DawgTalkers.net Forums The Archives 2018 NFL Season 2018 NFL Draft Ranking and Evaluating the Running Backs

We are probably not going to keep Crow, thus we will probably acquire a RB. There a ton of good RBs in this draft and there are always some available in FA. This thread is our opportunity to evaluate and rank the RBs in this year's draft.

I played the position and coached some good ones. I think I have a pretty good feel for RBs, but I haven't studied all of this year's prospects. I'm looking for feedback as I continue to research some of these guys. I'm going to make an initial ranking list to get the conversation started, but obviously, the rankings will evolve as we get more educated about these guys.

1. Saquon Barkley, Penn State
I'm not going to say much because we all know him. I think he is very good, but not the 3-tool guy Zeke was. I won't be too unhappy if we draft him at 4, but I think that is too high for him.

2. Derrius Guice, LSU
Decent speed, tough guy, and is really quick.

3. Ronald Jones, USC
Versatile RB who is under appreciated. I like that he put some weight on and can also catch the ball.

4. Nick Chubb, Georgia
Better speed than I thought. He's okay. I am not a huge fan.

5. Kerryon Johnson, Auburn
Very tough dude. Workhorse. Has taken a lot of big shots, though.

6. Bryce Love, Stanford
Very fast. Great kid. Good vision. Kinda slight of frame. Injuries could be an issue.

7. Sony Michel, Georgia
I like him better than Chubb. I think he will be available in rounds 2-3 and I hope we take him there. I love his speed, explosiveness, and pass catching abilities.

8. Akrum Wadley, Iowa
Not the biggest dude, but the kid can run the rock. He is also a good receiver and kick returner.

9. Damien Harris, Alabama
Kinda in that LT, Doug Martin mode. Sometimes, it is hard to evaluate 'Bama backs due to their OL's.

10. Rashaad Penny, SD State
He runs over people. Not that fast. Played against weaker competition. But, he kind of reminds me of Michael Stewart from Carolina.

Other guys:

--Royce Freeman, Oregon
--Josh Adams, Notre Dame
--Itto Smith, S. Miss
--Mike Webber, Ohio State
--L.J. Scott, Mich St
--Justin Jackson, Northwestern

And there are even more. Very deep class.

Please don't rip on me too much. It's early. Got a lot of research to do. Again, I think this thread will evolve as we learn more.

I would love to hear your thoughts. Educate us.

Now wouldn't it be very much to ensure the Browns are nowhere near the playoffs in 2018, but rather continue to lose 90% or more of their games, than the continuiation of the pre conception process

that is somewhat but not entirely summed up in the prevailing thought process; that many hold, as is evidenced by the posts on this board from various members among varying parts of the roster;

that would readily accept the first line of

Now we are probably not going to keep Crow.

(What the heck am I trying to say? )
(Find a way to win with the guys you have, and Add too it! Before you continue to waive/cut the guys you have and pursue success from the next greatest thing to come along that's still unproven.)

This is not to say how I feel about Crowell and his abilities, it's to say how I feel about deciding, (or what would be deciding), to move on from him, or anyone without making someone come in and take that spot.

And more hopefully, seeing someone come in, succeed, and those two work in tandem together.

[sigh]

There are times when I wonder why I bother.

Royce Freeman sat out his bowl game, that is "not" a mark in his favor.

That's a pretty good list.

Everyone's going to move names up and down that list depending on the types of RB's that they like but that looks pretty good to me.

Someone mentioned in another thread that LJ Scott decided to go back to school and I haven't really kept up with who has declared for the draft and who hasn't yet so there may be others.

I could add some names to look at...

Martez Carter Grambling State
Kyle Hicks TCU
Bo Scarborough Alabama
Roc Thomas Jax St
Lavon Coleman Wash

There are more larger school guys, but I can't think of them right now. At one point I figured 30 draft-able large school RBs

Some sneaky ones to look at...

Kamryn Pettway Auburn



Missed games for a shoulder injury and will be over-looked.

And some small school guys

Chase Edmonds - Fordham
Detrez Newsome - Western Carolina
Corey Avery - Sam Houston St
Semar Smith - Harvard **** This is the one I like.

There is always a small school RB that makes some NFL team.

I think I read the same thing about LJ Scott, too. I couldn't verify it, though. Not that I looked all that hard.....LOL....My head was starting to swim trying to get all those guys in there.

Thanks for the additions and I agree, the list will change.

I too love Sony Michel’s explosiveness. He hits the hole quickly and can make second layer defenders look flat footed and miss. I’d love him in the 2nd round.
Freeman was on a bad Ducks team. Poor line play in front of him prevented him from having the type of season he’d hoped. I think if he falls to the third round somebody is going to get an incredibly underrated, undervalued bruiser. He’s 5’11 and 231 pounds yet he broke LeMichael James’ Duck’s rushing record. The kid is a stud.

