Scouting Reports- RB

A-H / I-P / Q-Z

Chase Reynolds                                                                                                                              Montana

    Really productive small school RB who has been a good leader.  Has been really good on his level of competition but lacks athletic ability.  Has marginal size and really lacks speed.  Is a little stiff and lacks foot quickness.  However, he runs really hard and has decent vision.  He has some cutting ability and breaks some tackles with good effort.  He also catches the ball well and is a solid blocker.  Is the classic overachiever.  Some coach might fall in love with him and invite him to camp as an undrafted guy but he will have a hard time landing a roster spot.

Stevan Ridley                                                                                                                                         LSU

    Underclassman who is a big power type back who surprisingly entered the draft early.  Has some strength and will break some tackles as long as they are above the waist.  Doesn't show real good balance and is too often tripped up on arm tackles around his legs.  You would like to see a power back break those tackles.  Is a one cut and go type back but has a little shiftiness for a big back.  From time to time he can make a defender miss.  Is a little hesitant running inside the tackles, not always hitting the hole quickly.  He runs hard and is physical so it seems that maybe he just lacks some vision and instincts.  He has average speed for a big back but isn't going to break a lot of long runs.  Doesn't play a lot in passing situations and doesn't look real natural catching the ball.  He is a little stiff, doesn't have soft hands and most of his catches are little dump off passes but to his credit he generally comes away with the catch.  He has good size but isn't a good blocker and will really need to improve in this area.  This past season was his only productive one, so there will be concern that he was a one year wonder.  His overall play wasn't real consistent but he is a big back who consistently found the endzone.  Doesn't have the look of a starter on the next level but he could be a backup who could excel as a short yardage, goal line type RB.  Figures to get drafted higher than my assessment, most likely in the middle rounds.

Alexander Robinson                                                                                                                          Iowa St

    Undersized RB who was extremely productive and consistent throughout his college career.  He is really tough and won't back down to anything.  Despite his size he will lower his head and fight for extra yards.  Even with this running style he has been really durable with just over 700 carries in his college career.  The negative of that is obviously that there is a lot of wear and tear.  He has really good vision and shows good patience as a runner.  He typically picks up positive yards and has been really productive considering the struggles at Iowa St.  He is also productive in the passing game, showing good hands and consistency.  The concerns about his ability on the next level are many.  He is short but he also only has average bulk for his height.  There will be concern about his durability, even though he has been in college, and that he will really struggle in pass protection due to his size.  He also lacks explosiveness and speed.  He really isn't going to run away from anyone.  Athletically he doesn't look the part but with his toughness and vision he may get a chance as an undrafted free agent.

Jacquizz Rodgers                                                                                                                          Oregon St

    Short RB who is exciting to watch.  Is really low to the ground and has really quick feet and quickness.  Has elite lateral quickness.  Is similar to Barry Sanders.  Don't get me wrong, he is not Barry Sanders but he might be the closest thing to him.  Has top notch make you miss ability.  He is strong and has good balance so he is hard to bring down.  He is really competitive and wants the ball in his hands.  He has decent long speed but not elite.  As is typical with this style of running, from time to time he does a little too much dancing trying to get a big play.  He catches the ball well and is dangerous in the open field.  He struggles in pass protection due to his size but he gives good effort and doesn't back away from anyone.  There will be some durability concerns due to his size but he has been really durable throughout his college career with over 250 carries each season.  For a smaller back has also does a good job securing the ball.  Has good character and shows good leadership skills.  Will need to be in the right system to be considered as a starting RB but figures to at least provide a dangerous change of pace back.  With his character and desire I would not automatically eliminate him from consideration as a potential starter down the road. 

Evan Royster                                                                                                                                    Penn St

    Solid RB who had a really productive career at Penn St.  Felt like he needed to get bigger for his senior season and came in too big which sapped his athleticism.  Was much better in the second half of the season than he was in the first half after he had taken some of the weight off.  Never really reached the level expected after his breakout sophomore season.  In fact his numbers decreased each year after that.  Has decent size and didn't need to bulk up.  Has really good feet and balance.  Defenders trying to tackle his feet often end up grabbing air.  Runs with good forward lean and does a good job fighting for extra yards.  More of a one cut and go type runner who doesn't have a lot of shiftiness.  Shows good patience, letting the block develop.  Catches the ball well and does a decent job in pass protection.  Doesn't have breakaway speed and lacks good explosiveness.  Doesn't have a lot of make you miss ability and doesn't always show good vision in the open field.  Does everything well but lacks elite ability needed to be a starter.  Has the look of a solid backup on the next level.  Figures to be a good late round selection but a team might be willing to take him earlier, gambling on the hope that he can regain some of his explosiveness when he gets down to his previous weight.

