In what looks like a talented class at the top, Georgia's Todd Gurley could become the first running back since 2012 taken in the first round.
College football is underway, so each week we'll begin looking ahead to the 2015 NFL Draft to find out who's helping and hurting their NFL status.
As we approach the 2015 NFL Draft, the debate about running back value will intensify. It's not a good time to be a running back prospect. No team has used a first-round pick on the position in the last two drafts, and while it's early, none of the top 10 leaders in rushing yards in the NFL was taken in the first round.
Georgia's Todd Gurley is an undisputed top running back who is going to grade out extremely well. Whether his ranking should equate to draft position is going to be the discussion. Gurley is going to invariably be compared to Trent Richardson, the third overall pick in the 2012 draft.
Richardson graded out highly because of his combination of power, speed, vision and ability to break tackles. Since he's gotten to the NFL, though, Richardson has been a disaster. It seems what made him so good at Alabama hasn't translated to the pros. Richardson's biggest deficiency is his decisiveness. He waits too long to hit the hole and that allows defenders to swarm around him for a tackle.
At times, that can be Gurley's biggest fault (once you get past his slight but noteworthy injury history). Occasionally he'll be slow to get to the crease between the tackles. It can often get masked because Georgia likes to run a lot of sweeps to the outside with Gurley. In the NFL, though, sweeps are less common than runs right up the middle. Gurley's vision to find the hole and get to it is worth monitoring.
The running back discussion in 2015 will be about much more than Gurley, though. If a handful of key juniors enter the draft, we could see class quality similar to that of 2008. That year produced 10 running backs in the first 100 picks:
| ROUND | PICK | NAME | TEAM | COLLEGE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Darren McFadden | Oakland Raiders | Arkansas |
| 1 | 13 | Jonathan Stewart | Carolina Panthers | Oregon |
| 1 | 22 | Felix Jones | Dallas Cowboys | Arkansas |
| 1 | 23 | Rashard Mendenhall | Pittsburgh Steelers | Illinois |
| 1 | 24 | Chris Johnson | Tennessee Titans | East Carolina |
| 2 | 44 | Matt Forte | Chicago Bears | Tulane |
| 2 | 55 | Ray Rice | Baltimore Ravens | Rutgers |
| 3 | 64 | Kevin Smith | Detroit Lions | Central Florida |
| 3 | 73 | Jamaal Charles | Kansas City Chiefs | Texas |
| 3 | 89 | Steve Slaton | Houston Texans | West Virginia |
Players like Charles and Forte have unquestionably been stars, and Johnson had a good career despite his woes the last couple of seasons. Some of the other top running back picks from the 2008 class have had their moments, as well.
After Gurley, this year's group should be topped by Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon. He's often been compared to Charles for his breakaway speed and running style. Nebraska's Ameer Abdullah has gone over 200 yards in three games already this season and looks to have taken a big step forward. He's smaller than Gordon and Gurley, but he's still a strong runner. He's firmly put himself into the third spot, partly because South Carolina's Mike Davis and Miami's Duke Johnson haven't separated themselves like Adbullah.
T.J. Yeldon of Alabama just isn't getting the carries, but he should also be drafted highly, as could Boise State's Jay Ajayi, Indiana's Tevin Coleman and Arkansas' Jonathan Williams. Here's how this group is doing this season:
| NAME | SCHOOL | YEAR | GAMES | CARRIES | YARDS | AVG. | TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ameer Abdullah | Nebraska | Sr. | 5 | 114 | 833 | 7.3 | 8 |
| Jay Ajayi | Boise State | Jr. | 5 | 115 | 557 | 4.8 | 5 |
| Tevin Coleman | Indiana | Jr. | 4 | 88 | 691 | 7.9 | 7 |
| Mike Davis | South Carolina | Jr. | 5 | 80 | 368 | 4.6 | 3 |
| Melvin Gordon | Wisconsin | Jr. | 4 | 78 | 612 | 7.8 | 8 |
| Todd Gurley | Georgia | Jr. | 4 | 69 | 610 | 8.8 | 6 |
| Duke Johnson | Miami | Jr. | 5 | 86 | 525 | 6.1 | 4 |
| Jonathan Williams | Arkansas | Jr. | 4 | 66 | 486 | 7.4 | 8 |
| TJ Yeldon | Alabama | Jr. | 4 | 57 | 284 | 5.0 | 2 |
It's safe to say this class won't feature five first-round picks like the one in 2008. But the talent could be just as good and each of these players should be picked in the top 100. Here's how I would rate them right now: Gurley, Gordon, Abdullah, Ajayi, Coleman, Davis, Johnson, Yeldon and Williams.
