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A look ahead at the RBs we might target in the draft

MrChadRico

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So my idea about getting Tony Pollard is a pipe dream because he's gonna cost over 8 million a year and we can't afford that and honestly I've always been against putting that much money into one RB. So it's time to look to the draft.

The top two RB prospects Robenson-Tex and Gibbs-Ala will most likely be gone when we pick in the 2nd round but I've been looking at the rest of the class to see who we might be able to get. I used NFLdraftbuzz to help get this info.

I'll include Gibbs bc maybe there is a chance he falls to us and is prob my favorite out of this class.


Jahmyr Gibbs - Ala - 5'11" - 200lbs- 4.46 40-yrd


SCOUTING REPORT: STRENGTHS
*Best skill set of any RB in this class, will truly fit into any scheme
*Great pass catcher with a more advanced route tree than would be expected of a RB
*Strength to complement a power-back rushing attack if need be
*Electric speed allowing him to easily burn tacklers on corners
*Has the vision and confidence to hit holes without second thought
*Will only be twenty-one years old by the time he is drafted leaving ample time for his prime years
*Possess fluidity as a runner, can stop on a dime or turn on the jets at will
*Has been clocked at 22.3 MPH on one of his 70+ yard touchdowns

SCOUTING WEAKNESS
*Pass blocking leaves much to be desired
*Has less weight than expected of a power back, if he is adopted into an offense that uses him as a bell-cow, he would need to add muscle to compete with NFL defensive lines.
PLAYER COMPARISON
Faster Deebo Samuel


Zach Evans - Ol Miss - 6'0" - 215 lbs. 4.42 40-yrd


SCOUTING REPORT: STRENGTHS
*Demonstrated the ability to track the ball over his shoulder. Good flexibility and balance to adjust to the poorly thrown pass. Good vision and patience for screens.
*Evans has the straight-line speed to outrun angles, and his flexibility allows him to turn the corner on the perimeter and stay near top speed as Evans does; he’s especially effective on fly sweeps.
*Strong interior runner. Quickly presses the line of scrimmage and has the burst to get through the line of scrimmage and into the second level quickly. A classic North-South runner who doesn't waste time moving laterally.
*His initial burst is excellent, and he’s capable of running out of a traditional setup or taking the ball lined up next to a quarterback in shotgun.
*Evans consistently falls forward, and he will also bounce off of or shake loose from a couple of tackles to turn minimal gains into big runs.
*He’s a creative runner, finding cut-back lanes and often looking like a return specialist on some of his longer runs.
*His stop-start ability in traffic, exceptional balance, lateral agility and body control allow him to squeeze out chunks of yardage when it appears that nothing is there.

SCOUTING REPORT: WEAKNESSES
*Despite good timed speed Evans really isn’t a guy who will create a lot of separation as a receiver
*He sometimes gets too upright and fails to run behind his pads.
*Evans doesn’t have much ability as a run blocker or the violent run-after-catch ability

Zach Charbonnet - UCLA - 6'1" 220lbs 4.41 40-yrd


SCOUTING REPORT: STRENGTHS
*Rusher with a great combination of overall size and strength with excellent speed
*Has the feet and feel running between the tackles and in the open field. He has very good vision and the patience to pick through defenses.
*Fights for extra yardage and is reliable in short-yardage situations.
Improving patience as a runner, following pulling guards and makes good decisions on his cut.
Strong interior runner. *Quickly presses the line of scrimmage and has the burst to get through the line of scrimmage and into the second level quickly. A classic North-South runner who doesn't waste time moving laterally.
*Demonstrated the ability to track the ball over his shoulder. Good flexibility and balance to adjust to the poorly thrown pass. Good vision and patience for screens.
*Very physical runner; keeps his legs churning on contact. Rarely goes down with the first hit. Lowers shoulder into defenders and shows pure determination with natural running skills to break free and stiff-arm and spin move to dodge tacklers.
*Has good vision to find the hole and get North-South. Gets a good initial push and always seems to be falling forward for a positive gain. A hard runner with a workhorse-type back mentality.

SCOUTING REPORT: WEAKNESSES
*Loses momentum when he gears down to change direction and it takes him a few steps to accelerate back to full speed. Appears indecisive; will dance too much at the line of scrimmage. Lacks natural playmaking ability.
*He is more fast than quick and doesn't have the super quickness you will pound on elite backs
*Doesn't make tacklers miss - needs to develop a greater bag of tricks if he is going to succeed in the pros
*His hands are not great and he drops passes that he's not expecting - needs to improve his overall awareness
*Offers little in pass protection and poor technique cut blocking.


