Player: ECKEL,KYLE
School: Navy
Jersey: 32
Year Entered: 2001
Wonderlic: 27/49
Height: 5:10.2
Weight: 237
Birth date: 12/30/81
College Position: Fullback
Pro Position: Fullback
Bench Press: 415
Squat: 450
Power Clean:
Vertical Jump: 31
Broad Jump:
Arms: 31
Hands: 9.5
Time (1): 4.72
Time (2): 4.73
Time (3): 4.55 (wind-aided)
Grade One: 1.55
Grade Two:
Grade Three:
2003 Best Games: Virginia Military Institute, Air Force, Vanderbilt, Tulane, Central Michigan, Army.
2003 Worst Games: Texas Christian, Delaware, Notre Dame.
Body Structure
Has a nicely developed frame with broad shoulders, thick arms, chest, thighs and calves, good bubble, tight abdomen and hips. He carries his weight well and has the room to add additional bulk.
General Report: 1.38
Athletic Ability: 1.4
He has very good strength, above average balance and a quick short area burst. He is a little tight in his stride and needs to run at a lower pad level, as his upper body torso tightness prevents him from getting good flexibility in attempts to redirect. He is more of a bull runner with functional speed into the second level. He is a good athlete with the power to run over smaller linebackers and safeties, but needs to show better change of direction agility.
Football Sense: 1.4
He is a bright kid who learns & retains well. He’s a detail-oriented type who does not need the coaches to continue explaining the plays to him. He plays with good vision and instincts, looking very alert at the X’s.
Character: 1.4
Coaches call him a great teammate and cite his model character. He does have a very outgoing personality and is prone to some mischief making back in the dorm, but nothing would make you question his character or work ethic.
Competitiveness: 1.3
There is no questioning this player’s toughness. Playing hurt is part of his game and he generally has the dirtiest uniform on the team. He’s more of a one-back type than a classic fullback. His style of play and true grit reminds me a lot of former Jets and Redskins standout John Riggins.
Work Habits: 1.4
He is a good worker who loves the game and is very dedicated to his training. He plays with nagging injuries, but you still have to question his durability in that matter. He has made very good strides in the weight room and does the little extras (film work) to improve his craft.
Athletic Report: 1.58
Initial Quickness: 1.5
He may not have ideal top-end speed, but generates a quick start off the ball and to the line. His short area suddenness allows him to gain advantage running up the gut.
Acceleration/Burst: 1.7
He is not explosive, but has functional burst and acceleration to the hole. He will rely more on leg drive and forward body lean to gain advantage moving into the second level, lacking the sustained speed to out-race defenders, but more than enough strength to run over them.
Instincts/Balance: 1.4
He has above average base and balance running with the ball, but when blocking, he tends to lunge at targets and fall off some. He has very good lower body strength to break tackles. The only thing you do not see is a lot of torque or explosiveness.
Inside Running: 1.3
He displays above average instincts and vision, as he has a good feel for the holes. He may not have ideal flexibility, but he keeps his shoulders square, stays on his feet and generates enough power to carry the defenders for positive yardage.
Outside Running: 1.8
He is best when he runs straight-line, as he does not have the change of direction agility to make defenders miss bouncing off tackle. He will get positive yardage on the corner, but it is mostly due to his power rather than quickness.
Tackle-Breaking Strength: 1.2
This is his best asset. In isolated coverage, he will simply overpower the smaller line- backers and safeties to get into the second level. He has the compact build, hip strike and lower body strength to move the chains and shows urgency using both hands to protect the ball.
Tendency to Fumble: 1.5
He covers the ball up well and you do not see many fumbles, but he does leave the ball a bit exposed when he tries to redirect to the outside, making him susceptible to arm tackles (see 2003 Notre Dame and Texas Christian games).
Receiving Skills: 1.9
The system has never really relied too much on a passing game, especially where their running backs are concerned. He is more of a body catcher who will fight for the ball at times due to poor hand placement.
Route Running: 1.9
When used in this area, there is nothing fancy about his routs, but he does run hard to his spots, gets his head around and is ready to attack the ball. He does not have the burst needed to be an effective up field route runner.
Blocking Ability: 1.6
He shows he can hit on the rise and follow up with his feet, but needs to do it more frequently. He flashes strength when blocking in closed quarters, but does not get his hands up with force in pass protection (more of a catcher than initiator).
Summation
Kyle is a physically imposing runner with above average strength. He shared Philadelphia All-City honors with Kevin Jones (Detroit Lions) during his senior year at Episcopal High, lettering three times in football and baseball. He spent the 2001 season with the Navy jayvees, starting eight of nine games at fullback in 2002. He gained 510 yards with four scores on 144 attempts (3.5 avg) that season. In 2003, he started the final twelve games and became only the eighth player in school history to rush for over 1000 yards (236 runs for 1236 yards and 10 TDs), but was hampered by nagging injuries most of the year. He missed most of the Rice game with a left shoulder sprain and was limited in fall camp by a knee injury. He was held out of the 2004 spring game to recover from shoulder surgery and missed a few fall practices with a rib bruise. Kyle is more of a one-back type in the mold of John Riggins and Eddie George rather than the classic fullback. He has a thick, compact frame, but shows some torso stiffness. He is best when utilized running between tackles, where he generates good leg drive and forward body lean to move the pile.
Despite lacking top-end speed, he gets off the ball and to the hole quickly. He locates and adjusts to targets vs. the blitz, but he lunges and will miss a few blocks. He also doesn't follow up with his feet at times and will fall off some. He squares his base and makes good contact in his pass protection, but he needs to lock up and sustain a little better at times. Kyle shows the ability to explode into the pile and gain positive short yardage with defenders draped over him. He gets limited chances to catch the ball, which is just as well, as he lacks natural hands and appears to be more of a body catcher. His routes don't require much separation, but he hustles to his spots and gets ready for the ball (with not much success). He does have a military commitment (possibly two-six years) upon graduation and this will see his draft stock suffer, but in the later rounds, a team could end up with a decent product down the road.
Medical
2003-Bothered early in the year with a right knee injury that required arthroscopic surgery before the season…Missed most of the Rice game and was bothered throughout the second half of the season by a left shoulder sprain that would require arthroscopic surgery after the season.
2004-Did not play in the annual spring game to allow his shoulder further recovery time…Missed a few fall practices with a rib bruise.
EDIT: Dave Te gave him his best grade of all fullbacks in the 2005 draft but overall rated him undrafted because of his military obligations.
