J.K. Dobbins, The Ohio State
J.K Dobbins was taken at Pick 55 in Round 2 by the Baltimore Ravens and was the fifth running back off the board. He spent three years at The Ohio State University where he ran for 2,003 yards on 301 carries (6.7 yards per carry) and caught 23 passes for 247 yards with 23 total touchdowns during his last year in college.
Athletic Profile
Film Analysis
Running: Dobbins is a compact cannonball as a runner. To say he runs with “purpose” is an understatement and disrespectful to what he brings to the running back position. By the end of every game, the defense is worn out from tackling him and he just gets bigger and bigger runs. But that doesn’t mean he’s not great in the beginning of the game. He does a great job utilizing his vision and burst to get through the hole. Dobbins has excellent contact balance that allows him to bounce off of arm tackles which helps make up for his lack of change of direction speed. His acceleration and ability to get north on runs extended to the sideline was very inconsistent throughout his tape.
Receiving: He was utilized as a receiver lining up out of the backfield, but he wasn’t thrown to very often. He’s not the best pass catcher in this class, but I believe he can catch well enough to be a three-down back in the NFL.
Pass Blocking: Dobbins was a little inconsistent in his pass blocking but overall he did an above-average job. He showed the toughness to take on incoming linebackers and really the only negative was that he looked lazy every once in a while. This isn’t something that affects his ceiling or floor in year one.
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Landing Spot Reaction
The Baltimore Ravens ran the ball almost 100 times more than any other team in 2019. Even with Lamar Jackson taking 176 rushing attempts, that still leaves 420 rushes to be given to skill position players. The Ravens offensive line ranked third in the league in run blocking. Mark Ingram, at 30 years of age, was able to average 5.0 yards per carry. Dobbins won’t be the number one target in the backfield as long as Lamar Jackson is healthy, and with the RPO playstyle, he should be able to utilize his burst into open running lanes with ease. Dobbins is also the guy that the Ravens will want to use to wear down the opposing defense with his physical running style at the end of games before closing teams out with Jackson’s elite speed and agility. This is a great landing spot even if he needs to share the load with Mark Ingram for another year or two.
Mark Ingram had 202 carries last year and Dobbins should now take the lion’s share of the attempts, but he will still be utilized enough to maintain value in dynasty leagues which is still a bonus for any running back over 30 years old. Gus Edwards is a restricted free agent next year, and could be on the roster if the Ravens decide to move on from Ingram, but his value this year remains low unless he can beat out Ingram for playing time. Lamar Jackson doesn’t have a value change, but I could see the Ravens trying to run him less and let Dobbins wear down the defense so his runs are even more effective (if that’s possible).
Dynasty Draft Projection
J.K. Dobbins was my number three running back in the class and he was widely considered a to.p six pick in this rookie draft class. His long term value remains high and you will need a top four pick in the draft if you want Dobbins on your team this fall
Draft Night-Where would I take him in a dynasty draft? Did he move in my rankings?Thanks for reading and stay tuned to Dynasty Football Factory for all your NFL Draft night coverage. Follow me on Twitter @DFF_JoeMem to join in on the draft conversation!