Tank Bigsby - Aub - 6'0" 213 lbs. 4.48 40-yrd


SCOUTING REPORT: STRENGTHS
*A compact runner, Bigsby has a rare blend of balance, agility and instincts.
*Shows a surprising burst to beat linebackers to the edge. *Can plant his foot in the ground and explode, showing better straight-line speed than expected.
*Bigsby finishes runs well and flashes the ability to get small and squeeze through traffic.
*He’s patient, letting blocks develop then accelerating. He runs with a good forward lean and consistently falls forward.
*Bigsby shows decent burst and straight-line speed to turn in big plays.
*Possesses quick feet and straight-line speed but doesn't have the elite burst to be a constant big-play threat. Improving patience as a runner, following pulling guards and makes good decisions on his cut.

SCOUTING REPORT: WEAKNESSES
*Bigsby tends to get too upright at times, sacrificing power.
*His hands are good, but Bigsby doesn’t show much feel as a route runner and might not be a guy you flex out wide.
*A tall, upright runner who lacks great power as a runner. Not a quick-twitch athlete and is forced to gear down too much. Not very loose throughout his frame; looks tight redirecting. Will dance and leave his feet instead of taking what's there.

Devin Achane TX A&M 5'9" 185 lbs 4.24 40yrd


SCOUTING REPORT: STRENGTHS
*Elusive, pogo stick-quick back with excellent initial burst and very good long speed. Gets to top speed quickly. Turns the corner and accelerates smoothly with vision to cut or stop-and-start. Tough enough to attack the hole inside and uses electric lateral agility to avoid. Breakaway threat has improved as a receiver.
*Made Bruce Feldman's Freak's List - ranked #35. He wrote, "Arguably the fastest man in college football, the 5-9, 185-pound junior has big-time track credentials. He’s run a 10.02 personal best in the 100, although that was a wind-aided time. *He’s also run a 10.14 100 that was legal with a 1.8 mph wind, which ranks as the 10th-fastest time in A&M history. He’s also clocked a 20.20 200-meter time. *Achane showed that dazzling speed when he took a kickoff back 96 yards midway through the third quarter in the win over No. 1 Alabama to help him average a robust 33.4 yards per return on the season."
*His initial burst is excellent, and he’s capable of running out of a traditional setup or taking the ball lined up next to a quarterback in shotgun.
Is an electrifying player, one of college football’s best playmakers in space
*Cuts on a dime with lightning-fast feet and the quick-twitch explosion of an Olympic sprinter out of the block. Very good vision.
*His competitiveness and knack for high-pointing the ball allow him to play bigger than his size.
*Achane accelerates 0-to-60 and hits top speed fast enough to outrun angles. He’s also flexible and agile, able to keep the pedal to the floor as he turns and weaves.

SCOUTING REPORT: WEAKNESSES
*As a runner, Achane too often looks to bounce outside and make the big play, rather than pick his way through traffic.
*Does most of his work on the perimeter — and ran a lot of fly sweeps
*Offers little in pass protection and poor technique cut blocking, fails to do much to slow down blitzers
 
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Achane or Gibbs would fit nicely.

I’d bet against Gibbs lasting until 51 though, which is fine because we need OL, TE and CB much more.

Achane is more realistic in the third round.

Would love to have him spell Mostert next year while serving as that lethal return guy we’ve lacked since TGJr.
 
Achane or Gibbs would fit nicely.

I’d bet against Gibbs lasting until 51 though, which is fine because we need OL, TE and CB much more.

Achane is more realistic in the third round.

Would love to have him spell Mostert next year while serving as that lethal return guy we’ve lacked since TGJr.
I like Charbonnet alot too he runs hard and has a great juke move. Never give up on a play.
 
Mohamed Ibrahim - Minn 5'10" 203lbs 4.52 40-yrd


SCOUTING REPORT: STRENGTHS
*He’s solid in blitz pickup, and Ibrahim consistently showed the ability to anchor against bigger players.
*Difficult to bring down one-on-one in space, regularly sidesteps would-be tacklers and uses offhand to use oncoming defenders' momentum against them without slowing down significantly.
*Ibrahim does a nice job with recognition as a pass protector and gives good effort.
*He’s at his best working in space, showing the quickness and vision of a return specialist. His stop-start ability allows him to create initial separation.
*Shows a surprising burst to beat linebackers to the edge. Can plant his foot in the ground and explode, showing better straight-line speed than expected.
*Does not possess top breakaway speed, though he's rarely caught from behind

SCOUTING REPORT: WEAKNESSES
*Ibrahim really isn’t a guy who will create a lot of separation as a receiver split outside
*His hands are good, but Ibrahim doesn’t show much feel as a route runner and might not be a guy you flex out wide.
*Too indecisive and hesitant at the line of scrimmage.

