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Georgia Running Back D’Andre Swift Declares For The 2020 NFL Draft

Dynasty, Rookie / By

I’m an optimist, I always try to look on the bright side of life. In one of my leagues I was unfortunately lucky enough to earn the 1.01. Some dynasty owners would see this last-place finish as an absolute failure. Because I’m an optimist, I see this as an opportunity to turn that team around by drafting the most desired prospect in a heavily desired class. This class is so desired because it has special prospects like Georgia running back D’Andre Swift. Swift is my RB1 and 1.01 in 2020 single QB rookie drafts.

High School

D’Andre Swift grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where he attended St. Joseph’s Prep School. In his senior season, Swift ran for 1,564 yards and 21 TDs on just 149 carries. He will forever be etched in history at that school as he helped them win their first 6A state title.

Per 24/7 sports, Swift had a composite score of 0.9838, making him a 5-star recruit. Swift was the 33rd overall recruit and 4th RB in the nation. In 2015, Swift attended The Opening, an event that showcases the top football recruits in the nation. As a junior, Swift impressed so much that he beat out other talented running backs Miles Sanders and Najee Harris to make the all-offensive team.

 

With additional accolades to his resume like 2016 Under Armor All-American and 2016 USA Today All-USA First Team, it’s easy to see why Swift was so coveted during the recruiting period. After a legendary high school career, Swift was between two schools: Penn State and Georgia. He ultimately decided to leave his home state by becoming a Georgia Bulldog.

Statistical breakdown

Unlike the other top 2020 RBs, Swift was not given the starting running back job right away. Unlike other top 2020 backs, he played alongside two top 35 picks in the 2018 NFL draft. Swift earned his way into playing time while playing with Sony Michel and Nick Chubb. On just 81 carries, Swift rushed for 618 yards—good enough for 7.6 yards per carry. Yards per carry is not the best stat to use, but a true freshman running with that efficiency in the SEC must be noticed. Scouts praised Swift’s receiving ability throughout the recruiting process. Swift lived up to the praise by showing his pass-catching talents as a freshman.

With Chubb and Michel in the NFL, Swift led the Bulldogs in carries in 2018. He still shared the backfield with Elijah Holyfield, but that is due to Kirby Smart’s recruiting philosophy. Continuing to show his abilities as a pass-catcher, Swift caught 32 passes for 297 yards and three TDs.

In his junior season, Swift continued to lead the shared backfield in rushing attempts by carrying it 196 times for 1,218 yards and seven TDs. Once again topping 20 receptions, Swift posted a 24-209-1 receiving line. When comparing his career rushing attempts to other running backs in the 2020 class, Swift is amongst the lowest. Here are Swift’s career rushing totals compared to his colleagues:

Player Number of carries / carries per season (rounded to nearest whole number)
D’Andre Swift 440 carries / 147 carries per season
Jonathan Taylor 926 carries / 309 carries per season
JK Dobbins 725 carries / 242 carries per season
Trais Etienne 503 carries / 168 carries per season
Najee Harris 387 carries / 129 carries per season
Cam Akers 586 carries / 195 carries per season

 

Of the top backs, only Najee Harris—who also shared a backfield with multiple NFL backs—has fewer career carries than Swift. Swift is going to enter the NFL with a lot of tread left on his tires.

Film analysis

This first play is one of my favorites from Swift and sums up his skillset nicely. Swift takes the handoff to the right. He doesn’t get upfield right away as he’s waiting on two things. First, he’s waiting for his blocks to set up. Secondly, he’s waiting for the safety to come the whole way down so he can make him miss. When the safety is in position to tackle him, Swift immediately hits him with a Swift Dead Leg™. After making him miss, Swift is forced to using another juke move to get through three Kentucky defenders, one of which being NFL Draft first-round pick Josh Allen. Swift showcases his finishing abilities by lowering his shoulders to plow through two more Kentucky defenders. At least six defenders had a chance at tackling Swift, but he combined his special set of skills to find the endzone.

 

Here is another play from Swift that I love. When he takes the inside handoff, the hole begins to open. He shoots through it, breaking an arm tackle in the process. As he gets upfield, he is forced to make another man miss, this time the safety. After effortlessly doing that, he gets a few good blocks from his teammates. From there, Swift showcased his breakaway speed to score the game-sealing touchdown. Yes, there was good blocking from his teammates, but Swift still showed off good traits by easily forcing two missed tackles and showing off speed to take the play the whole way.  

 

This is a play showcasing Swift’s receiving abilities. Swift is open for the short pass to the left. While the reception and route aren’t particularly impressive, his transition to a runner is. He catches the ball in front of his body then swings it across him, turning his momentum upfield. After easily outrunning his defender, he reads his block correctly, makes a man miss, then trots into the end zone. This play is a great example of how his after the catch abilities can be used at the next level. He is so fast and smooth in the open field. He doesn’t lose any speed when he makes his moves, it’s truly impressive. 

 

This last play from Swift is yet another example of him showcasing how special his traits are. When he takes the handoff, he knows where he’s supposed to go. The problem is, he also knows that there’s a linebacker there. Swift does a phenomenal job of using his eyes and feet to set the linebacker up. Swift makes him believe that he’s going somewhere else. That causes the linebacker to hesitate, and that’s all Swift needs. His burst and explosion are on display as he plants his foot, makes his move and gets upfield. When another defender tries to tackle him, Swift leaps him to pick up another five or so yards. Swift’s physical and mental traits are evident in this play.

 

Conclusion

Jonathan Taylor, J.K. Dobbins, and Travis Etienne are among the many talented running backs in the 2020 class. These guys have the potential to completely change NFL and dynasty teams. I’m excited to see them enter the league, but my excitement for them pales in comparison to my excitement from Swift. Since 2017, I have been completely enamored by Swift’s talents. His vision, mental processing, agility, burst, speed, and receiving abilities are all near the top of this amazing draft class. Locked in as a top 40 pick in the NFL Draft, D’Andre Swift is my RB1 and 1.01 in single QB leagues. 

What are your thoughts on D’Andre Swift? Where do you think he falls in the 2020 RB ranks? Let me know on Twitter at @DFF_Steven. I love interacting and talking about things devy.

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