Brandon Saine                                                                                                                                   Ohio St

    Really good combination of size and speed.  Has really good speed.  Failed to live up to the high expectations this past season.  Runs hard and has some power.  At times will flash some quickness.  Has really good hands and can be a factor in the passing game.  Is more of a straight ahead runner.  Is a little stiff and struggles to change direction.  Part of it has to due to his upright running style and part of it has to do with his lack of running instincts.  Doesn't have real good vision and at times is tentative, looking unsure about where to go.  Has been a little injury prone throughout his career with knee, hamstring and concussion issues.  Doesn't figure to get drafted but will be invited to camp due to his potential.

Da'Rel Scott                                                                                                                                  Maryland

    Had a really great end of the season with 200 yards rushing in the Military Bowl.  Has a really good combination of size and speed.  Has good acceleration and can take it the distance.  Straight ahead runner who will break some tackles from time to time.  Has good hands out of the backfield.  Has a little shiftiness but tends to be more effective when he is running straight downhill.  Has average vision but has a tendency to bounce things outside.  Is not a power guy and sometimes struggles in short yardage situations.  Might be a better pro than college player.  They rotated 3 different RBs at Maryland and it didn't always seem he could get into rhythm.  Also didn't get great blocking up front.  Has been a little bit injury prone.  Was healthy this past season but in his first three years he dealt with an ankle injury, shoulder injury and a broken forearm.  Coaches have praised his improved work ethic.  Might be a player that is starting to have the light come on.  Has good potential and could develop into a solid backup or even better.  Figures to get drafted in the mid to late rounds.

Chad Spann                                                                                                                         Northern Illinois

    Underrated player who lacks height but has good bulk.  Has been a highly productive, consistent leader for the Huskies.  He runs hard and breaks a number of tackles due to his low center of gravity and leg strength.  Has good toughness and is physical, typically falling forward for extra yards.  Has really good instincts and vision.  He does a good job finding the hole and has a really good burst to get through the hole.  Has decent timed speed but plays faster than his timed speed which has resulted in a number of long TD runs.  He reminds me a lot of Ray Rice.  Has decent hands.  Struggles a little in pass protection due to his size but he gives good effort.  Most likely will be a priority free agent but has a chance to go late in the draft.  Either way he could surprise in camp.  I believe that he has the instincts and talent to possibly develop into a starter or rotational guy down the road.

Derrvin Speight                                                                                                                                 Utah St

    Filled in for Robert Turbin who missed the season due to a torn ACL.  Was fairly productive.  Has good size and runs hard.  Isn't overly shifty and lacks breakaway speed.  Typically gets positive yards.  Struggled some against top competition.  Decent college RB who lacks the athleticism needed for the next level.

Brandon Sullivan                                                                                                                      San Diego St

    Played FB but is really a RB.  Moved to FB so that they could get Ronnie Hillman on the field.  Doesn't have the size for FB but has good size for RB.  Is physical and runs hard.  Has some leg explosiveness and is pretty effective in goal line situations.  Has decent speed and a little shiftiness for a bigger back.  Has decent vision and sets up blocks well.  Catches the ball ok and is a decent blocker in pass protection.  Is a team leader that the team rallies around.  Is a little under the radar due to playing out of position.  Isn't elite at anything but pretty good at everything.  If given a chance he could surprise and develop into a decent backup.

Phillip Sylvester                                                                                                                      Florida A&M

    Is a little short but has decent bulk for his size.  Has good quickness and burst through the hole.  Has good speed and runs hard.  Fights for extra yards.  Is more of a one cut and go type back but from time to time can make a defender miss.  Is a little stiff in the hips.  Catches the ball ok.  Gives good effort blocking but struggles some due to lack of height.  Didn't always get good blocking.  Might be a little bit of a sleeper.  Will be making a big jump in competition but figures to be an interesting developmental type.

Vai Taua                                                                                                                                            Nevada

    Is strong in the lower body.  Runs hard and will break some tackles.  Has average burst and speed but isn't going to break a ton of long runs.  Is a one cut and go type back who will flash a little shiftiness but not enough to make defenders miss.  Catches the ball ok.  Doesn't possess any elite abilities but has been productive enough to get a look.