Sean Tucker - Syracuse 5'10" 205lbs 4.54 40yrd


SCOUTING REPORT: STRENGTHS
*Tucker finishes runs well and flashes the ability to get small and squeeze through traffic.
*He’s a quality receiver with soft hands, and Tucker shows a good feel for catching and transitioning upfield in the screen game.
*He’s at his best working in space, showing the quickness and vision of a return specialist. His stop-start ability allows him to create initial separation.
*Flashes initial burst and good lateral quickness to sidestep defenders or bounce runs outside with very good foot quickness. Displays very good feel as an inside and outside runner with above average vision to make sharp cuts - good patience· and footwork to pick through defenses.
*Possesses quick feet and straight-line speed but doesn't have the elite burst to be a constant big-play threat. *Improving patience as a runner, following pulling guards and makes good decisions on his cut.
*A small but solidly built runner, he has a scat-back skill set but is more effective between the tackles than you might expect

SCOUTING REPORT: WEAKNESSES
*Tucker has a slight build, especially for a running back, and Tucker isn’t going to grind out yardage between the tackles, as he lacks power and runs with a fairly high pad level.
*Too indecisive and hesitant at the line of scrimmage.
*His playing speed is less than elite. Tucker won’t run past defenders like he did at the college level.

Tyjae Spears - Tulane 5'10" 204lbs 4.40 40yrd


SCOUTING REPORT: STRENGTHS
*Spears is elite as a receiver. He runs routes as well as most receivers and has natural hands, snatching the ball away from his body.
*He’s a quality receiver with soft hands, and Spears shows a good feel for catching and transitioning upfield in the screen game.
*Possesses agile feet with the patience, balance and vision to sidestep and elude defenders - nice job following his blocks and working well in tight areas. Physical at the point of attack and keeps his feet moving
*He aggressively finishes runs and consistently falls forward in a crowd. His low pad level and a bit of wiggle keep him from absorbing big hits.
*His best asset is his ability in the passing game. He’s a coordinated hands catcher who transitions quickly and smoothly to a runner, good enough to make an impact as a slot receiver. He even tracks the ball well when asked to run deeper routes.
*He brings a nice blend of power and passing game skills. *Spears has a compact build and a naturally low center of gravity, and he runs with excellent balance through traffic, allowing him to squeeze through for yardage.

SCOUTING REPORT: WEAKNESSES
*He’ll be relegated to outside runs and is little more than a potential cut blocker in blitz pickup
*He’s limited to cut blocks when it comes to blitz pickups.
*Spears has a slight build, especially for a running back, and Spears isn’t going to grind out yardage between the tackles, as he lacks power and runs with a fairly high pad level.
 
My favorites are..

Gibbs - with Hill Waddle and Gibbs we would have 3 guys that can house it on any play. Hes lighting fast

Charbonnet- big, fast enough and has a good juke move. Also a great receiver.

Evans - world class juke move, strong and will make a very good NFL back.

Achane - a burner who can also house it on any play.

Edit* adding Keaton Mitchell to my favs Explosive as TNT

I feel like after these 4 there is a big drop off to the rest of the class.
 
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So my idea about getting Tony Pollard is a pipe dream because he's gonna cost over 8 million a year and we can't afford that and honestly I've always been against putting that much money into one RB. So it's time to look to the draft.

The top two RB prospects Robenson-Tex and Gibbs-Ala will most likely be gone when we pick in the 2nd round but I've been looking at the rest of the class to see who we might be able to get. I used NFLdraftbuzz to help get this info.

I'll include Gibbs bc maybe there is a chance he falls to us and is prob my favorite out of this class.


