Scouting Reports- RB

A-H / I-P / Q-Z

Mark Ingram                                                                                                                                   Alabama

    Heisman winner from 2009, he got off to a slow start this past year due to a knee injury.  Despite the injury he has been relatively durable but has a tendency to take big hits because he doesn't shy away from contact.  He is built low to the ground and has really good bulk.  Is a physical runner and can be tough to bring down.  Has really good feet and balance which helps him get extra yards after contact.  Has really good vision and sees cutback lanes.  Doesn't have elite speed but has decent speed for his size.  His build, vision and speed is very similar to Emmitt Smith.  Does a good job blocking in pass protection and catches the ball ok.  Elite prospect who has the ability to step into the starting lineup right away.

Deonte Jackson                                                                                                                                    Idaho

    Undersized RB who has a tendency to run like a power back.  Is not overly shifty and lacks some explosiveness.  Has average speed but lacks breakaway speed.  Runs hard and fights for yards.  Has soft hands but has inconsistent concentration and will drop some passes.  Wasn't as productive his senior year without Mike Iupati blocking for him and he also has a history of ankle injuries. 

Taiwan Jones                                                                                                                Eastern Washington

    Small school underclassman who surprisingly entered the draft early.  Has good size.  Shows a really good burst and speed.  Is a little bit of a long strider and looks like a good candidate for a zone blocking scheme.  Has decent vision but tends to bounce everything outside.  Was a man against boys.  Was much faster than his competition.  Broke a lot of tackles against smaller and slower competition.  The question remains whether or not he can break tackles of bigger, faster players of the NFL.  Has some cutting ability but hasn't shown a lot of elusiveness outside of outrunning slower competition.  Intriguing developmental type who has to do a better job running between the tackles and has to learn about pass protection.  If he can develop in those areas he could surprise and develop into a good starter down the road.

Mikel Leshoure                                                                                                                                  Illinois

    Has a really good combination of size and burst.  Has good speed and can take it the distance.  Has good power and runs with good forward lean.  Is a one cut and go type back and for a big guy he does a good job squeezing through holes.  Is not overly elusive in the open field but is hard to bring down because he is so big and fast.  Catches the ball well.  Does not do a good job blocking in pass protection even though he has a good build for it.  Will have to improve on that to get on the field on the next level.  Is really similar to former Illinois RB Rashard Mendenhall.  A little bit of a concern is that he was a little bit of a one year wonder but he has the skills to develop into a starter in the NFL.

Dion Lewis                                                                                                                                    Pittsburgh

    Short but powerful RB.  Has really good quickness but lacks elite speed.  Has a lot of shiftiness and can make defenders miss.  Is low to the ground and is strong in the lower body and can also carry defenders at times.  Catches the ball ok.  Has some toughness and will give good effort blocking with mixed results.  Does a good job running between the tackles.  He shows good patience as a runner.  Had a monster 2009 and seemed to regress a little in 2010.  Dealt with a shoulder injury through part of last season but only missed one game.  Figures to be a change of pace back.  Lack of return experience or potential doesn't help his stock because he lacks versatility.  Hard worker who is bound to carve a niche out for himself one way or another. 

Derrick Locke                                                                                                                               Kentucky

    Undersized RB with tremendous speed.  Decent job setting up blocks and can then really accelerate through the hole.  Has a little shiftiness but his game is mostly speed.  Doesn't break many tackles and doesn't make a lot of people miss one on one.  Is much better running outside the tackles versus inside the tackles.  Catches the ball really well and could get a look at receiver so that his size isn't as much of a concern and so that he can take less of a pounding.  He gives good effort in pass protection but is too small to be effective.  Is a good kick returner.  Has the physical skills to be an explosive situational back who can help in the return game.  Comes with one huge red flag- durability.  He is always injured or dealing with an injury.  In his college career he has suffered a torn ACL, torn MCL, cracked ribs, fractured forearm and shoulder and elbow injuries that were significant enough to miss four games.  Has ability but will he actually be able to stay on the field long enough to make any sort of impact.

Mossis Madu                                                                                                                                Oklahoma

    Backup to DeMarco Murray for much of his career.  Saw playing time dwindle some with the emergence of Roy Finch.  Is a similar runner to Murray but isn't as explosive.  Has decent size but runs hard and battles for extra yards.  Runs with good forward lean.  Isn't overly shifty.  Is a former WR who catches the ball well.  Needs to improve his pass protection.  Has experience as a kick returner but isn't elite in that area.  Solid college RB who might lack the special abilities needed for the next level.

Thomas Merriweather                                                                                                              Miami (OH)

    Tough RB with decent size.  Downhill runner who runs hard and fights for yards.  Really lacks speed and athletic ability but was really productive.  Has good instincts and has a little cutting ability.  Got better as the season wore on.  Looks like a good college RB who lacks the athletic ability for the next level. 

Kyle Minett                                                                                                                        South Dakota St

    Has good size.  Is more of a one cut and go type back but has a little shiftiness.  Has good quickness but has only average speed.  Has consistently dominated his level of competition, rushing for more than 1,000 yards in each of the past three seasons.  Is making a big jump in competition but could be a good developmental type.

