| Devin Singletary | Florida Atlantic | JR | 5-foot-7 | 203 lbs. |
Games Watched: UCF (2018), North Texas (2018), Louisiana Tech (2018), Oklahoma (2018)
Projected Draft Range: 2nd – 4th round
Pro Comparison: Devonta Freeman
– Pros –
Incredibly shifty and slippery runner; shows natural instincts to make people miss; reminiscent of Boobie Miles from Friday Night Lights.
Has an arsenal of moves: juke, spin, stutter-step, hop step, jump cut, hesitation, stiff arm, back juke, etc.; on tape, his lower body and footwork remind me of LeSean McCoy .
Elite balance through cuts and through contact.
Provides ample power, despite slight frame; led FBS in broken tackles by a wide margin.
A+ vision as a runner; unrivaled in this class in that department; always runs with his head up and eyes downfield; is thinking two or more steps ahead of defenders.
Shows effort as a blocker both leading out plays and in pass pro.
– Cons –
Doesn’t show elite speed; lacks explosion through cuts.
Overcomplicated and indecisive running style may lead to problems at the next level.
Needs to follow designed play more often.
Too many negative runs on tape.
Likely significant wear and tear on slight frame; 600+ touches over the last two seasons alone.
– Summary –
From the eye test alone, Singletary is the best back in this class. He is almost impossible to take down on first contact, as he expertly combines power and elusiveness to his wide array of moves as a runner. Unlike most backs coming out of college, he also is a capable and willing blocker, both in pass protection and leading out plays. When trying to project him at the NFL level, the problems arise both in his Combine workout and the level of competition he faced in college. Nearly all of his athletic testing numbers were below-average at best, while he accomplished all of his impressive production while facing underwhelming competition in the Conference USA. It also doesn’t help matters that he measured in at barley 5-foot-7 and 200 lbs., but if the testing numbers were better, that would hardly matter.
Ultimately, my instincts are to trust the tape over everything else. Sure I’ll allow for his low competition level and athletic testing numbers to have a say, but they won’t be allowed to completely cloud what I saw on tape…
Singletary is a gifted back.
He is highly intelligent as a runner, with elite vision, balance, and power.
At his slight size combined with rare instincts and disappointing testing numbers, I couldn’t help but get a Devonta Freeman vibe from Singletary. Freeman’s combine performance was nearly identical to Singletary’s, and while many were disappointed, he has gone on to have an excellent NFL career. Like Singletary, entering the draft process, many expected Freeman to be a 2nd round pick, however after a bad Combine performance, he slid to the 4th round. Don’t be surprised if the same thing happens to Singletary on draft day. He could provide any team with excellent value there.
| Miles Sanders | Penn State | JR | 5-foot-11 | 211 lbs. |
Games Watched: Illinois (2018), Wisconsin (2018), Kentucky (2018), Michigan (2018), Appalachian State (2018)
Projected Draft Range: 2nd – 4th Round
Pro Comparison: Dalvin Cook
– Pros –
Well built for the position; looks bigger on tape than listed size.
Runs with excellent vision and balance; always keeps head up with eyes downfield and is thinking two moves ahead of the defense.
May dance at times, but once he finds the hole, he hits it with conviction.
Good speed, acceleration, and agility; looks every bit of an NFL athlete on tape.
Incredibly slippery through the hole; possesses a devastating arsenal of moves to avoid defenders; elite elusiveness.
Runs with great pace and oily hips; can change gears at will, stifling defenders even when they have an angle.
Uses signature hurdle move effectively and often.
Decent blocker when asked; has no problem engaging with defender and driving through after first contact.
Excellent hands catcher; presents the quarterback a good target and has a solid radius.
Position versatile; can line up as back, wing, slot, or even outside if necessary.
Used sparingly in college; saw a starter’s workload only in one season; will have plenty of miles (no pun intended) left for a long NFL career.
– Cons –
Fumbling is a clear issue. Fumbled five times last year alone, while he fumbled another five times over the last two years with a very limited workload.
Doesn’t convert speed and size to power running style; doesn’t force the defense to gang tackle; not many second effort yards after first pop.
Gets overwhelmed in pass protection when multiple defenders blitz.
Some concerns over him being a one-year wonder.
– Summary –
Sanders had a really tough job to accomplish this year… gain yards behind an underwhelming Penn State offensive line and more importantly, take over for the legendary Saquon Barkley . While he didn’t create the same type of buzz that Barkley did during his tenure with the Nittany Lions, Sanders’ production and game tape in 2018 can’t be understated. Because of this, rather quietly, Sanders’ name is creeping up the draft boards.
