Slimms's 2018 Runningbacks (Seniors)

1. Nick Chubb / Georgia / 5'11", 227 [#30 overall]

2. Sony Michel / Georgia / 5'11", 214 [#35 overall]

3. Rashaad Penny / San Diego St. / 5'11", 220 [#41 overall]

4. Kalen Ballage / Arizona St. / 6'1", 228 [#78 overall]

5. Royce Freeman / Oregon / 5'11", 229 [#80 overall]

6. Jaylen Samuels / N.C. State / 5'11", 225 [#81 overall]

7. Akrum Wadley / Iowa / 5'10", 194 [#95 overall]

8. Justin Jackson / Northwestern / 6'0", 193 [#96 overall]

9. Jordan Wilkins / Ole Miss / 6'1", 216 [#167 overall]

10. Keith Ford / Texas A&M / 5'10", 215 [#168 overall]

11. Jarvion Franklin / W. Michigan / 5'11", 225 [#210 overall]

12. Jordan Huff / N. Illinois / 5'11", 218 [#233 overall]

13. Darrel Williams / LSU / 6'0", 229 [#234 overall]

14. Mark Thompson / Florida / 6'2", 237 [#242 overall]

15. Ito Smith / S. Miss / 5'9", 201 [#243 overall]

16. Phillip Lindsay / Colorado / 5'7", 185 [#244 overall]

17. Justin Crawford / W. Virginia / 5'11", 202 [#261 overall]

18. Jeffery Wilson / N. Texas / 5'11", 210 [#262 overall]

19. D'Ernest Johnson / S. Florida / 5'11", 204 [#263 overall]

20. Jordan Chunn / Troy / 5'11", 234 [#266 overall]

21. Diocemy St. Juste / Hawaii / 5'8", 200 [#268 overall]

22. Ralph Webb / Vanderbilt / 5'9", 200 [#269 overall]

23. Mike Boone / Cincinnati / 5'10", 205 [#279 overall]

24. Demario Richard / Arizona St. / 5'9", 218 [UDFA]

25. Dalyn Dawkins / Colorado St. / 5'9", 185 [UDFA]

26. Kani Benoit / Oregon / 6'0", 210 [UDFA]

27. Dorolan Dorceus / Memphis / 5'10", 215 [UDFA]

28. Lavon Coleman / Washington / 5'11", 223 [UDFA]

29. Shaun Wilson / Duke / 5'8", 185 [UDFA]

30. Dontrell Hilliard / Tulane / 6'0", 205 [UDFA]

31. Larry Rose / New Mexico St. / 5'11", 190 [UDFA]

32. Vic Enwere / California / 6'1", 240 [UDFA]













Fullback:

1. Dimitri Flowers / Oklahoma / 6'2", 248 [UDFA]

2. Austin Ramesh / Wisconsin / 6'1", 251 [UDFA]

Why so low on Ballage?

Tannenbombs said:

Why so low on Ballage?

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Ballage has a unique skillset. I like his size and athleticism, along with being one of the better backs in the country at catching passes out of the backfield.

However, I don't see how anybody could be exceptionally high on him. What the hell are they basing it on? He doesn't produce consistently.

He's not even the most productive back in his own backfield. Sun Devils like to do it by committee at RB and Ballage only gets about 10 carries a game on average. Demario Richard is built like a fire hydrant and has that low center of gravity that tends to bode well for RB's. They've used Ballage almost like a specialty player in my opinion.

I think too much was made out of the 7 rushing TD game he had last year vs. Texas Tech, besides the fact it's a defense that doesn't tackle at all and has no culture on the defensive side of the ball. It's just not important in Lubbock.

I need to see Ballage be consistent. Go out and produce week in and week out to merit moving up my list....to where he SHOULD be. I've been waiting 3 years to see it. I can't just give it to him in good conscience.

All fair points, I acknowledge them but still put a late 2 on him. I love his pro physical potential.

I didn't like Richard at all..

Justin Crawford is probably the best RB i've seen at WVU since Slaton. He was criminally underused at times last season,.WVU has a pretty talented backfield this season so he might not get as many touches as he should. If they decide to play more of a workhorse role he'll have a top 5 season.

Most people continue to watch RB D'Ernest Johnson from the South Florida backfield and I agree that he's attractive because of his combination of physical talent and his pass catching skills.

But the guy with the higher likelihood of becoming a successful ball carrier at the next level is RB Darius Tice.

It's been a pleasure to watch Darius Tice make incremental progress on his body and his physical abilities each of the five years since he was recruited, because you know how hard a guy has to work for that. You can see his work in his body and in his physical abilities.

And when he gets to testing date, don't be surprised if he shows off better test results than D'Ernest Johnson after all. In the Temple game, Tice broke into the open and flat out-ran a defender that I know ran in the high 4.5's coming out of high school. I would assume the Temple kid is even faster now than he was back then, too.

Between Darius Tice and Dee Johnson, kind of a classic tortoise and hare situation.

The thing that makes Tice so attractive to me is what he's had over Dee Johnson and even over Marlon Mack since he was recruited. That's his vision. This player has naturally great vision for a running back. He sees the defense's movement before he even gets the hand-off, and by the time he has secured the hand-off, he already has his affairs in order. It's a small difference, a matter of fractions of a second, but it can be a big factor. And he's had that going for him CONSISTENTLY in a way that not even Marlon Mack had (and Marlon Mack's vision is very good) since high school.



The thing that D'Ernest Johnson is going to have over Darius Tice is that in 2014 & 2015, he caught 53 balls and looked like a natural pass catcher. But Dee has only caught 4 balls in 2017, and I wouldn't say he's looked remarkable doing it (think there's a drop or two in there if I recall).

