks
FULLBACK
School ... HT. ... WT. ... 40-Yd. Dash ... Rd.
1. BRIAN LEONARD
Rutgers ... 6-1 1/2 ... 226 ... 4.52 ... 3
Weighed 238 a year ago but deliberately trimmed down to 226 for the combine. "He wants to be a running back," Hardaway said. "He's a Rocky Balboa is what he is. You love that guy. He will be good in your locker room. He's a throwback." Four-year starter with 2,779 yards (4.1), 32 TDs and 207 receptions. Will try to become the NFL's first Caucasian 1,000-yard rusher since New England's Craig James in 1985. Some label him a fullback, others say halfback. Compared by one scout to Jim Kiick. "If you try to get him in at fullback and just pound him all the time, it's not going to work," Ross said. "If you try to play him at running back and give him the ball, you're not going to be happy, either. You'll have a very good player if you have him block on the edges when he's at fullback and catch the ball out of the backfield."
2. LeRON McCLAIN
Alabama ... 6-0 ... 250 ... 4.79 ... 3-4
"You want a fullback, McClain's the guy," Chicago GM Jerry Angelo said. "Good blocker. Catches it. Good player." Starter since mid-2004. Carried 37 times for 170 yards (4.6) and caught 48 passes. "He's probably the best (blocker) I've seen in a long, long time," Philadelphia GM Tom Heckert said. "Plus, he's got some run skills. He's by far the best fullback in the draft." Outstanding Senior Bowl.
3. DWAYNE WRIGHT
Fresno State ... 5-11 1/2 ... 225 ... 4.66 ... 4
Former junior-college player who sat out all 2005 with a torn patellar tendon. Started 22 of 28 games strictly as a running back at Fresno State. Lacks speed but might be able to bulk up and play fullback. "Eventually, I think his best spot will be fullback," one scout said. Hard-nosed inside runner with 501 carries for 2,683 yards (5.4) and 16 TDs. Also caught 51 passes. "If Chris Henry had Dwayne Wright's savvy with the ball he'd be a top 10-15 pick," another scout said. "Wright is a power, downhill runner. Good back. He just doesn't run very fast. He can catch. Tough guy." Mature, driven individual.
4. CORY ANDERSON
Tennessee ... 6-2 ... 244 ... 4.68 ... 5
Moved from defensive end to fullback in 2004 and started three seasons. "Kind of like (Mike) Alstott, one of those guys who sees himself as a runner," Angelo said. "Inconsistent as a blocker .. but he'll block. Very athletic. Good hands. Can run. Very talented guy."
5. JACKIE BATTLE
Houston ... 6-2 ... 235 ... 4.46 ... 5-6
Wowed scouts at his pro day with blazing 40 and 41-inch vertical jump. "Greatest workout of anybody I've seen this spring," Brocato said. "Ran terrifically fast. I had him to go in the fifth or sixth round on the school call but now he may go before that." Started 15 of 41 games at running back, finished with 2,120 yards (4.8) and 31 TDs. Unreliable, infrequent receiver. "Workout warrior," one scout said. "I don't think he's tough and physical enough to play fullback. Thinks of himself as a halfback. Doesn't play powerful and physical."
OTHERS: Gijon Robinson, Missouri Western; Jason Snelling, Virginia; Deon Anderson, Connecticut; BranDon Snow, Penn State; Obi Oluigbo, Michigan; Orenthal O'Neal, Arkansas State; Tim Castille, Alabama.
(Reproduced from JSO with no permission whatsoever ... :P)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel pro football writer Bob McGinn assesses the top running backs and fullbacks in the draft next weekend. Included are each player's school, height, weight, 40-yard dash time and round in which he is projected to be selected.
RUNNING BACK
School ... HT. ... WT. ... 40-Yd. Dash ... Rd.
1. ADRIAN PETERSON
Oklahoma ... 6-1 1/2 ... 217 ... 4.40 ... 1
Third-year junior. "Adrian runs like he's mad at everybody," Tampa Bay personnel consultant Jim Gruden said. "He just runs hard. And I mean, he's big." Second in Heisman Trophy voting as a freshman when he led country with 1,925 yards. "He's got a chance to be a star," San Diego GM A.J. Smith said. "He's so exceptionally talented and exceptionally tough. But he's got a problem." Meaning durability. He missed time with shoulder, ankle and collarbone injuries. Runs high and is an inviting target. "Up there, you run tall and they'll knock your head off," Tennessee national scout C.O. Brocato said. "His running style reminded me of Eric Dickerson but Eric had some elusiveness about him. If he can outrun you, he'll outrun you, but the guy don't make too many people miss. I don't know how long he's going to last." Scored 16 on the 50-question Wonderlic intelligence test (NFL average is 19). "He walks in the room and the room lights up," one scout said. "Very, very positive person. Always has a big smile." Finished with 4,405 yards (5.4) and 41 TDs.