On tape, the Penn State back appears to check all the boxes. He’s well built, fast, smart, patient, and can make guys miss. He’s incredibly savvy in and out of his cuts and does a great job of varying his speeds through the hole to make his acceleration that much more explosive. He possesses an innumerable amount of elusive moves to avoid defenders in the open field, ultimately making up for any deficiency that he has in the power department.
If you add all of that up, you’ll get something resembling Dalvin Cook , which aside from his positives, also remains a good comparison for his negatives…
Like Cook, Sanders had a pretty bad fumbling problem in college, while he also struggles at times in pass protection. Both are issues that can be worked on at the professional level though, so it isn’t anything to be overly concerned about.
In terms of athleticism, both backs perform almost identically on tape, however Sanders far outdid Cook at the NFL Combine. It should be noted though that they both ran a 4.49 40-time.
For anyone concerned with his “one-year wonder” status – playing behind Saquon Barkley is probably the only way that Sanders wasn’t going to be a day-one starter at the collegiate level. He entered college as the number one running back recruit in the country and once a potential future Hall of Famer left, he finally had the chance to show the world what he was capable of. Sanders was great when given the opportunity. Isn’t that all we can really ask for?
| David Montgomery | Iowa State | JR | 5-foot-10 | 222 lbs. |
Games Watched: West Virginia (2018), Kansas State (2018), Washington State (2018), Oklahoma (2018)
Projected Draft Range: Day 2
Pro Comparison: James Conner
– Pros –
Well built and powerful running back; intimidates defenders when he is coming at them with a head full of steam.
Patient runner with plus vision and balance; thoughtful in his craft, trying to play two cuts ahead of the defense.
Sheds arm tackles with ease, forcing defenses to gang tackle him; uses size to advantage, but also can lower pad level to avoid or run through defenders.
Extra effort runner who is a proven first-down machine.
Adequate route runner for the position with solid-to-good hands; lined up in slot and even as a flanker at times in college.
Capable blocker.
– Cons –
Appears slow on tape; lacks second level burst; will struggle to break away from even linebackers at NFL level.
Appears heavy-footed; struggles to make fluid cuts; needs extra chops of the feet to power down and change directions.
Doesn’t always have a plan in pass protection and showed lapses as a lead blocker on tape.
Took on a heavy workload in college (700 touches in three years); teams will wonder if the tires are already going bald.
– Summary –
Here’s a throwback style of runner that is becoming so rare in today’s version of football... If you are in the way, David Montgomery is going to run you over; plain and simple. With that natural power also comes a very intelligent and patient runner of the football; a back who clearly has worked on the craft and honed in on the finer points of the position. On the downside, it is pretty clear on tape that Montgomery does not possess breakaway speed and that he will struggle to separate from even linebacker level athletes in the NFL. Knowing that, Montgomery has worked on the other aspects of his game in hopes of making up for where he lacks in speed. Despite his size, the Iowa State prospect has proven a capable route runner and a guy who any coach could feel confident lining up in the slot, or even on the outside if necessary. Now I’m not saying he’s Reggie Bush, but Montgomery can certainly hold his own as a route runner and a pass catcher.
Looking at his workout numbers and game tape, the name James Conner came up almost immediately. Like Conner, he’s a hulking back with surprising wiggle and instincts for his size. Both ran underwhelmingly slow at the combine, but perhaps also like Conner, Montgomery may be able remedy that weakness with a proper NFL diet and weight training program. Their running styles are almost identical, truth be told. To see for yourself, watch one of Montgomery’s links above and compare it to this.
| Josh Jacobs | Alabama | JR | 5-foot-10 | 220 lbs. |
Games Watched: Mississippi State (2018), Auburn (2018), Georgia (2018), Tennessee (2018)
Projected Draft Range: 1st - 2nd Round
Pro Comparison: Tevin Coleman
– Pros –
Compact, athletic build; deliberate and decisive ball carrier; delivers above-average power at the point of attack.
Shows good balance through the hole and down field; doesn’t waste movement in cuts.
Confident hands catcher; patient route runner.
Dangerous second level runner; punishes open field defenders and explodes through developing cutback lanes.
Possesses plus speed and elite acceleration; shows multiple gears to escape defenders down field.
Great second effort runner; sheds arm tackles and provides legendary leg drive; need a host of defenders to bring him down.
Willing and effective blocker, both in the run game and as a pass protector; shows attitude and swagger in that department; delivers devastating first pop as a lead blocker on run plays.