Jahmyr Gibbs - Ala - 5'11" - 200lbs- 4.46 40-yrd


SCOUTING REPORT: STRENGTHS
*Best skill set of any RB in this class, will truly fit into any scheme
*Great pass catcher with a more advanced route tree than would be expected of a RB
*Strength to complement a power-back rushing attack if need be
*Electric speed allowing him to easily burn tacklers on corners
*Has the vision and confidence to hit holes without second thought
*Will only be twenty-one years old by the time he is drafted leaving ample time for his prime years
*Possess fluidity as a runner, can stop on a dime or turn on the jets at will
*Has been clocked at 22.3 MPH on one of his 70+ yard touchdowns

SCOUTING WEAKNESS
*Pass blocking leaves much to be desired
*Has less weight than expected of a power back, if he is adopted into an offense that uses him as a bell-cow, he would need to add muscle to compete with NFL defensive lines.
PLAYER COMPARISON
Faster Deebo Samuel


Zach Evans - Ol Miss - 6'0" - 215 lbs. 4.42 40-yrd


SCOUTING REPORT: STRENGTHS
*Demonstrated the ability to track the ball over his shoulder. Good flexibility and balance to adjust to the poorly thrown pass. Good vision and patience for screens.
*Evans has the straight-line speed to outrun angles, and his flexibility allows him to turn the corner on the perimeter and stay near top speed as Evans does; he’s especially effective on fly sweeps.
*Strong interior runner. Quickly presses the line of scrimmage and has the burst to get through the line of scrimmage and into the second level quickly. A classic North-South runner who doesn't waste time moving laterally.
*His initial burst is excellent, and he’s capable of running out of a traditional setup or taking the ball lined up next to a quarterback in shotgun.
*Evans consistently falls forward, and he will also bounce off of or shake loose from a couple of tackles to turn minimal gains into big runs.
*He’s a creative runner, finding cut-back lanes and often looking like a return specialist on some of his longer runs.
*His stop-start ability in traffic, exceptional balance, lateral agility and body control allow him to squeeze out chunks of yardage when it appears that nothing is there.

SCOUTING REPORT: WEAKNESSES
*Despite good timed speed Evans really isn’t a guy who will create a lot of separation as a receiver
*He sometimes gets too upright and fails to run behind his pads.
*Evans doesn’t have much ability as a run blocker or the violent run-after-catch ability

Zach Charbonnet - UCLA - 6'1" 220lbs 4.41 40-yrd


SCOUTING REPORT: STRENGTHS
*Rusher with a great combination of overall size and strength with excellent speed
*Has the feet and feel running between the tackles and in the open field. He has very good vision and the patience to pick through defenses.
*Fights for extra yardage and is reliable in short-yardage situations.
Improving patience as a runner, following pulling guards and makes good decisions on his cut.
Strong interior runner. *Quickly presses the line of scrimmage and has the burst to get through the line of scrimmage and into the second level quickly. A classic North-South runner who doesn't waste time moving laterally.
*Demonstrated the ability to track the ball over his shoulder. Good flexibility and balance to adjust to the poorly thrown pass. Good vision and patience for screens.
*Very physical runner; keeps his legs churning on contact. Rarely goes down with the first hit. Lowers shoulder into defenders and shows pure determination with natural running skills to break free and stiff-arm and spin move to dodge tacklers.
*Has good vision to find the hole and get North-South. Gets a good initial push and always seems to be falling forward for a positive gain. A hard runner with a workhorse-type back mentality.

SCOUTING REPORT: WEAKNESSES
*Loses momentum when he gears down to change direction and it takes him a few steps to accelerate back to full speed. Appears indecisive; will dance too much at the line of scrimmage. Lacks natural playmaking ability.
*He is more fast than quick and doesn't have the super quickness you will pound on elite backs
*Doesn't make tacklers miss - needs to develop a greater bag of tricks if he is going to succeed in the pros
*His hands are not great and he drops passes that he's not expecting - needs to improve his overall awareness
*Offers little in pass protection and poor technique cut blocking.


Tank Bigsby - Aub - 6'0" 213 lbs. 4.48 40-yrd


SCOUTING REPORT: STRENGTHS
*A compact runner, Bigsby has a rare blend of balance, agility and instincts.
*Shows a surprising burst to beat linebackers to the edge. *Can plant his foot in the ground and explode, showing better straight-line speed than expected.
*Bigsby finishes runs well and flashes the ability to get small and squeeze through traffic.
*He’s patient, letting blocks develop then accelerating. He runs with a good forward lean and consistently falls forward.
*Bigsby shows decent burst and straight-line speed to turn in big plays.
*Possesses quick feet and straight-line speed but doesn't have the elite burst to be a constant big-play threat. Improving patience as a runner, following pulling guards and makes good decisions on his cut.

