Rookie Analysis
Here, we’re going to look at landing spots. Specifically, what are the best landing spots for a running back in the 2020 NFL Draft, or perhaps for a free agent running back? I’ll be focusing on each team’s current running backs, cap space, and NFL Draft capital.
The Bears were the epitome of average in 2019, finishing the season a mediocre 8-8. They had a lot of issues but wide receivers weren’t one of them., As a matter of fact, their issues were more so on the quarterback. Mitch Trubisky is not very good, but his receivers are. Chicago already has plenty of talented young pass-catchers in Allen Robinson and Anthony Miller, and adequate receivers in Taylor Gabriel and Javon Wims.
Heading into the 2020 National Championship game, many of the players we wanted to declare did so already. We were just waiting on Chuba Hubbard, Najee Harris, and the guys who were playing in the title game. The 2020 class took major blows when Chuba announced his return to school and reports came out about Najee returning. It recovered in a big way when Clemson wide receiver Tee Higgins announced his declaration for the 2020 NFL Draft.
Name: Michael Warren II Position: RB College: Cincinnati Classification: Junior Height: 5 ft 11 in Weight: 222 lbs Michael Warren, an underrated prospect out of Cincinnati, has declared to enter this running back heavy draft. While the class is talented, I don’t think that will make him fall by any means. We will take a look at some film and break down the stats to show the ability and potential this prospect has at the next level. Let’s dive in! Breaking Down the Stats Some things that I like to consider when evaluating what a running back can do at the next level is the usage in college and the consistency of that usage. As you can see with the table above, Warren had encouragingly heavy usage in his sophomore and junior seasons. More often than not, the running backs in the NFL have at least one season of workhorse usage in college. In 2019, Warren ranked 10th in total rushing attempts among all other FBS backs with 261 attempts. Those attempts placed him at 10th in rushing touchdowns among that same list. Warren is clearly not a tier 1 or tier 2 running back in this class. His per carry stats are lackluster compared to the other backs that saw a similar workload. With that being said, Warren can easily be a change of pace back in the right offense. If he does that, he will easily return value at his selected ADP. Although he was not a huge focus in the passing game, he saw significant work for […]
The strengths of the 2020 class lie at the running back and wide receiver positions. The quarterback and tight end classes are not nearly discussed as much. When Tua injured his hip, any excitement about this class immediately ceased. With questions surrounding Tua’s health, dynasty owners had to wait for weeks to learn about his next step. Luckily for dynasty owners, he decided to forgo his senior season by entering the 2020 NFL Draft. Tua is the talent that this quarterback class desperately needed.
I begin my Rookie Watch series on Wisconsin Junior, Jonathan Taylor. You’ll find his collegiate stats here. No doubt, the badger was a dominant college running back–scoring 50 touchdowns in three years. The Badgers are a successful running team year in and year out. They are known for their inside and outside-zone running schemes. Recent alumni Melvin Gordon and James White were also very successful at Wisconsin. They are typically well-coached and tough to stop on the ground.
Is D’Andre Swift the RB1 of the 2020 NFL Draft Class? What makes Swift a unique talent that could be the 1.01 in your upcoming rookie drafts?@DFF_Steven breaks down Swift’s attributes and what type of player he will be in the NFL.
My excitement around the 2020 class hype derives from the talent that lies at the top of this class. Following a close loss to Clemson, Ohio State running back J’Kaylin Dobbins took no time considering his next step. On December 30th, 2019, JK Dobbins officially declared for the 2020 NFL Draft. Dobbins enters the pre-draft process as one of the most talented offensive players in the draft and my personal RB3.
Meet Hamler This speedy receiver has had all heads turning this season as he has proven to the fans and scouts that his big-play ability is worthy of a roster spot in the NFL. Hamler only has a two-year sample size for teams to look at for scouting. But in that small sample size is plenty of head-turning plays that will make this player rise up boards (a couple of which I’ve shared below). Penn State’s K.J. Hamler went AIRBORNE for this TD ✈️ (📍 @WellsFargo) pic.twitter.com/adSjgi61Dl — ESPN (@espn) October 13, 2019 That is some insane speed from K.J. Hamler going 93 yards to the house. Penn State stealing all the momentum as we near halftime. pic.twitter.com/y56EL8MYCl — Jonathan Valencia (@JonValenciaDTSN) September 30, 2018 Statistical Breakdown When looking at the stats it may seem as if Hamler was not utilized enough to be considered an NFL talent, but his “basic” receiving stats are inflated due to the offense design of the Nittany Lions. The Lions, in the 2019 season, ranked 88th in the nation in passing rate of plays run at 43.87%. A team that runs the ball at 56.13% of the time and relies on defense to stay in the game is not the perfect location for a big play wide receiver, but even in this scenario, Hamler put together two solid seasons. When evaluating wide receivers I like to look at two things when gauging the player: College Dominator and Breakout Age. College Dominator is the percentage of yards that the individual WR had in relation to […]
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