Which running backs will matter in the 2019 NFL Draft, and what’s the college perspective on all of the top prospects?
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It’s a class of running backs. No more, no less.
There might be a few decent prospects, and there are certainly a whole slew of starters, but is there a Saquon Barkley? No.
Is there a Leonard Fournette, Ezekiel Elliott, Christian McCaffrey or Todd Gurley? Nope.
It’s the softest class of backs since the awful 2014 group that didn’t see one go until the late second round – Bishop Sankey to Tennessee, by the way – but it’s deep with a whole lot of options. Here are the top 15 guys on the board.
15. Alexander Mattison, Boise State
5-11, 221: There’s no flash to what he can do, but he’ll catch the ball, come up with big yards in key moments, and he’ll carry the mail. As tough as they come, he’s going to block – and be good at it – and he’ll fit as a powerful ten-carry guy as a No. 2 back in a rotation.
Projected Round: Fifth
14. Benny Snell, Kentucky
5-10, 224: There’s nothing fancy about his game, but he’s one of the tougher physical backs in the draft. It didn’t matter if he was keyed on; he kept on producing. There’s no burst and no breakaway speed, but he’ll bring the toughness to keep things moving.
Projected Round: Fifth
13. Myles Gaskin, Washington
5-9, 205: An ultra-quick power-packed runner who has the talent and ability to work in a variety of ways. He can be a decent third down receiver, a returner, and a part of a rotation who’s a better football player than his raw tools. He’ll be a mid-Day Three guy who’ll stick.
Projected Round: Fifth
12. Justice Hill, Oklahoma State
5-10, 198: A bit of an afterthought in the process, all of a sudden his stock rose up with a great offseason of workouts including a 4.4 40 and an explosive 40″ vertical. He’ll never be a 20-carry back, but no one will ask him to be one. He can move, he’s slippery, and he can gash a defense as part of a rotation.
Projected Round: Fourth
11. Elijah Holyfield, Georgia
5-10, 217: SLOWWWWWWWW. The 4.78 is a killer, but he’s quick on the field and he brings tremendous power and toughness to the position. The workout process hasn’t been kind, but someone will take him off the board early on Day Three as an attitude pick. There’s a shot he grows into a big-time grinder who’s great around the goal line.
Projected Round: Fifth
10. Trayveon Williams, Texas A&M
5-8, 206: Way small and way quick, he bounces off tacklers, he’ll block a little bit, and he’ll be a three down back who’ll make plenty of grabs. There are plenty of reasons not to take him – he’s not going to be a volume-carry top back – but he knows how to eat up yards.
Projected Round: Third
9. Dexter Williams, Notre Dame
5-11, 212: The sub-4.6 40 might not seem like a big deal, but for a big back with a penchant for tearing off yards in chunks, it’s good enough. There’s little to no wiggle in his game, but he showed what he can do to change around an offense. He might not have the breakaway runs at the next level like he had with the Irish, but he’s got the game to become an instant star in the right system.
Projected Round: Fourth
8. Rodney Anderson, Oklahoma
6-0, 224: If you think he can last, and it you’re going to blow off the knee injuries, you just might have the best running back in the draft. He’s a tough guy runner with good size, a solid burst, and a penchant for getting into the end zone. He’ll have a short shelf life, but he’ll be fantastic while he can last.
Projected Round: Third
7. Bryce Love, Stanford
5-9, 200: Just think about what he might be able to do if healthy. He’ll have to be drafted on trust – he’s still rehabbing a torn ACL – but he’s more than worth the shot at greatness as a fantastic Day Three flier. He worked too hard playing through injuries, and it proved costly. Everyone knows that, and everyone knows his elite quickness when he’s right. He’ll go higher than you think.
Projected Round: Fourth
6. Devin Singletary, Florida Atlantic
5-7, 203: The offseason workout process hasn’t been kind. For his size, he’s too slow, not quick enough, and missing the basic NFL tools … in shorts. On the field, he’s an ultra-productive runner who found ways to score 67 career touchdowns, block, and do everything asked of him. He went from being an overlooked top 50 prospect to a likely Day Three steal.
Projected Round: Fourth
5. Miles Sanders, Penn State
5-11, 211: And then the NFL combine happened.
