2022 NFL Draft
Running Backs
CJ Verdell, RB, Oregon
-second leading rusher for the Ducks in 2020
-5’10, 210lbs
-more productive earlier in his career
-3-star recruit out of high school
-Oregon ran a lot of the pistol formation
-decent route runner out of the backfield
-his role was to execute a lot of read option and misdirection
-very average speed catching out of the backfield
-not a particularly shifty runner, very much a straight line runner
James Cook, RB, Georgia
-5’11, 190lbs
-spent his whole career with the Bulldogs
-more of a change of pace back in the NFL
-four-star recruit out of high school
-good tracking the ball as a receiver out of the backfield
-I like his footwork as a runner
-has a good get-off and speed
-spent more time running routes out of the backfield than blocking
-not an active blocker but can help in the area when the gameplan asks for it
Max Borghi, RB, Washington State
-5’10, 198lbs
-not the feature back in 2020
-more of a change of pace runner
-All-Pac 12 Honorable mention
-3-star recruit out of high school
-has great explosion as a runner
-very good speed on tape
-has some toughness to fight for the extra yards
-doesn’t go down easy, will spear to win the extra yard
-shows some nice agility out of the backfield
Xazavian Valladay, RB, Wyoming
-6’0, 196lbs
-was a 1,000-yard rusher as a sophomore
-first team all-Mountain West in 2020
-2-star recruit out of high school
-good speed and hits the hole hard as a runner
-keeps his feet moving and fights for that extra yards as a runner
-has decent burst when he sees a running lane
-I like his vision and the way he adapts to the speed of the game
-I love that he is an active blocker with good feet.
Cam’ron Harris, RB, Miami
-has gotten on the field since his freshman year
-four-star recruit out of high school
-5’10, 210lbs
-had 10 TDs in 2020 very impressive improvement from previous years
-relies on his vision to hit the hole rather than his speed and agility
-the Hurricanes threw the ball a lot with D’Eriq King
-very good route runner in the slot
-I like that he takes charge and will be physical as a pass blocker at the line of scrimmage
-needs to be a more elusive runner
Mohamed Ibrahim, RB, Minnesota
-1,000-yard rusher as a Freshman and Junior
-5’10, 210lbs
-3-star recruit
-4.5 speed
-has good vision to find the hole
-average power as a runner
-average speed
-surprisingly brave blocker in who he takes on
-I like him a lot in his balance technique as a blocker
Lyn-J Dixon, RB, Clemson
-5’10, 195lbs
-played behind Etienne but is the projected starter in 2021
-4-star recruit out of high school
-speed is in the 4.3s
-quickness makes him a good outside runner
-can run inside but has to rely on his speed to hit the hole
-I’m impressed with his vision to evade blockers
-He does go down easily, but I respect his effort to make it a battle
-relies on his toughness rather than his size to pass block
Connor Heyward, RB, Michigan State
-6’0, 230lbs
-has the size of a power runner
-got his most rushing attempts in 2018
-3-star recruit out of high school
-good vision as a pass blocker
-I like his physicality as a pass blocker
-needs to be sharper when going out for a pass from the backfield
-the Spartans threw the ball a lot in their offense
-he might have been misused as a misdirection piece, it might be better to use him more in power formations where he can utilize his size advantage
-difficult to bring down with his size
JaTarvious Whitlow, RB, Western Illinois
-6’0, 210lbs
-didn’t really play last year
-has 4.6 speed
-three-star recruit out of high school
-shifty runner with average vision
-goes down too quickly for a 6-foot guy
-I like his burst in the way that he changes up his speeds to deter tacklers
-goes out for pass out of the backfield with alacrity
-not a centerpiece of the Auburn offense
-transferred from Auburn to Western Illinois
-injuries and ball security issues derailed Whitlow’s career at Auburn
Daetrich Harrington, RB, Appalachian State
-6’0, 190lbs
-200+ carries in his career
-said to have 4.4 speed
Hassan Haskins, RB, Michigan
-6’1, 220lbs
-has excellent size
-3-star recruit out of St. Louis, MO
-All Big 10 Honorable Mention
-needs to take on the defender more squarely when pass blocking
-does a good job of using his size to break tackles
-projects as a power runner for me
-has below average speed, but makes up for it with agility
-I’d like to see him take on guys more as a blocker
