COMBINE REPORT - RUNNING BACKS, ANYONE BETTER THAN BEST?
I thought there was some real separation in the running back ranks at the combine. In my opinion, three runners could go in round one, Ryan Mathews of Fresno State, C.J. Spiller of Clemson & Jahvid best of Cal. There is a definite drop-off after these three, a drop-off into the late 2nd or early 3rd round. Rounds 4 thru 6 should provide some real value & even a steal or two. Here are my post-combine running back rankings:
Jahvid Best--5' 10" 199
Blazing speed(4.35), excellent balance, quickness(6.75 in 3-cone which was best) & field vision. A threat from anywhere on the field. Excellent cut-back ability if the defense over pursues to the outside. Excellent, sure-handed pass receiver that can run by any linebacker or safety on the field. Must be accounted for whenever he's in motion or split wide. Has had injury issues, hip cost 3 games in '07, dislocated elbow cost 2 games in '08 & last season he suffered a severe concussion & back injury diving into the endzone against Oregon State, causing him to miss the bowl & all-star competition. First round.
Ryan Mathews--5' 11 218
Very productive downhill runner who ran for 1,808 yards & 19 touchdown with a 6.5 average in 2009. Great stats for a guy who missed a game & a half with a mild concussion. Set an NCAA record for three 70-plus yard touchdown runs in one game early last season against a very good Boise State team. Mathews had 8 touchdowns of 50-plus yards last year. With his speed(4.45), strength(19 reps), leg explosion(36" vertical & 10' broad jump) & quickness(4.33 in 20-yard shuttle), Mathews is a tough runner to stop. Plus he doesn't have a lot of mileage on him, only 524 carries in his career at Fresno State. Tho he wasn't really used in the passing game in college, he caught the ball well at the combine. First round.
C.J. Spiller--5' 11" 196
Super production in his 4 years at Clemson, 3,537 yards & 32 TD's rushing, over 1,300 yards & 11 TD's receiving plus he returned 7 kickoffs & a punt for touchdowns. He scored a TD in every game last season. Spiller is a burner(4.37), a very dependable blocker & an excellent pass receiver. My concern about Spiller is he runs into to far too many piles, I question his field vision & inside cutback ability.He spends too much time looking for home run instead of taking what the defense gives him. He fights for yards, but seldom moves the pile or breaks an inside tackle. All that said, with his ability to catch the ball & return skills, he should be a first round selection.
Montario Hardesty--5' 11 3/4" 225
Very tough downhill runner who doesn't dance around, he breaks a lot of tackles & carries defenders on his back always falling forward. Not a big break away threat but he can consistently move the chains. He's strong(21 reps), has superior leg explosion with position best in vertical & broad jumps plus excellent quickness(top-3 in both 3-cone & 20-yard shuttle). Hardesty has had a knee repaired(2005) & other than some bumps & bruises, he's remained healthy. A decent pass receiver at Tennessee who caught the ball well at the combine. Only 560 carries on Hardesty, so he should have plenty left in the tank. Late 2nd- round to mid 3rd-round.
Toby Gerhart--6' 0" 231
Big, strong, downhill power runner with some quicks. Hits the hole in a hurry & is especially effective running between the tackles. Good pad level, balance & ability to break tackles. Strong enough(22 reps, 3rd in vertical & 5th in broad jump) & quick enough(top-5 in 3-cone drill). Also played outfield for the Stanford baseball team. Not used in the passing game but looked like a natural at the combine. Very determined runner who doesn't shy away from contact. Late 2nd-round to mid 3rd-round.
Jonathan Dwyer--5' 11" 229
Because of the triple option offense Dwyer played in, it's somewhat difficult to forecast how he'll transition to the NFL. The junior rushed for 3,226 yards & 28 TD's at Georgia Tech. Dwyer ran hard on every single carry I saw over the last 2 seasons. He breaks tackles & can bust the long one. I have questions about his vision, in the triple option, Dwyer was fed the ball almost at the line of scrimmage. Since Tech was a running team, Dwyer has little passing game experience, blocking or receiving. He looked stiff, sluggish & slow at the combine, a bad combination. He was considered by many, me included, to be a first round pick going into the 2009 season. Now, I see Dwyer dropping into the late 2nd, early 3rd territory.
