Paul Perkins is the newest Detroit Lion. The team signed the 24-year-old running back on Tuesday to replace C.J. Anderson on the roster as a reserve behind starter Kerryon Johnson and impressive rookie Ty Johnson.
What are the Lions getting in Perkins?
Perkins won the Giants starting RB job in 2017 over several competitors, in part because he has the ability to do all of the things necessary as an NFL RB. Alas, being a jack-of-all-trades has a downside, one the Giants quickly figured out with Perkins as their top dog: he fails to excel at any one of those things.
That was evident on his game tape at UCLA, where Perkins was productive in three seasons. At 5-11 and 205 pounds, he’s a little too big to be a scatback but not bulky enough to be a power back. His running style reflects that being between two worlds. Perkins will lower the shoulder and grind but doesn’t have the power for it to be effective all the time. Likewise, he isn’t quick enough or blessed with the foot frequency or instant acceleration to be a perimeter-oriented back.
The Giants pulled the starting plug in 2017 after he averaged just 2.2 yards per carry, and he has not played in the NFL since. He suffered a pectoral injury along the way too.
Looking back at my notes from his draft class, I was lukewarm on Perkins.
Positives
- Sees the hole and reads blocks well
- Soft hands as a receiver
- Very good in pass protection at both identifying targets and engaging with good technique
- Reliably falls forward after contact
- Nice stutter-step move through the hole
Negatives
- No real burst or turbo button acceleration
- Everything is done at the same speed
- Not as powerful as he thinks he is
- Doesn’t attack north/south consistently
Those observations carried over to the NFL presciently. He also doesn’t offer any discernible benefit on special teams, something the Lions typically do require of their No. 3 and No. 4 RBs.
It’s not a big role in Darrell Bevell’s offense, likely to get just 2-5 touches per game. Perkins is unlikely to do anything special with those touches, but his ability to handle himself in the passing game — and low price tag — is likely what attracted the team to Perkins.
