Rankings and quick lookaheads of all the running back prospects invited to the 2019 NFL Combine.
– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak
2019 NFL Running Back Combine Workout: Friday, March 1
Here we go with the 2019 NFL Combine, with all the breakdowns and analysis of every positive and negative for all of the top prospects. This isn’t that hard. Just simplify it – who can play football well enough to make an impact at the next level?
The bigger breakdowns will come before the NFL Draft, but for now – again, from the college perspective – here are the pre-combine rankings for all of the running backs invited to the big workout.
Before getting into the top five breakdown, here’s a ranking of the best of the rest.
2019 Pre-NFL Combine Running Back Best of the Rest Rankings
Number in parentheses is the projected round drafted pre-NFL Combine.
(FB) Alec Ingold, Wisconsin 6-0, 246 (5)
A thumper who will destroy his man for a power running game, and could find a role as a sure-thing goal line back. Oh yes, there will be a place for him in the league.
27. Jordan Scarlett, Florida 5-10, 213 (7 FA)
He’ll have to find a role as a special teamer early on, and he has to come up with something he can do at a high level – like be a tough short-yardage, goal line runner.
26. Tony Pollard, Memphis 6-0, 208 (7 FA)
It’s going to be all about his worth as a kick returner and third down specialist. He could surprise as a late round find who could work in a rotation.
25. Alex Barnes, Kansas State 6-0, 225 (7 FA)
The pop, power and production are there, but there isn’t anything good enough about his style to make him stand out from the pack. He’s got to show quickness and speed in Indy.
24. James Williams, Washington State 5-11, 195 (7 FA)
There’s little size and he can’t be an every down back, but he’s got the quickness and hands to find a job as a No. 3 option who could be good for a few touches a game.
23. Travis Homer, Miami 5-11, 195 (5)
His blocking ability could find him a job. He’s not a special runner, and he’s not all that big, but he HAS to hang on to the ball. He’ll become a strong special teamer.
22, Qadree Ollison, Pitt 6-1, 232 (7 FA)
A really, really interesting prospect, he’s got just enough to get an honest shot to see if he can run with a bit more pop to go along with his surprising speed. The combination of tools are intriguing, but they all have to come together.
21. Alexander Mattison, Boise State 5-11, 210 (6)
There’s not the flash or the explosiveness some might like for a prospect of his skills, but he might just rock the workouts. He’s tough as nails and will block as a strong backup behind good No. 1 guy – he’d work with the Giants.
20. Karan Higdon, Michigan 5-9, 207 (5)
The size isn’t there to provide any power, but he’s a good, patient back who’s dependable to carry the load and not screw up. He’s not a must-have back, though – he’s not going to be a next-level game changer.
19. Nick Brossette, LSU 6-0, 221 (7 FA)
There’s not anything flashy about his game, but he’ll be drafted late and will hang around the league for a long time. The scouts will need to see if he has any speed.
18. Mike Weber, Ohio State 5-10, 212 (6)
He’s a guy. Yeah, he could grow into a productive back in a rotation, but does he have the explosion to do anything special? It doesn’t matter – he’ll have enough good games to be worth the pick, but he won’t carry an offense.
17. Jalin Moore, Appalachian State 5-10, 211 (6)
Is everything back and okay after getting hit with an ankle injury? He doesn’t do anything special, but he does it all with enough toughness to always produce. If he’s healthy, some coach will fall in love with him.
16. Ryquell Armstead, Temple 5-11, 215 (4)
Can he stay healthy? There’s a lot of tread left on the tires, but he’ll have a short shelf life considering his running style. He’ll be a change-of-pace back who’ll be a burst of energy whenever he gets his chance.
15. Myles Gaskin, Washington 5-9, 190 (6)
Fast and tough for his size, he could find a role as a return man and a third down back with a little bit of work. He’ll never be a No. 1 back, but with a few tweaks he could become a James White type.
14. Benny Snell, Kentucky 5-11, 225 (5)
He’ll do whatever is asked of him, will take a beating and will keep on producing. The numbers might not show it, but he carried Kentucky at times during its great season, and he’s amazing at finding ways to get into the end zone. However, the next-level tools just aren’t there.
13. Justice Hill, Oklahoma State 5-10, 185 (4)
Watch out for him to potentially rise above the pack if he comes up with a terrific workout. He’s built like a slot receiver, but he’s the type of back who just keeps on producing. Forget about him as a lead back, but he’ll shine as a No. 2 guy.