Shows positional versatility; evidence on tape of him playing in the backfield, slot, and wing position; often motioned out with success as well.
– Cons –
Sometimes lacks patience and creativity; will often run into a pile with his head down rather than allowing the cut back lane to develop at the line of scrimmage.
Needs to work on remaining engaged as a blocker. Will pop defender at point of attack, but often lets them get away and doesn’t show willingness to re-engage.
Lacks nuance in 1v1 situations; welcomes unnecessary contact; doesn’t offer much wiggle in the open field.
Not the most natural looking runner; rigid in his cuts with exaggerated animations.
Questionable production; only one 100+ yard performance in his three years at Alabama.
– Summary –
Despite the logjam at the running back position during his time at Alabama, Jacobs would eventually become the most dangerous and effective back on the roster by the midway point of his junior season. Despite being used sparingly for most of his Bama career, Jacobs still surprisingly had some really impressive tape to watch.
In a nutshell, he’s a decisive and powerful runner, who has a never-dying motor, while he also offers positional versatility and maximum effort as a blocker. While he didn’t catch a ton of passes in college, from what he showed on tape, Jacobs is a confident hands catcher, who offers a lot of potential as a receiver at the next level.
Now, Jacobs doesn’t exactly have a carbon copy in the NFL – past or present – but quickly upon my first viewing of his game tape, I got a Tevin Coleman vibe. While he’s far more difficult to take down than Coleman and comes out of college as a more polished receiver and flex option, Jacobs flashes that same instant acceleration, one cut ability, and potentially elite top-end speed of the former Indiana back.
To sum up his game in a few key traits – Rigid, violent, and decisive. While he could use a little more wiggle in his game, his high gear effort and positional versatility will have him drafted early on day two.
| Justice Hill | Oklahoma State | JR | 5-foot-10 | 198 lbs. |
Games Watched: Baylor (2018), Kansas (2018), Missouri State (2018), Texas Tech (2018) Boise State (2018), Oklahoma (2017)
Projected Draft Range: 3rd – 5th Round
Pro Comparison: Phillip Lindsay
– Pros –
Electric; both fast and agile; often the best athlete on the field.
Excellent vision; keeps his head up at all times, thinking multiple steps ahead of the defenders.
Light-footed with an arsenal of moves to make defenders miss; varies speeds into and out of his cuts.
Ultra-elusive; slippery through the hole; uses his slight frame to sneak through the garbage.
Underutilized as a receiver, however proved capable when called upon.
– Cons –
Small build, offering little to no power in his game.
Can be overwhelmed as a blocker in pass protection.
Runs into or ahead of his blockers more often than he should.
Takes too many big hits.
Not a ton of evidence as a receiver on tape.
– Summary –
Searching for this year’s Phillip Lindsay ? Then look no further, as Justice Hill may just be his undocumented clone. Like Lindsay, he’s small but packs a punch down the field and at the point of attack. He’s blessed with blazing speed, excellent vision and instincts, and can take any touch to the house from anywhere on the field. If he were two inches taller and 15 lbs. heavier, we’d be talking about a potential first round pick here…
If you want to nitpick, Hill lacks the conventional build or body armor for an NFL running back, but if we are using Phillip Lindsay as the archetype, it is safe to say that he shouldn’t have much of a problem getting acclimated to today’s NFL. He simply needs to work on his technique and anchoring skills in pass protection and he should be just fine.
| Bryce Love | Stanford | SR | 5-foot-9 | 200 lbs. |
Games Watched: Notre Dame (2018), Oregon (2018), UCLA (2017), Oregon (2017), TCU (2017), Notre Dame (2017), USC (2017), Washington (2017), Washington State (2017), Rice (2017), San Diego State (2017)
Projected Draft Range: 3rd – 6th Round
Pro Comparison: Lamar Miller
– Pros –
Electric, explosive, elusive; can take any touch to the house; FBS record for most 50+ yard runs in a season (13).
Super slippery, both through the hole and and in the open field.
Despite small size, offers decent power to finish off runs and a quality stiff arm.
Incredible balance; bounces off of shoulder tackles; defenders must wrap him up to have a chance.
Can hop cut his way to first downs; changes direction without much wasted movement.
Willing to get his nose dirty in pass protection; delivers the blow to pass rushers.
Plus vision for the position.
– Cons –
Frail build for a physical position; dealt with nagging injuries in college; coming off of ACL surgery in December.
Limited power; will struggle with short yardage situations in the NFL.