James Montgomery                                                                                                              Washington St

    Almost lost his leg due to complications due to injury in 2009.  Transfer from California.  Only played two and a half games in 2009 before the injury but ended the season as the second leading rusher.  Is a physical runner who punishes the tackler.  Runs with good forward lean and pushes the pile.  Has good vision and always seems to find the hole.  Has a little bit of quickness but lacks breakaway speed.  Isn't overly shifty.  Catches the ball ok and blocks ok.  Seemed to get stronger as he got further from injury.  Might be a little underrated.  Didn't get very much blocking from OL but still had some good games.

Emmanuel Moody                                                                                                                              Florida

    Highly touted high school player who started career at USC.  Transferred due to crowded backfield.  Has failed reach the level anticipated and has actually regressed some.  His rushing totals have fallen every year.  He has good size and shows decent vision and the ability to set up defenders.  He has some cutting ability but is stiff in the hips and lacks a second gear.  Has consistently struggled with ankle injuries while in college.

Richard Murphy                                                                                                                                     LSU

    Has good size.  Runs hard and has a little strength.  Has a little quickness but only has average speed and athleticism.  Mostly used as a receiver out of the backfield.  Didn't get consistent opportunities.  Could get a look as a third down back due to his receiving abilities.

DeMarco Murray                                                                                                                         Oklahoma

    Has good size.  Nice combination of power and speed.  Runs hard and isn't afraid to be physical.  Typically gets positive yards.  Has enough shiftiness to make defenders miss in the open field.  Shows good patience and balance as a runner.  Has good explosiveness and can get up to speed in a hurry.  Needs to do a better job running between the tackles.  Likes to bounce everything outside.  Catches the ball really well and is a weapon in the passing game.  You could line him up outside as a WR to create mismatches.  Does a decent job in pass protection.  One of the biggest concerns is his upright running style that leaves him vulnerable to punishment.  He has been very injury prone throughout his career.  He hasn't missed a lot of time but seems to have a significant injury near the end of every season.  He redshirted his first year due to a toe injury, ended the next season with a dislocated knee cap, ended the next season with a torn hamstring tendon and battled through a knee injury near the end of this past season.  At the very least he could provide a good change of pace back who can help in the passing game.  Might also be a good fit with a team that uses multiple backs.  Either way he needs to learn how to protect his body better and do a better job running between the tackles.

Josh Nesbitt                                                                                                                            Georgia Tech

    QB who really struggled with accuracy.  His mechanics are really inconsistent and he never progressed as a QB.  Could still get a look there because he has some raw skills but with his lack of development this past year it seems highly unlikely.  Has good run skills though.  Has good size for RB and isn't afraid to lower his head to get extra yards.  Has good athletic ability and has seen success running the ball.  Will require a lot of development because he doesn't have experience at the position but he has size, speed and potential for trick plays due to his arm strength which might intrigue some offensive coordinator.

Keith Payne                                                                                                                                      Virginia

    He didn't play football in 2009 but was convinced to come back to the team after the coaching change.  Big RB who has some power.  For a big back he has pretty good quickness and explosiveness.  He hits the hole quickly.  He lacks long speed and isn't going to break very many long runs.  Is more of a one cut and go type back but he has a little shiftiness for a big back.  Has good flexibility and doesn't take a lot of direct hits for a big back.  This past season was the only year he saw meaningful carries so he is a little bit of a one year wonder.  Of some concern is that this was the only season he was used as a workhorse and he ended the season with a lower leg injury so there may be some durability concerns.  There will also be questions (fair or unfair) as to how committed he is to football if he was able to give up the game once already.  Regardless, he had a good season and has some intriguing skills that could help him eventually develop into a good backup if he is able to help on special teams.

Mo Plancher                                                                                                                            South Florida

    Short RB who is hard to bring down.  He is low to the ground, has surprising strength and has good balance.  He flashes quick feet at times and runs hard.  He has decent vision but he really lacks breakaway speed.  He is a battler but at times he can disappear in the game and at times he will struggle with fumbles.  Is a sixth year senior, missing his first year with a shoulder issue and missing almost all of his second season with a torn ACL.  Has been relatively healthy since then but he hasn't been a workhorse either.  Good college player who might lack the ability needed for the next level.

Bilal Powell                                                                                                                                    Louisville

    Really burst onto the scene this past year.  Big back that shows a good burst.  One cut and go type back who has good vision and balance.  Really looks like he could flourish in a zone blocking scheme.  Has the ability to break some tackles but also has pretty good feet for a bigger guy and shows a little shiftiness.  Runs hard and has good speed.  Was the starter for only his senior year so he could be a one year wonder but this is a player who contributed some in previous seasons and Louisville has undergone numerous coaching changes since he has been there.  He could be a player who is just starting to scratch the surface and still has a lot of tread on the tires.  Good developmental type who has the ability to develop into a starter down the road.  Figures to draw interest in the mid to late rounds of the draft.

William Powell                                                                                                                               Kansas St

    Short RB who has really good quickness.  Good compliment as the backup to Daniel Thomas.  Lacks long speed and is a indecisive runner.  Once he makes his mind up though, he runs hard and makes things happen.  Catches the ball well.  Value might come as a kick returner.  He is too small and indecisive to make it on the next level just as a RB.  He is a good kick returner but not elite but he may get a chance to prove himself in camp.