SCOUTING REPORT: WEAKNESSES
*Bigsby tends to get too upright at times, sacrificing power.
*His hands are good, but Bigsby doesn’t show much feel as a route runner and might not be a guy you flex out wide.
*A tall, upright runner who lacks great power as a runner. Not a quick-twitch athlete and is forced to gear down too much. Not very loose throughout his frame; looks tight redirecting. Will dance and leave his feet instead of taking what's there.

Devin Achane TX A&M 5'9" 185 lbs 4.24 40yrd


SCOUTING REPORT: STRENGTHS
*Elusive, pogo stick-quick back with excellent initial burst and very good long speed. Gets to top speed quickly. Turns the corner and accelerates smoothly with vision to cut or stop-and-start. Tough enough to attack the hole inside and uses electric lateral agility to avoid. Breakaway threat has improved as a receiver.
*Made Bruce Feldman's Freak's List - ranked #35. He wrote, "Arguably the fastest man in college football, the 5-9, 185-pound junior has big-time track credentials. He’s run a 10.02 personal best in the 100, although that was a wind-aided time. *He’s also run a 10.14 100 that was legal with a 1.8 mph wind, which ranks as the 10th-fastest time in A&M history. He’s also clocked a 20.20 200-meter time. *Achane showed that dazzling speed when he took a kickoff back 96 yards midway through the third quarter in the win over No. 1 Alabama to help him average a robust 33.4 yards per return on the season."
*His initial burst is excellent, and he’s capable of running out of a traditional setup or taking the ball lined up next to a quarterback in shotgun.
Is an electrifying player, one of college football’s best playmakers in space
*Cuts on a dime with lightning-fast feet and the quick-twitch explosion of an Olympic sprinter out of the block. Very good vision.
*His competitiveness and knack for high-pointing the ball allow him to play bigger than his size.
*Achane accelerates 0-to-60 and hits top speed fast enough to outrun angles. He’s also flexible and agile, able to keep the pedal to the floor as he turns and weaves.

SCOUTING REPORT: WEAKNESSES
*As a runner, Achane too often looks to bounce outside and make the big play, rather than pick his way through traffic.
*Does most of his work on the perimeter — and ran a lot of fly sweeps
*Offers little in pass protection and poor technique cut blocking, fails to do much to slow down blitzers

Izzy Abanikanda is better than all of them.
 
Gibbs would be nice. Doubt we spend the draft capitol needed to get him. Charbonnet would do. Wouldn't be surprised with Achane, perhaps in a trade back.

We have needs at RT, LG, CB, LB, and TE. I'd spend my second on one of them before a RB (maybe not a TE, unless Darnell Washington is there). That said I would love to get a true all purpose RB for now and the future.
 
Izzy Abanikanda is better than all of them.

Izzy Abanikanda - pitt - 5'11" 215 lbs 4.50 40yrd

SCOUTING REPORT: STRENGTHS
*Abanikanda consistently falls forward, and Abanikanda will also bounce off of or shake loose from a couple of tackles to turn minimal gains into big runs.
*He has the flexible ankles to turn the corner and get around the perimeter when the opportunity presents itself.
*He’s patient, letting blocks develop then accelerating. Abanikanda runs with a good forward lean and consistently falls forward.
*He’s not a burner, and he is more of a block-what’s-given runner than a guy who is going to create.
*An excellent blocker on the outside, he also adds value in the running game.
*He’s equally dangerous in catch-and-run situations as he is taking the top off a defense

SCOUTING REPORT: WEAKNESSES
*He’s not physically imposing. Abanikanda is small-framed and won’t be able to carry much more weight.
*Abanikanda has constantly ran a limited route tree.
*He’s more of a cut blocker in pass protection as opposed to a guy who will stick his face in against the blitz, although that is a correctable flaw.
 
What would really take this offense to another level would be a great tight end.
True but the fact is there are like maybe 5 great tight ends in the league. They are very hard to find.

With McDaniels system a stud runningback is really the key that turns the engine. I have repeatedly fought against spending money or drafting a runningback high in the draft but due to our current scheme ive changed my tune big time.
 
True but the fact is there are like maybe 5 great tight ends in the league. They are very hard to find.
I can really get behind Miami using their pick in the second round on a TE or a RB. Linebacker also, but I’ve heard it isn’t a great draft for that position.
 
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