Thanks for the "local" take on Freeman. That's helpful. I want this thread to be educational. Nice job.

Since we are looking to replace Crow I would prefer either the big power-back type or a 3 down type back.

I think Duke has more value as a change-up if we have the power back, but he lines up at WR, so we could also get away with a 3 down type as well.

I actually hope that in this deep draft we double dip at RB.

I sure wish CleveSteve was here because he always went in depth with RB evals.

Good point about Duke.

What do you think of Michele? He's my favorite [for our situation] right now.

Sony Michel at the beginning of the 2nd round. Thank you very much.

How about Myles Gaskin - Washington?

More of a change of pace back given his size, I suppose.

I kinda remember him now that you mention it, but I haven't watched him much. What's your take on him?

Let's play whois...

The fastest RB?

It's got to be Barkley Love or Michel I think.

Oh no I'll bet it's Ralph Webb of Vanderbilt, I forgot about him he's more like a Duke Johnson type though.

Strongest RB?

I would have said LJ Scott if he was coming out, maybe Freeman.

Most overlooked?

I'm going Pettway, he might be the strongest too now that I think of it.

Best lateral movement?

Barkley again, he's extremely fluid.

Add your own whois's as necessary.

He's kind of a tweener. He's like 195 lbs I think. He catches really well out of the backfield though. He'll need to put on a little weight at the next level because I don't think he has the speed to be a COP back.

Who is the best receiver?

Who is the best 3 tool back.....and specifically, most capable of picking up the blitz?

Who is the dude w/the best vision?

Who is most likely to stay healthy?

I didn't answer because I'm not sure about those things at this point in time.

Yeah, and we already have Duke. That's why I didn't mention him. But, I could be wrong.

Looked plenty fast again PSU.

http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=21920405

I agree no need for him with Duke.

Sorry I missed the question on Michel.

He has amazing burst and hits the hole hard. He gets past the d-line before they can get out of their stance and before LB's can react. His cuts are as smooth as butter as well. If you get the chance to make the tackle he's not where you thought he was a second ago.

Vers

I think this class is absolutely stacked...I have done fairly well with predicting some backs success (I really wanted us to snag Lamar Miller when he came out, and said he'd be better back than Trich...Miami landed him in round 4, when he was an expected 2 round pick...I was probably the biggest Jordan Howard pimp on here, and we all know of a steal he was in round 5 to the Bears...I also wanted Tevin Coleman badly the year he came out, he's a fine back and we got Duke instead...so perhaps a wash there)

Then again I pimped S Kenny Vacarro too...Whom has had alot of ups and downs in NO, but they are a better team with him.

A guy I thought whom was coming out last year, but stayed all 4 years is Oregon RB Royce Freeman. I am curious to see what he runs come combine and such. For a big back, he's quite elusive and has sharp cuts for a big man. I dont know if he runs as tough as his size indicates. Though I hope with all the college carries he has taken hasnt taken its toll (Remember that back years ago out of USF Kevin Smith...well I remember his body was already hobbled after a few seasons with the Lions and it was from a vast number of carries in college)

But I think quality RBs will still be rather stock piled at the top of round 4...Heck Royce Freeman might be there for our second pick in round 4 via the Panthers.

I like Guice alot from LSU...But he will go much higher...Barkley is a fantastic back, we all see that...But we lack so much at other spots...Not sure if he warrants our pick...But imagine him and Duke showcasing their talents in the same backfield...But we need secondary help first imho

I also love Sony Michel...for that frame he has, he is fast...Our at least plays the part...

Idk why but I like somewhat Bryce Love...But I wont be surprised if he is disappointment, I cant finger point it...Just a feeling.

I would love Sony Michel in the 2nd. He has real explosion, and looks like he could be special.

Thanks for the knowledge, tru. You are one of our most football-savvy posters. I always listen when you talk, even when we disagree. LOL

I love Freeman's cuts for a big man...I cant remember what team he played, but earlier in the year he was juking everyone out in the 1st and 2nd levels lol...He's my favorite of the mid round backs for sure...Playing all 4 years for Oregon, I do worry somewhat with all the carries he took...But that may make him a steal afterall

I agree, YTown. He is the back I want and I agree about the round. He was a 2-3 guy, but I'm pretty sure he'll be a 2nd round pick after his last game. He was the best back on the field.

Who is the best receiver?
Probably Gaskin but Guice is a good WR too.

Who is the best 3 tool back.....and specifically, most capable of picking up the blitz?

I've seen Chubb pancake pass rushers. I'll go with him

Who is the dude w/the best vision?