Little to no evidence of catching the football on tape; doesn’t mean he can’t do it though.
Needs to work on reads as a pass blocker; got his quarterback killed a few times on tape by picking the wrong rusher.
Sort of a one speed runner; could benefit from learning how to power down and set up defenders.
– Summary –
The second you turn on the tape, you’ll get a Lamar Miller vibe. They are built the same, have the same quick-footed running style, and are committed to keeping the play north and south. Like Miller, I believe that Love will struggle to overwhelm defenders at the NFL level as easily as he did in college, however the electric nature in which he runs will provide him more than a few long touchdowns as a pro. Ultimately, if Love can get healthy and remain so, he should have every bit as good of a chance to start as Miller has so far in his NFL career. If given regular touches, Love will be a 1,000 yard rusher in this league.
Where work needs to be done is with his pass protection instincts and as a receiver out of the backfield. Love is willing to block for his quarterback, but at times he can misread where the blitz is coming from. As for his work as a receiver, his skill-set is still unknown in that department, as Stanford used him sparingly in that role.
Because he is so recently coming off of an ACL tear, expect that Love won’t be drafted until somewhere on day three of the NFL Draft.
| Darrell Henderson | Memphis | JR | 5-foot-8 | 208 lbs. |
Games Watched: Georgia State (2018), Houston (2018), Central Florida (2018), Navy (2018)
Projected Draft Range: 2nd – 4th Round
Pro Comparison: Felix Jones
– Pros –
At full speed from the snap of the football; acceleration is by far his best trait.
Incredibly explosive; any touch can be taken to the house in an instant; averaged nearly 9.0 yards per carry in 2018 and over 8.0 for his college career!
Does a great job of getting skinny through the hole; utilizes narrow frame to elude tacklers.
Few wasted movements, especially at the second level; does a great job maintaining north and south integrity.
Despite slight frame, shows plus power as a runner; elite acceleration helps him shed tackles at full speed when defense is still changing gears.
Possesses devastating second-level juke move; changes direction ever-so-slightly, but at lightning speed as if defender wasn’t even there.
Showed lining up all along formation (wing, slot, wildcat quarterback, etc.).
Willing blocker on tape; used more as a lead blocker than in pass protection though.
Showed good hands on tape; ran solid routes even out of the slot.
– Cons –
Very rigid and high cut runner.
Lacks wiggle and vision; will run into the backs of his linemen if the hole is not there.
Underwhelming balance through the hole; will tackle himself at times while trying to think ahead.
Shows no ability to change gears or vary his pace; doesn’t keep defenders guessing much at all.
Mostly ran through gaping holes at the college level.
Narrow frame may not hold up at NFL level.
Only holds the ball in his left hand; can’t find a single run where he switches to his right side in order to protect the football.
– Summary –
Henderson is a solid back with a few elite traits. For one, he may have the best acceleration out of any running back in this class, while he also has shown on tape to be a homerun threat any time he touches the football. While those are things that you really can’t teach or coach, my problems with Henderson may outweigh two elite traits.
He offers mainly straight-line speed while his frame appears wiry and lean on tape. Typically that is a recipe for a short career, as it hints towards an inability to avoid dangerous contact. On top of all of that, he fails to lower his pad level through the hole, further leaving himself susceptible to big hits. He’s shown missing cutback lanes, struggling with balance through the hole, and only one gear as a runner on tape. With underwhelming running back instincts, at the moment, Henderson should be considered a big play prospect rather than a complete back candidate.
Liken him to Felix Jones and the career he had with the Cowboys – oft injured, but explosive when given the lanes. He may never develop into a feature back, but he can be very useful to a coach with specific plan on how to utilize his rare homerun ability.
| Trayveon Williams | Texas A&M | JR | 5-foot-8 | 206 lbs. |
Games Watched: Northwestern State (2018), South Carolina (2018), Auburn (2018), Mississippi (2018), LSU (2018), Alabama (2018)
Projected Draft Range: 3rd – 5th Round
Pro Comparison: Wendell Smallwood
– Pros –
Lightning fast on tape; both explodes through the hole and breaks away from linebackers and safeties.
Committed north and south runner; hits the hole with conviction and rarely takes losses.
Adequate vision with willingness to utilize cutback lanes.
Capable and willing blocker for his size; utilizes cut block very well both when run and pass blocking.
Good pass catcher for his position; can be flexed out to slot or wing; took advantage of defenses on screen passes.
– Cons –
Limited frame forces a lack of functional power; won’t push the pile and doesn’t break many tackles.