Ben Tate--5' 11" 220
Tate's combine was a good news/bad news story. He really stood out in all the tests for speed(4.43) strength(26 reps), leg explosion(2nd best RB in vertical & broad jumps) & quickness(3-cone drill & 20-yard shuttle). So he was looking good going into the position drills. He cut the wrong way in several drills, slipped in a couple & didn't catch the ball well. Tate was handicapped at Auburn with 4 different offensive coordinators in 4 years. He does a good job of hitting the hole & he sees the cutback lane, sticks his foot in the ground & goes. He breaks tackles, protects the ball & has remained healthy thruout his career at Auburn. Not a breakaway threat, but a solid contributor. Round three.
Dexter McCluster--5' 8" 172
He's a mighty mite who's been very productive while at Ole Miss. Only played running back one full season in Oxford, was a wide receiver prior to that. Very dangerous runner who plays much faster than he times(4.58), strong(20 reps) & ultra quick, winning the position 20-yard shuttle by a wide margin. He's a good receiver that catches the ball with his hands, not against his body & is a dangerous return man. Red flags include durability(missed numerous games & practices), size(see durability) & a history of fumbling. Third round.
Joe McKnight--5' 11" 198
The former USC runner was a starter only one season. He was held out of the Emerald Bowl in December because of an investigation into his use of an SUV owned by a sports marketing guy. I don't know that he's an NFL starter who can pack the pigskin 250-300 times, he's never carried the ball more than 165 times in a season. Durability has been a problem, no surgery but several sprains & dislocations that caused him to miss playing time. McKnight has downhill speed but didn't fare well in any of the strength or quickness drills at the combine. He did look decent in the position drills showing good balance & cutting ability. Mid 3rd-round to high 4th round selection.
Anthony Dixon--6' 1/2" 233
Power runner who moves the chains & protects the ball. Nothing flashy, very blue collar-type of runner who had 910 carries at Mississippi State & has remained very durable thruout his career, but is still a definite red flag in my opinion, he's taken a lot of hits. Decent pass receiver as well. Dixon is primarily a between the tackles type of runner, but he's effective in there & his production in the SEC, the toughest defensive conference in the land, speaks for itself. Round four.
Lonyae Miller--5' 11" 221
Ryan Miller's backup at Fresno State, Miller excelled in the speed & strength portions of the combine. He is similar to Miller in that he too is a strong, no-nonsense downhill runner with good vision. Miller rushed for 2,109 yards & scored 20 touchdowns as a backup or sharing the carries for the Bulldogs. He broke a 72-yard touchdown run in '07 & a 90-yard TD gallop in '08. He's not real shifty, but if he gets a crease, he can be very dangerous breaking into the secondary where his strength gets him additional yardage. Miller could be a great value pick somehwere around the sixth round.
Jahvid Best--5' 10" 199
Blazing speed(4.35), excellent balance, quickness(6.75 in 3-cone which was best) & field vision. A threat from anywhere on the field. Excellent cut-back ability if the defense over pursues to the outside. Excellent, sure-handed pass receiver that can run by any linebacker or safety on the field. Must be accounted for whenever he's in motion or split wide. Has had injury issues, hip cost 3 games in '07, dislocated elbow cost 2 games in '08 & last season he suffered a severe concussion & back injury diving into the endzone against Oregon State, causing him to miss the bowl & all-star competition. First round.
Ryan Mathews--5' 11 218
Very productive downhill runner who ran for 1,808 yards & 19 touchdown with a 6.5 average in 2009. Great stats for a guy who missed a game & a half with a mild concussion. Set an NCAA record for three 70-plus yard touchdown runs in one game early last season against a very good Boise State team. Mathews had 8 touchdowns of 50-plus yards last year. With his speed(4.45), strength(19 reps), leg explosion(36" vertical & 10' broad jump) & quickness(4.33 in 20-yard shuttle), Mathews is a tough runner to stop. Plus he doesn't have a lot of mileage on him, only 524 carries in his career at Fresno State. Tho he wasn't really used in the passing game in college, he caught the ball well at the combine. First round.
C.J. Spiller--5' 11" 196
Super production in his 4 years at Clemson, 3,537 yards & 32 TD's rushing, over 1,300 yards & 11 TD's receiving plus he returned 7 kickoffs & a punt for touchdowns. He scored a TD in every game last season. Spiller is a burner(4.37), a very dependable blocker & an excellent pass receiver. My concern about Spiller is he runs into to far too many piles, I question his field vision & inside cutback ability.He spends too much time looking for home run instead of taking what the defense gives him. He fights for yards, but seldom moves the pile or breaks an inside tackle. All that said, with his ability to catch the ball & return skills, he should be a first round selection.