But D'Ernest Johnson has never looked to me like a natural ball carrier. That's why on a college offense (and conference) that has been consistently producing big runs, Dee has been stuck in the 4-5 yards per carry range in 2015, 2016, and 2017. Darius Tice has been 5+ each of those years. Marlon Mack was in the 6's in 2015 & 2016.

Very impressed with Kalen Ballage.

Have always been impressed by Royce Freeman. So violent.

Surprised that I like Sony Michel more than Nick Chubb. But I think Michel is just that compelling.

Jarvion Franklin is going to make some hay in the NFL. He's a big guy, definitely lives up to his 230 pound listing, playing with the power and tackle breaking ability you expect to come with that size. Keeps his shoulders square to the line of scrimmage full time, even when cutting and making defenders miss.

I don't think anyone will confuse him for being a fast guy, but if you've got enough speed to outrun all of the defenders on the open field against some of these Group of Five schools, then it's not as if you can be so slow that it's a deal-breaker at the next level. He's just not fast.

But the things that I think will make him stand out are the way he blocks, and the intelligence with which he plays in the passing game. He's not a prolific pass catcher but when you watch him run the routes, he makes himself available to the quarterback very quickly, and keeps himself very in-tune with what is happening in the backfield and makes great decisions about what he can do to help. Sometimes that will mean cutting into the open zone, or cutting into a free passing lane. Sometimes it'll mean turning around and bee-lining vertically to drag a man defender with him so that the QB can scramble for yardage. Sometimes it means turning around and blocking once the QB crosses the line of scrimmage. He does all of that and is very conscientious about it.

As for blocking, you can see him tracking the free pass rushers and setting himself up in anticipation of the block. He gets low, gets powerful, and keeps his feet moving. He's got the natural size to be effective and even at the college level he's already got the hang of it. He'll stick his nose in on big defensive linemen to double-team with an offensive lineman, and before you know it he's got control of the DL and frees the OL up to go help someone else.

He has a high IQ about everything he does, while also having desirable physical traits in terms of size and power, with just enough speed to make it at the next level. That's why he'll be coveted.

It feels like more of the small (sub-200) RB's are draftable this year. Guys like Ito Smith, Wadley, Lindsay, Dawkins, and Rose are slick, patient runners (not just always trying to get the edge), and they range from solid, to very-good receivers out of the backfield. Some can even block. I have all of them as 5th-7th guys or priority FA's. Do you think Rose has already worn down a little? He's a pretty slight guy, and he broke a lot of tackles early in his career at New Mexico St. I'm concerned that his best days are behind him, which is sad, because he was, and still is a lot of fun to watch.

j-off-her-doll said:

It feels like more of the small (sub-200) RB's are draftable this year. Guys like Ito Smith, Wadley, Lindsay, Dawkins, and Rose are slick, patient runners (not just always trying to get the edge), and they range from solid, to very-good receivers out of the backfield. Some can even block. I have all of them as 5th-7th guys or priority FA's. Do you think Rose has already worn down a little? He's a pretty slight guy, and he broke a lot of tackles early in his career at New Mexico St. I'm concerned that his best days are behind him, which is sad, because he was, and still is a lot of fun to watch.

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Yeah it could be that Rose is worn down. Last 2 years he's been nicked up dealing with injuries...trying to recover from a sports hernia.

Dalyn Dawkins is a kid that I'm really intrigued by. He's been on fire lately. Against Alabama he looked like one of the quickest and best athletes on the field...for either team. No joke.

I like Jordan Huff of Northern Illinois. He's got enough size to make it, with a good lower body build. He's got some good speed to bounce it outside, and man does he run behind his pads. Upper echelon blocking abilities, though not a true standout there. Can do things in the passing game. Has averaged a high yards per carry for years.

I've seen Chunn play a few times this year. I wouldn't be upset if the Dolphins took him in the middle rounds.

I guess I never got the chance to write this in here, but there will be an active discussion about whether to move QB Quinton Flowers to WR or RB and I would favor RB.

And quite frankly, color me totally unsurprised if he's the best RB in the senior class.

And that's not because I am generally a little disappointed with this senior RB class. Well, maybe a little.

Quinton Flowers is Dalvin Cook if the Seminoles had asked Dalvin to play QB for them instead of RB. His feet and elusiveness are ludicrous.

I've not seen another scrambling QB with this kind of feet maybe since Michael Vick. Lamar Jackson doesn't compare. Robert Griffin didn't compare. Russell Wilson was closer, in terms of pure elusiveness, but still not there. Denard Robinson...OK getting warmer, but Denard was purely FASTER, didn't necessarily have better feet or elusiveness. Tyrod Taylor at Virginia Tech was closer, but I'd still say not quite there. I remember Reggie McNeal at Texas A&M back in the day. He was impressive, but his feet/elusiveness not the same as Flowers. Pat White wasn't this elusive or this good of a pure ball carrier.

If I knew whether Flowers had any skill in catching the football, that would help inform this decision about where he's going to go at the next level. He's maybe an inch shorter and 5 lbs lighter than Anquan Boldin was coming out, and they move similarly, though Flowers is purely faster. But the fact of the matter is we don't know anything about Flowers' hands, yet we have plenty of tape of him executing designed runs; zone-reads, lead draws, etc.

He finished his final regular season game at USF with over 500 yards passing and 100 yards rushing against the #15 team in the country. He's not a quarterback...but my goodness he is SOMETHING, and with those feet the answer looks clear to me.

Who would you rather as a power back who can catch and block? Kalen Ballage or Jaylen Samuels? They both run behind zbs olines and would have no problem adjusting. Ballage is bigger and faster but Samuels looks more natural at what they do than Ballage. Ballage would have been a bad ass weakside lb.

So right on Rashad Penny. Think you may even have him a bit underrated.