A great recruit for Penn State, he was fine, but he suffered from not being Saquon Barkley once he got his chance to handle the running duties.
He always had the skill set to do a little of everything right, but he seemed like just a guy. Now – after hitting a 4.49 in the 40 and blowing through the rest of the combine drills like he was having a snack – he might just be a guy who’s about to take off and shine once he’s in a pro attack.
He needs to find his groove. The tools are there, but he was never quite able to bust out and show them all off. He could use a little coaching, some more work, and a little bit better vision to see hole, hit hole, and go.
With his three-down ability and his toughness and willingness to block, he’ll catch the eye of at least one team that’s going to want to unlock all of the potential.
Projected Round: Third
Real Value: Third
NEXT: The guy who was better than The Guy …
4. Damien Harris, Alabama
5-10, 216: Is Nick Saban dumb?
Yeah, his Crimson Tide had a bad day against Clemson in Santa Clara, but and he might not be the life of any party, but he’s hardly known for making a whole lot of bad football decisions.
Josh Jacobs is everyone’s sweetheart running back in this draft, and yet it was Harris who was the team’s leading rusher over each of the last three seasons.
He’s faster than Jacobs, averaged more yards per carry last season, and he proved he could catch, too.
No, he doesn’t have the special cutting ability or violent style skills like Jacobs – or others on this list – but you know exactly what you’re getting. He’ll block, he’ll run for the tough yards, and he’ll be good enough to use as your value-pick starting running back for the next few seasons.
But what does Saban know about running backs?
Projected Round: Third
Real Value: Second
NEXT: The draft’s best home run hitting back …
3. Darrell Henderson, Memphis
5-8, 208: He’ll be among more interesting draft picks.
There’s not a whole lot of size, and there’s no power, but he’s a 4.4ish runner in workouts, and he’s the draft’s ultimate home run hitting running back.
While he was a workhorse at times in college, he wasn’t a power back and usually had wide open lanes to dash through – the guy averaged over eight yards per carry. But he can catch, and he can slash, and he can go from 0 to 60 in a hiccup.
He’s going to be one of those guys who slides because he’s missing the ability to come up with a strong block, and he’s not going to make anyone worry about trying to deliver a pop. And then he’ll be an instant jolt to an offense for anyone who grabs him outside of the top 50.
It’s asking for too much to be another Alvin Kamara, but …
Projected Round: Second
Real Value: Second
NEXT: Yeaaaaah, he’s goooood, buuuuuuut …
2. Josh Jacobs, Alabama
5-10, 220: Sort of the hipster scout call early on in the process, it was easy to get all hot for the size, the power, the burst, and the violent way he runs, and …
4.6ish. That’s around where his speed is, even though he had another timed pro day and got into the 4.5 range.
That, combined with the lack of a body of work when at Alabama, and there are plenty of things that just don’t add up.
He’s not as fast as a Rashaad Penny or Sony Michel from last year’s first round, and again, the numbers aren’t there with just 251 career carries for under 1,500 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Nick Saban is never afraid to feed his backs over and over and over again, even if they’re a part of a rotation. Jacobs just didn’t get a whole lot of work.
But that’s a good thing. He’s fresh, he’s ready, and he’s got the combination of skills to make him a No. 1 running back right from the start.
But he wasn’t able to workout at the NFL combine. And he had a slow pro day before his faster one, and …
He’s talented, but there’s a wee bit of a buyer beware thing happening here.
Projected Round: First
Real Value: Early Second
NEXT: There’s nothing flashy except for what his overall numbers will be …
1. David Montgomery, Iowa State
5-10, 222: A smallish, quick, powerful back without a lot of flash or dash, but he’s just a good running back who should be able to carry the load and turn into a No. 1 back.
He might not be all that explosive compared to others in the draft, but he’s the sound runner who can do a little of everything and bring a little attitude to the mix, too.
It’ll be a hard sell for some scouts, especially in the top 50, but he’s going to be a crush for some offensive coordinator who’ll love his hands, his toughness, and his reliability.
There might be a bit too much tread off the tires after almost 700 career touches, and there’s not anything sexy about his game, but take him, plug him in from Day One, and let him carry your running game.
Projected Round: Second
Real Value: Late First Round