Underwhelming elusiveness; has the athleticism to make guys miss, but rarely puts it all together; would rather outrun defenders rather than confuse them.
Lacks creativity as a runner; doesn’t vary speeds much; doesn’t set up his cuts in advance.
Speed on tape will translate to NFL, but will be less of an advantage; needs to find more ways to break away from defenders.
– Summary –
Williams is the type of runner who will do anything that a coaching staff asks of him. Despite his slight size, Williams is capable of stiffing pass rushers and cut blocking downfield, while he also proved very successful as an interior running back in the ultra-physical SEC. He is also an accomplished receiver in the screen game and as a dump off option out of the backfield, giving him one of the more well-rounded skill-sets of his draft class contemporaries. Ultimately, his game should translate well to the NFL, however lacking creativity and power as a runner will limit his potential as a bell cow back. Think of him as a mid-round pick who will flourish in a committee approach. A coaching staff that brings him on would be wise to show him the holes rather than letting him decide for himself. When Williams sees the hole, he hits it with conviction, however visualizing potential creases is by no means his strong suit. Williams will fit best in a downhill running scheme and would be better off avoiding zone blocking offensive lines.
| Damien Harris | Alabama | SR | 5-foot-11 | 221 lbs. |
Games Watched: Vanderbilt (2017), Florida State (2017), Tennessee (2017), Mississippi (2018), Auburn (2018), Georgia (2018), Arkansas State (2018), Louisville (2018)
Projected Draft Range: Day 2
Pro Comparison: Julius Jones
– Pros –
Ideal build for the position with minimal wear and tear on his body; saw limited college workload in terms of touches.
Above-average power with physical mindset as a runner.
Doesn’t overcomplicate things as a runner; sees the hole and runs through it.
Quality dump-off option out of the backfield; showed good hands and natural ability to get open.
Capable and willing blocker when tasked.
Just about a C+ at everything that is asked of the position; there is a place for well-rounded in this league.
– Cons –
No identifiable trait that separates him as a prospect.
One speed runner; doesn’t keep defenders guessing.
Lacks wiggle and nuance from the moment he touches the football; doesn’t appear instinctual; average at best in and out of cuts.
solid speed but not “fast” … can break tackles but not a “bruiser” … catches ball well but not a “matchup nightmare.”
– Summary –
After watching the tape, it is unclear where all of the hype is coming from in terms of Harris’ draft stock. Sure he’s solid at just about everything, but really there is nothing that you will see from his Alabama tape that makes you scream “this kid is gonna do big things at the next level!” To be fair, it should be noted that Harris is well-rounded for the position, is a noted leader in the locker room, and is better at some aspects of the position than his draft class contemporaries. For example, Harris is a proven receiving option out of the backfield, which is something that not too many other backs in this class can say.
His comparison to Julius Jones is less about play style, but more about his averageness as a running back as a whole. Harris doesn’t do anything particularly special and he may only reach 1,000 yards once or twice in his career, but because of his hard-working attitude and willingness to do whatever the team needs to help them win, don’t be surprised if Harris sticks around in this league for the better part of the next decade.
| Rodney Anderson | Oklahoma | rJR | 6-foot | 224 lbs. |
Games Watched: Florida Atlantic (2018), TCU (2017), Georgia (2017), West Virginia (2017)
Projected Draft Range: Day 3
Pro Comparison: Tim Hightower
– Pros –
Good size; runs with excellent power; delivers the blow to defenders.
Excellent hands; accomplished route runner.
Solid vision; able to vary speeds approaching the hole; looks for cutback lanes.
Has a knack for making guys miss.
Willing pass blocker with good size means that he can quickly improve at NFL level.
– Cons –
Serious injury concerns, injuries ended season in three out of four years at Oklahoma.
Doesn’t display great top-end speed.
Appears heavy footed, which affects his balance once at top speed.
Takes too many big hits; looks for contact; a bad trait for a player with such an extensive injury history.
Shows confusion at times when asked to provide pass protection.
– Summary –
On tape, Anderson is clearly a back who has talent, but the elephant in the room concerning his potential as an NFL prospect is his historically bad resume of serious injuries. He lost the better part of three years at Oklahoma due to season-ending injuries; most recently, a torn ACL that he suffered in Week 2 of his senior year. For this reason, there is little chance that Anderson will go any earlier than the fourth round. With all of that being said, the tape says that if he can ever remain healthy, Anderson should provide a Tim Hightower like impact. By that, understand that he will work best as a rotational back, provided a unique blend of short yardage expertise and passing game prowess.