2010 Runningbacks

This years crop of running backs is a very exciting group. There is a wide variety of talented players, all with many different skill types. First and foremost there is the speedy homerun threat in CJ Spiller.... but he'll cost you a high first round pick. I think it's worth it. He has all the skills to be a Chris Johnson like player in the NFL. His vision, speed, and elusiveness all translate well to the NFL as an all purpose weapon. However, some people may be scared off at having to use a premium pick on a position that is relatively easy to fill. So if you're apprehensive about grabbing Spiller with an early pick, you could wait until round 2 and grab Jahvid Best. He possesses almost all of the same qualities Spiller does, but unlike CJ, Best has a pretty bad injury history and isn't considered to be very durable... for a position that demands a lot from your body, Best is a very risky pick.
Then there are the big bruisers. Ryan Mathews offers the complete package as a runner. Vision, instincts, size, speed, and balance. However in my opinion, he is somewhat overrated. He didn't play against the best competition, his blocking isn't the best, he doesn't break through many tackles, and he has many questions about his hands. He could strictly be a two down player.

Jonathon Dwyer is another over hyped back. Many draftniks like to throw his name around, but his stock isn't as high as many believe. He's fairly slow, has major conditioning and work ethic questions, and no one has ever seen him featured in a conventional offense. In other words he has some major issues and seems to be destined to round 3 or 4 at the earliest.
Instead of investing picks on the above players I would rather grab one of the following three guys: Toby Gerhart, Ben Tate, or Montario Hardesty.
Gerhart is one of the most interesting players in this years draft. After finishing second in the Heisman voting Gerhart put all of his focus on training for the NFL. It showed after his impressive combine performance where he was weighed in at a very solid 231 and ran an impressive 4.55 40. He was exceptionally productive in college, had a great combine showing, and his tape shows an explosive bruiser with very good instincts. Despite this many people label him as a Fullback for whatever reason, and don't think his skill set will translate into the pros. I think his high profile name and underrated tape will get him drafted in round 2, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him as a starter sooner rather than later.

My favourite back in this Draft may be Ben Tate out of Auburn. He had a phenomenal year in the SEC, showing the ability to pound the rock up the middle in addition to being able to hit the edge and get into open space. He has some nice wiggle and has also shown the ability to be a reliable pass catcher. His biggest knocks were in what was perceiver as a lack of athleticism. He shattered this perception at the combine. In fact he was probably the most impressive back in Indy this year. He ran a 4.43 40, had the most bench reps out of all the running backs, second highest vertical, second longest broad jump, and the second best 20 yard shuttle. Not bad eh? Oh and did I mention he's 5'11 and 220lbs. In conclusion the guy has exceptional tape, great measurable's, superb athleticism, and a lot of upside. I would be very surprised if someone doesn't pick him up in round 2.

Montario Hardesty is another SEC back with big time potential. Despite being an experienced 5 year player at Tennessee, Hardesty barely has any mileage on his legs, which is an underrated quality in running back prospects. He has prototypical size and speed, and he combines that with a very intriguing skill set. He hits the hole hard and always keeps his legs moving on contact. Though you won't see him turn the corner or hit the edge often, he has a good burst and great agility and has the ability to break tackles. He is also a very good blocker and very reliable pass catcher. He has the potential to be an NFL starter very early in his career and projects similarly to Ryan Grant of the Packers as a runner.
Though in my rankings you will see Mathews rated higher then Gerhart, Tate, and Hardesty it is not by much. In fact, I would have no trouble listing those four players in pretty much any order jumbled up. Despite this, most experts are projecting Mathews as a first rounder where as the three guys I like are all projected to go rounds 2-4. If I'm a team like San Diego who is looking for a RB early, I'd prefer to grab Tate, Hardesty, or Gerhart later then invest a #1 on Mathews. In my opinion they are all on the same talent level and are all potential stars in the pros.

There are a lot more interesting names out there in this draft that I will go over in the future, but for now, here are my 2010 RB rankings with where I think they will be drafted in brackets. Next up receivers!

1) CJ Spiller, Clemson (Round 1)
2) Jahvid Best, Cal (Round 2)
3) Ryan Mathews, Fresno State (Round 1-2)
4) Ben Tate, Auburn (Round 2-3)
5) Toby Gerhart, Stanford (Round 2-3)
6) Montario Hardesty, Tennessee (Round 3-4)
7) Dexter McCluster, Ole Miss (Round 2-3)
8) Joe McKnight, USC (Round 3)
9) Jonathon Dwyer, Georgia Tech (Round 3-4)
10) Anthony Dixon, Mississippi State (Round 4)