Barkley, Michel, or Wadley in my opinion

Who is most likely to stay healthy?

I never have a clue on this one. Sometimes the biggest baddest RB's get hurt and the smallest frailest ones stay healthy. The only trend I see is the ones that get more carries tend to wear down quicker.

I don't ever remember a RB class this stacked. Do you?

He sure does on that clip. Maybe I have underestimated his speed.

2008 was pretty good:

Jamal Charles, Chris Johnson,Matt Forte, Ray Rice, Felix Jones, Darren McFadden, Jonathan Stewart, Rashard Mendenhall, Kevin Smith, etc

You have a better memory than I do. That was a pretty awesome class.

I remembered the class, but I had to look it up because I didn't remember all of the dudes, so my memory isn't that great. LOL

That was better than me, my mind skipped it entirely.

Good thread so far.

I'm hoping for more posts from dudes like Portland who watched local guys.

For example.......has anyone watched much of Penny from SD State? I watched one game and he was killing dudes. Looked like JStew in college. But, he isn't that fast and the guys are smaller. Anyone have a take?

There are so many good backs.

I haven't watched a whole lot of Penney but the thing I don't like is that he runs too high. It burns my butt when you run standing straight up.

I would agree. No need to use the 4th pick on Barkley. I think Guice or Michel in late 1st or early second. Then maybe Johnson or Jones. Duke is our Kamara, Guice could be our Ingram.

I agree. Never understood how Dickerson got away w/it, but he did. I ran as low as possible.

If anyone is interested, here are some things I look for in regards to running style:

--Square your shoulders. This is kinda hard to explain, but I always ran w/my shoulders squared to the defense. Don't turn them to the sideline. That is how you get blown up. I wanna take the hit and fall forward even if I can't break it. No way do I wanna be driven backwards. Look at it this way if you don't know what I mean. Pick a target that moves. Could be a heavy bag [boxing], your wife..LOL, etc. Move the side and let that choice of yours hit your shoulders. Now, try it w/your shoulders facing the target. You'll feel the difference in your power and balance immediately.

--Vision is huge. Some call it instincts. I call it vision. You can see holes opening and you can see defenders closing. Or, you can't. We used to argue a lot about TRich on here a lot and my biggest knock on him was his vision. It was horrible.

The rest of thse are more well known:

--Toughness: If you play RB, you are going to take a ton of shots. I prided myself on being able to take shots, but the key is to avoid big shots. Like a boxer who rolls his chin to the right against a left hook, a good RB can roll w/the contact. Hard to explain, but it's huge if you wanna last the season. The other part of this is pass blocking. I remember when I was a freshman in HS and I was a little, skinny dude at that point and I had to block a dude who played at Michigan State and the Dolphins in pass protection. I tried doing the form they taught us and the dude ran my ass over. I got smarter and I chopped his legs the next time. But dawgs....that was one scary mother hubbard.

--Speed: God blessed me w/incredible speed. You can work at it, but well, good luck.

Hands: I think this is important because you can stay on the field. I remember in 8th grade, our position coach was throwing to us and one dude dropped an easy pass across the middle. I laughed and he went off on me. That was a different time and we all used to dog each other and it was cool that the coach dogged me too. But, when he said......"let's see you catch one, Vers [that is not my real name...LOL.] I said "sure." I ran the crossing route and he threw it well behind me.........I went into a a slide, reached back w/my left hand and snagged the pass just inches off of the ground. My teammates exploded w/cheers and shouts. The coach looked pissed for a minute, but he said: "Damn [Vers,] nice catch.
Bottom line, I got the starting job.

What does all of this mean? Uhmmm........I think Zeke was the best back to come out in years and years. He is a three tool back and a three down back and yeah, there is a difference, even if it is rather subtle. I don't think there is a Zeke in this draft. Barkley is very good, but he isn't that three tool back.

I think we should draft a back in rounds 2-4. Right now, I am leaning towards Michele from Georgia in round 2, but I am open to people changing my mind w/good analysis.

I believe Guice is the emmit Smith in this class. He is better than Barclay at pretty much everything except for Barclay's amazing speed. I know we arent gonna take him but I think the kid is a future hall of fame back.

I'm the one who posted LJ Scott is returning to MSU. Here is a link.

https://www.freep.com/story/sports/colle...ning/989577001/

Barkley is on different level, some people on here mentioned others who catch the ball but I think no one in this draft is better at it then Barkley.

The three guys I really like are penny, Michel, and Damien Harris, but nut sure he’s come out yet. He runs hard. All three do really.

If I had to pick a guy that reminded me of Kamari, I’d say Michel.

Kerryon Johnson is another one that reminds me a little of Kamara

Just get one who can punch it in from a few yards or pick up a short yardage conversion. A big AFC North type guy!