2. MARSHAWN LYNCH
California ... 5-11 ... 218 ... 4.46 ... 1
Third-year junior and two-year starter. "He's a complete pro back," Gruden said. "Strong runner. Elusive. He's no midget. He's got great hands." Just 490 career carries. Finished with 3,230 yards (6.6 average) and 29 TDs. "I kind of compare him to Emmitt Smith a little bit," one scout said. "Great balance. Runs with a real good base. I thought he was a 4.6 guy. Faster than I expected. He's not spectacular. I saw him in the Arizona game when he broke one and it would have been an 80-yard touchdown and he got caught. Peterson doesn't get caught." Also caught 68 passes and returned 33 kickoffs (22.5), but an AFC special-teams coach said he lacked return skills. Scored 14 on the Wonderlic. "The character bothers you a little bit," another scout said. "How he's going to handle all this."
3. KENNY IRONS
Auburn ... 5-10 1/2 ... 203 ... 4.45 ... 2
Two-year starter. "He's as hard a running guy as I've seen in a long time," one scout said. "The problem with him, he's 195. If he keeps on throwing his body around like he did in college I don't know how long he'll last." Spent two unfulfilled seasons at South Carolina and transferred to Auburn, where he was two-year starter. "Never gives up on a run," Buffalo national scout Marc Ross said. "Tries to run people over. Now if you have another back and the way people are running two-back stuff now, he's going to be dynamic." Finished 10th in Auburn history with 2,114 yards, and had 2,366 (4.8) for full career.
4. ANTONIO PITTMAN
Ohio State ... 5-10 1/2 ... 210 ... 4.40 ... 2-3
Third-year junior and two-year starter, surpassing 1,200 yards twice. "He has vision between the tackles," Arizona scout Jerry Hardaway said. "He can get skinny in there and he runs hard. But he's not the home-run hitter." Regarded as best receiver among top backs by Philadelphia GM Tom Heckert, who compared him somewhat to Brian Westbrook. "I don't think he's an every-down guy," Tennessee director of player personnel Rich Snead said. "If you ask him to do stuff out of the backfield and catch the ball and be a change of pace guy, he could be a pretty good player." Finished with 2,945 yards (5.3), 22 TDs and 37 receptions.
5. TONY HUNT
Penn State ... 6-1 1/2 ... 234 ... 4.68 ... 2-3
Possibly the smartest (29 Wonderlic) and hardest-running back on the board. "Tony Hunt can really pound," Indianapolis President Bill Polian said. "Certainly tough as hell and hard-nosed and all that stuff. He would (be a starter) for Parcells. Who else wants that kind of back?" Strictly an inside runner and might have a weight problem. "He's a nothing," one scout said. "He has no speed. Very slow. And he's really not a talented inside runner." MVP of the Outback and Senior bowls. Carried 623 times for 3,162 yards (5.1) and 25 TDs. "He'd be good in Green Bay because of the weather," said Gruden.
6. CHRIS HENRY
Arizona ... 5-11 ... 230 ... 4.40 ... 2-3
Fourth-year junior. Third-string in 2004 and '05, made six starts in '06 and finished career with 892 yards (3.3) and nine TDs. After a phenomenal combine workout, he could go astonishingly high. "Oh, stop it," Polian said. "Why would you say he's a good back? He hasn't proven it. He does have fresh legs because he hasn't used them in college." One scout said he didn't even stand out in high school. Fumbled early in career and dropped too many passes. Called the "sleeper of the draft" by one scout and a "completely manufactured player" by another. Still, his 29-carry, 191-yard game late in '06 against Oregon showcased his ability. "He's probably more talented than Lynch," a third scout said. "If he runs behind his pads he's really heavy." Said St. Louis VP Tony Softli: "He looks like our guy (Steven Jackson). Not a bad receiver at all. But that's a gamble to take him real high."
7. MICHAEL BUSH
Louisville ... 6-1 1/2 ... 243 ... 4.65 ... 3-6
Best back out of the city of Louisville since Paul Hornung. "The kid has great hands, great feet," Seattle scout Charles Fisher said. "And he can catch the ball." Came out a year early after suffering a broken fibula and tibia in Week 1 of 2006. After bones failed to knit, a second titanium rod was inserted last month. Some doctors say he won't be ready until 2008 but one team with a doctor who examined him two weeks ago expects him to be ready in '07. Compared by two scouts to T.J. Duckett, by another to a "niftier Ron Dayne." Said a fourth scout: "He's a big finesse back. Not a power runner. He can make you miss a little bit." Finished with 2,508 yards (5.8), 39 TDs and 50 catches.
8. BRANDON JACKSON
Nebraska ... 5-10 ... 208 ... 4.51 ... 3-4
Third-year junior. After two seasons as a backup and pair of shoulder operations, he broke from a backfield-by-committee situation to rush for 989 yards (5.3) and eight TDs in '06. "He runs hard," Buffalo assistant GM Tom Modrak said. "For me, he's not a big burst guy. He's sort of the old-school Steeler thing. He's going to average 3.8 but you know what you're getting." Scored 11 on the Wonderlic, low among the leading backs. "He has a low center of gravity," Softli said.