Montario Hardesty--5' 11 3/4" 225
Very tough downhill runner who doesn't dance around, he breaks a lot of tackles & carries defenders on his back always falling forward. Not a big break away threat but he can consistently move the chains. He's strong(21 reps), has superior leg explosion with position best in vertical & broad jumps plus excellent quickness(top-3 in both 3-cone & 20-yard shuttle). Hardesty has had a knee repaired(2005) & other than some bumps & bruises, he's remained healthy. A decent pass receiver at Tennessee who caught the ball well at the combine. Only 560 carries on Hardesty, so he should have plenty left in the tank. Late 2nd- round to mid 3rd-round.
Toby Gerhart--6' 0" 231
Big, strong, downhill power runner with some quicks. Hits the hole in a hurry & is especially effective running between the tackles. Good pad level, balance & ability to break tackles. Strong enough(22 reps, 3rd in vertical & 5th in broad jump) & quick enough(top-5 in 3-cone drill). Also played outfield for the Stanford baseball team. Not used in the passing game but looked like a natural at the combine. Very determined runner who doesn't shy away from contact. Late 2nd-round to mid 3rd-round.
Jonathan Dwyer--5' 11" 229
Because of the triple option offense Dwyer played in, it's somewhat difficult to forecast how he'll transition to the NFL. The junior rushed for 3,226 yards & 28 TD's at Georgia Tech. Dwyer ran hard on every single carry I saw over the last 2 seasons. He breaks tackles & can bust the long one. I have questions about his vision, in the triple option, Dwyer was fed the ball almost at the line of scrimmage. Since Tech was a running team, Dwyer has little passing game experience, blocking or receiving. He looked stiff, sluggish & slow at the combine, a bad combination. He was considered by many, me included, to be a first round pick going into the 2009 season. Now, I see Dwyer dropping into the late 2nd, early 3rd territory.
Ben Tate--5' 11" 220
Tate's combine was a good news/bad news story. He really stood out in all the tests for speed(4.43) strength(26 reps), leg explosion(2nd best RB in vertical & broad jumps) & quickness(3-cone drill & 20-yard shuttle). So he was looking good going into the position drills. He cut the wrong way in several drills, slipped in a couple & didn't catch the ball well. Tate was handicapped at Auburn with 4 different offensive coordinators in 4 years. He does a good job of hitting the hole & he sees the cutback lane, sticks his foot in the ground & goes. He breaks tackles, protects the ball & has remained healthy thruout his career at Auburn. Not a breakaway threat, but a solid contributor. Round three.
Dexter McCluster--5' 8" 172
He's a mighty mite who's been very productive while at Ole Miss. Only played running back one full season in Oxford, was a wide receiver prior to that. Very dangerous runner who plays much faster than he times(4.58), strong(20 reps) & ultra quick, winning the position 20-yard shuttle by a wide margin. He's a good receiver that catches the ball with his hands, not against his body & is a dangerous return man. Red flags include durability(missed numerous games & practices), size(see durability) & a history of fumbling. Third round.
Joe McKnight--5' 11" 198
The former USC runner was a starter only one season. He was held out of the Emerald Bowl in December because of an investigation into his use of an SUV owned by a sports marketing guy. I don't know that he's an NFL starter who can pack the pigskin 250-300 times, he's never carried the ball more than 165 times in a season. Durability has been a problem, no surgery but several sprains & dislocations that caused him to miss playing time. McKnight has downhill speed but didn't fare well in any of the strength or quickness drills at the combine. He did look decent in the position drills showing good balance & cutting ability. Mid 3rd-round to high 4th round selection.
Anthony Dixon--6' 1/2" 233
Power runner who moves the chains & protects the ball. Nothing flashy, very blue collar-type of runner who had 910 carries at Mississippi State & has remained very durable thruout his career, but is still a definite red flag in my opinion, he's taken a lot of hits. Decent pass receiver as well. Dixon is primarily a between the tackles type of runner, but he's effective in there & his production in the SEC, the toughest defensive conference in the land, speaks for itself. Round four.
Lonyae Miller--5' 11" 221
Ryan Miller's backup at Fresno State, Miller excelled in the speed & strength portions of the combine. He is similar to Miller in that he too is a strong, no-nonsense downhill runner with good vision. Miller rushed for 2,109 yards & scored 20 touchdowns as a backup or sharing the carries for the Bulldogs. He broke a 72-yard touchdown run in '07 & a 90-yard TD gallop in '08. He's not real shifty, but if he gets a crease, he can be very dangerous breaking into the secondary where his strength gets him additional yardage. Miller could be a great value pick somehwere around the sixth round.
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