We'll see who else may emerge and rise into this group. Florida State's Karlos Williams could, if he becomes a more disciplined runner. Minnesota's David Cobb could join the group, as well.
Steven Bisig, USA Today Sports
Huskies defenders continue to stand out
From front to back, Washington is loaded with NFL talent on defense. In previous weeks, we've seen good play from defensive tackle Danny Shelton and end Hau'oli Kikaha. Against Stanford on Saturday, two other players stood out.
Chief among them was cornerback Marcus Peters. The junior slowed down Stanford wide receiver Ty Montgomery all game, including a critical tackle on the all-conference performer on the opening kickoff. Montgomery had just four catches for 29 yards because of Peters’ play in the secondary. Peters even had a nice interception on an under-thrown pass.
But despite covering the opening kickoff, Peters was benched for Washington’s first two series on defense. He was also suspended for the Illinois game earlier this season for arguing on the sidelines. The biggest knock on Peters is his attitude. We’ll see if it dings his draft stock.
"He needs to take care of things around the ranch a little bit better and tighten up some details, and then he’ll start," Washington coach Chris Petersen told reporters after the game.
The other Washington player who had a good game safety was Shaq Thompson. Although Washington classified Thompson as safety for the game, he played near the line of scrimmage more than a typical safety would. In the game, Thompson forced two fumbles and recovered one. Thompson’s playmaking ability is one reason why some teams will view him as a first-round pick. It will be interesting to see how teams use Thompson. Some may think he's a safety, while others consider him more of a linebacker. Regardless, there's always a starting spot for players like Thompson on defense. In fact, Thompson's versatility could be what vaults his draft status.
Rich Barnes, USA Today Sports
Random draft notes
If you think about the quarterback position for next year's draft, the drop-off after Oregon's Marcus Mariota and Florida State's Jameis Winston is significant. Baylor's Bryce Petty, Michigan State's Connor Cook and UCLA's Brett Hundley each have some redeeming qualities, but you can dispute the merits of each. Cincinnati's Gunner Kiel has looked good, but he's only a redshirt sophomore in his first season as a starter.
That could leave some team open to falling in love with a player like Notre Dame's Everett Golson. He's looked sharp after being forced to sit out last season for cheating on a test. After a rocky start against Syracuse on Saturday, Golson had 25 straight completions. He's shown a mastery of the intermediate passing game, which pulls defenders up. That allows Golson to launch deep balls, like the 72-yard touchdown pass he had to Will Fuller in the 31-15 win.
For Syracuse, left tackle Sean Hickey had a decent game. Hickey, a senior, isn't going to grade out or get drafted thveryat highly. At a position of importance, though, he should hear his named called early on the third day. Hickey may not be the most powerful blocker, but he's shown he can seal off blocks to open an alley for the running back and hold up well in pass protection.
Hickey really should get a Senior Bowl invitation, as should Duke guard Laken Tomlinson. Right guards don't get much attention, but Tomlinson should. He had a solid showing in Duke's loss against Miami. Tomlinson is a strong blocker, but he can get out on the move. He also shows good awareness. On one play that stands out, Tomlinson was blocking a defensive tackle in the A-gap with one hand while helping the right tackle out with the other. In some ways, Tomlinson is similar to Larry Warford of the Detroit Lions and, like the former Kentucky star, could get picked in the third round.
Arkansas defensive end Trey Flowers may not blow people away with his first step and acceleration, but he has the look of a classic 4-3 left end. Flowers can play contain in the run game and does enough as a pass rusher to get to the quarterback. Against Texas A&M, he showed off a nice bull rush on highly regarded Aggies right tackle Germain Ifedi. While most college ends like to win with their speed to the outside, Flowers' best move is to simply power tackles backward.
Tennessee linebacker A.J. Johnson didn't get to match up against Gurley last season, so Saturday's game was a big one for the senior. While he was credited with 17 tackles, that doesn't necessarily mean he had a good game. Johnson really struggles to get off blocks and will miss some tackles. He gets by on hustle, though, and is willing to play on special teams.
from SBNation.com - All Posts http://ift.tt/1vx27uh
0 commentaires:
Enregistrer un commentaire