9. LORENZO BOOKER
Florida State ... 5-10 1/2 ... 190 ... 4.46 ... 4
Started merely 16 of 47 games. "He won't be your featured guy but you can put him out (wide) and match him up," Hardaway said. "He's got hands. You ain't going to slam him up inside often but you can run zone schemes and get him on the edge." Ranks seventh on Seminoles' all-time list with 2,298 yards (4.8) and scored 13 TDs. Also caught 109 passes. "He is a quick son of a gun," one scout said. "Great kid. At the Senior Bowl he showed his elusiveness in the open field. He's never returned kicks but he could do it."
10. KOLBY SMITH
Louisville ... 5-11 ... 218 ... 4.50 ... 4
Destined for another season backing up when Bush went down. Responded with 780 yards in 138 carries (5.7) and seven TDs. Had just four starts before '06. "He's my sleeper," one scout said. "Hold me to it. He knows how to run and put his shoulder down. He can be a change of pace type. He can block." Finished with 300 carries for 1,781 yards (5.9). Solid receiver. "Decent speed for a guy that size but vision is very limited and can't create on his own," another scout said. "Given their wide-open system, he never did much. I don't see him being a player."
OTHERS: DeShawn Wynn, Florida; Darius Walker, Notre Dame; Tyrone Moss, Miami; Garrett Wolfe, Northern Illinois; Selvin Young, Texas; Ramonce Taylor, ex-Texas; D.D. Terry, Sam Houston State; Alonzo Coleman, Hampton; Justise Hairston, Central Connecticut State; Ronnie McGill, North Carolina; Kenneth Darby, Alabama; Jon Cornish, Kansas; Thomas Clayton, Kansas State.
NFL Draft Analysis: Fullbacks
FULLBACK
School ... HT. ... WT. ... 40-Yd. Dash ... Rd.
1. BRIAN LEONARD
Rutgers ... 6-1 1/2 ... 226 ... 4.52 ... 3
Weighed 238 a year ago but deliberately trimmed down to 226 for the combine. "He wants to be a running back," Hardaway said. "He's a Rocky Balboa is what he is. You love that guy. He will be good in your locker room. He's a throwback." Four-year starter with 2,779 yards (4.1), 32 TDs and 207 receptions. Will try to become the NFL's first Caucasian 1,000-yard rusher since New England's Craig James in 1985. Some label him a fullback, others say halfback. Compared by one scout to Jim Kiick. "If you try to get him in at fullback and just pound him all the time, it's not going to work," Ross said. "If you try to play him at running back and give him the ball, you're not going to be happy, either. You'll have a very good player if you have him block on the edges when he's at fullback and catch the ball out of the backfield."
2. LeRON McCLAIN
Alabama ... 6-0 ... 250 ... 4.79 ... 3-4
"You want a fullback, McClain's the guy," Chicago GM Jerry Angelo said. "Good blocker. Catches it. Good player." Starter since mid-2004. Carried 37 times for 170 yards (4.6) and caught 48 passes. "He's probably the best (blocker) I've seen in a long, long time," Philadelphia GM Tom Heckert said. "Plus, he's got some run skills. He's by far the best fullback in the draft." Outstanding Senior Bowl.
3. DWAYNE WRIGHT
Fresno State ... 5-11 1/2 ... 225 ... 4.66 ... 4
Former junior-college player who sat out all 2005 with a torn patellar tendon. Started 22 of 28 games strictly as a running back at Fresno State. Lacks speed but might be able to bulk up and play fullback. "Eventually, I think his best spot will be fullback," one scout said. Hard-nosed inside runner with 501 carries for 2,683 yards (5.4) and 16 TDs. Also caught 51 passes. "If Chris Henry had Dwayne Wright's savvy with the ball he'd be a top 10-15 pick," another scout said. "Wright is a power, downhill runner. Good back. He just doesn't run very fast. He can catch. Tough guy." Mature, driven individual.
4. CORY ANDERSON
Tennessee ... 6-2 ... 244 ... 4.68 ... 5
Moved from defensive end to fullback in 2004 and started three seasons. "Kind of like (Mike) Alstott, one of those guys who sees himself as a runner," Angelo said. "Inconsistent as a blocker .. but he'll block. Very athletic. Good hands. Can run. Very talented guy."
5. JACKIE BATTLE
Houston ... 6-2 ... 235 ... 4.46 ... 5-6
Wowed scouts at his pro day with blazing 40 and 41-inch vertical jump. "Greatest workout of anybody I've seen this spring," Brocato said. "Ran terrifically fast. I had him to go in the fifth or sixth round on the school call but now he may go before that." Started 15 of 41 games at running back, finished with 2,120 yards (4.8) and 31 TDs. Unreliable, infrequent receiver. "Workout warrior," one scout said. "I don't think he's tough and physical enough to play fullback. Thinks of himself as a halfback. Doesn't play powerful and physical."
OTHERS: Gijon Robinson, Missouri Western; Jason Snelling, Virginia; Deon Anderson, Connecticut; BranDon Snow, Penn State; Obi Oluigbo, Michigan; Orenthal O'Neal, Arkansas State; Tim Castille, Alabama.
(Reproduced from JSO with no permission whatsoever ... :P)