Daniel Thomas                                                                                                                              Kansas St

    Former JC QB who has only been a RB for two years.  Is a really good athlete.  Has good lateral quickness and can make defenders miss.  Shows pretty good feet, flexibility and balance with spin moves and change of direction.  Is tall and has good size.  Runs hard and will break some tackles.  Does a good job driving his feet and falling forward when getting tackled.  Is an upright runner who exposes himself to too many hits.  Has been durable so far but only has two years of wear and tear.  Doesn't have elite speed but is a long strider who can cover a lot of ground and has a number of long runs.  Lacks good instincts and vision.  Might be a result of lack of experience, so he might improve in these areas.  Catches the ball really well and at times can line up outside and create mismatches.  Running style reminds me of a raw Willis McGahee.  Better athlete than football player at this point but has a lot of potential.

Jordan Todman                                                                                                                          Connecticut

    Short RB with a thick, powerful lower body.  Has really good speed and quickness and can get around the corner.  Runs with really low pad level and has good balance which allows him to break some tackles even though he isn't overly big.  Has good vision and patience.  Has been extremely productive, running for more than 100 yards in all but two games he played in this past season.  Has benefitted from running behind a good offensive line and in a good running scheme.  Has a tendency to bounce things outside.  Catches the ball well and at times will line up out wide.  Is somewhat inexperienced as a blocker in pass protection.  Has been durable but is a little bit of a durability concern due to his size.  Figures to get selected around the third round and has the ability to develop into a starter down the road.

Shane Vereen                                                                                                                                California

    Has good size.  Has a good burst through the hole.  Has some shiftiness and can make a defender miss.  Has decent speed but for whatever reason lacked long plays this past season.  Has decent vision and balance.  Has some natural strength but doesn't consistently break tackles.  Catches the ball well and is productive in the pass game.  At this point is not a good blocker in pass protection.  Gives good effort but doesn't have a good understanding of blocking and often picks up the wrong guy.  Also doesn't anchor well or stay in front of the defender.  Has a little experience as a return guy.  Good developmental prospect who is a little raw but has some versatility.  Figures to be a mid-round draft pick.

Frank Warren                                                                                                                               Grambling

    Isn't overly big but runs with good forward lean and is not easy to bring down.  Has good vision but isn't overly fast or nifty.  Catches the ball well.  Is a little stiff in the hips.  Productive small college player who is making a big jump in competition and has marginal athleticism.

Johnny White                                                                                                                        North Carolina

    Has good size.  Has pretty quick feet and runs hard.  Physical runner who really lacks breakaway speed.  Catches ball ok but isn't much of a hands catcher.  Stepped up for team when they needed someone to set the tone after all the suspensions.  Has spent time at CB, WR and on special teams so he has some versatility.  This past season was cut short by a broken collarbone.  His lack of speed will really hurt his chances of making it but he could get a shot if he can contribute on special teams.

Eddie Wide                                                                                                                                             Utah

    Undersized RB who runs hard.  Has a little bit of cutting ability but not really enough to make a defender miss.  Has ok vision but doesn't always show good patience.  Is a little stiff and lacks breakaway speed.  Isn't real successful at creating yards on his own, typically needs good blocking up front.  Benefits from the wide splits by the offensive linemen.  Decent college RB who lacks ability needed to make it on the next level.

Jonathan Williams                                                                                                                   East Carolina

    Burst onto the scene with a productive senior year.  Lacks bulk but runs hard.  Isn't overly explosive or fast.  Catches the ball well.  Has big character red flags.  Has been arrested twice.  Has been charged with a DWI and in a separate occasion resisting an officer and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon.  He was also suspended for the bowl game in 2010 for fighting with a teammate.  He has also had to deal with some injuries and he lacks good bulk which makes him a durability concern.  He has some ability but with all these red flags it is likely that teams will take a pass on his services.

Ryan Williams                                                                                                                         Virginia Tech

    Short RB who is really explosive.  Has an excellent burst through the line of scrimmage.  Has the quickness and speed to get around the corner.  He has good strength and runs pretty hard.  Shows good patience and vision and will run between the tackles.  Has the ability to make defender miss.  Catches the ball well.  Had a monster first year but struggled with hamstring issues this past season.  There will be some concern that he is a one year wonder but he has really good athletic ability.  Durability will be a concern especially since his game is predicated on explosiveness.  With the hamstring issue he was not as explosive as he had been the year before.  He wasn't as big of a threat this past season because he lost one of his biggest assets.  Doesn't show a whole lot in pass protection.  Little bit of a boom or bust type.  Based on his first year he looks like an elite prospect but based on this past season he looks like a potential change of pace back.  Will get drafted somewhere in between, probably the second or third round.