12. Miles Sanders, Penn State 5-11, 215 (3)
The boom could be enormous. No, he’s not Saquon Barkley, and yes, he has to be able to hang on to the ball, but the skill set is there to do a little bit of everything right. He didn’t get enough work to quite find his groove as a star for the Nittany Lions, but he’s one great workout run away from getting a whole lot of attention.
11. Rodney Anderson, Oklahoma 6-1, 220 (3)
It’s all about his health. If he can get a little injury luck – something he didn’t have at Oklahoma – he’s a lead, No. 1 back who could turn into a hard-nosed star.
10. LJ Scott, Michigan State 6-1, 225 (4)
Get ready for him to be among the most interesting running back calls after the first round. If he can get his ankle healthy, he could grow into a workhorse who turns into a surprising top 15 rushing leader.
9. Dexter Williams, Notre Dame 5-11, 215 (3)
While he might not time all that well, whatever. He turned into a home-run hitter for the Irish when he got a little room to move and take off. There are a whole lot of carries left in him, and he hasn’t yet had to bring the power. The NFL talent is there to grow into a great value pick.
8. Elijah Holyfield, Georgia 5-11, 215 (4)
There’s a terrific combination of skills and tools to work with here. The quickness and power are terrific, he didn’t get a whole lot of work with the Bulldogs, and he has true No. 1 back traits that haven’t quite been able to blow up. He’ll get beaten up with his style, but with a little more season, he should be a devastating part of a rotation.
7. Bryce Love, Stanford 5-10, 196 (4)
It’s been lost at just how good he was when healthy. Yeah, that’s a problem considering he hasn’t been in one piece over the last season and a half, but there’s a shot he becomes a stunning steal if and when he’s 100%.
6. Trayveon Williams, Texas A&M 5-9, 200 (5)
Get ready for him to fall down the draft charts because of his size, but he’s a pinball runner who might just turn into a starter who just keeps on producing. He’ll block, he’ll catch, and he’ll be a workhorse.
NEXT: Top 5 Running Back Prospects Before the NFL Combine
5. Damien Harris, Alabama 5-10, 214 (2)
Career Statistics: 477 carries for 3,070 yards (6.4 ypc), 23 TDs, 52 catches for 407 yards, 2 TDs
Why Damien Harris Is Here On The List: Start with this. You know the guy that everyone has fallen in love with in this year’s class? Yeah, Harris started ahead of Josh Jacobs. He was also the man ahead of next year’s likely star prospect running back, Najee Harris.
Damien Harris isn’t the talent that Jacobs, Najee Harris or Brian Robinson are, but he was good enough to be Nick Saban’s trusted guy … to a point. He split time in the rotation and has more than enough tread on the tires to be someone’s lunchpail No. 1 back. He’s not a special NFL back, but there’s little to no bust factor.
What The NFL Types Want To See: Is the explosion there? He has decent size and toughness, and his heart and character aren’t a question. But can he look devastating through the short drills, and can he rip off a good enough 40 to eliminate the questions about his speed?
Bottom Line: There’s no shot for the stars here. He’s a starting NFL running back who’ll be just good enough to carry the load until a more explosive option comes in. He can catch, he won’t give the ball away, and he’ll do whatever is needed. If he sounds boring, that’s not quite fair – he’s reliable.
NEXT: No. 4 Pre-NFL Combine Running Back
4. Darrell Henderson, Memphis 5-9, 200 (3)
Career Statistics: 431 carries for 3,545 yards (8.2 ypc), 36 TDs. 63 catches for 758 yards, 8 TDs
Why Darrell Henderson Is Here On The List: Home … run … hitter. No matter what kind of a 40 time he puts up, blow it off – unless it’s amazing. He’s an elite kick returner and back who knows how to find a hole and go. He’s not the biggest runner, and he’s not going to give you a whole lot of power, but he’s a scoring machine who just has it.
Comps are always misleading, but he might just be the smaller version of Alvin Kamara. He can catch, burst through the hole, and be the guy on an offense that requires a flashy back – looking at you, Chicago Bears, who appear to be more than happy with former Memphis WR Anthony Miller – and be a steal after the second round.
What The NFL Types Want To See: Okay, so just how fast is he? He doesn’t have the body type or the bulk to be an every down back, but a silly-good 40 time puts him into the top 50 range. Right now, there have to be a lot of teams out there nervous that the guy they assume will be there in the third becomes way too hot.
Bottom Line: You don’t average over eight yards per run on 431 carries without knowing a little bit about how to run the ball a little bit. He has to be part of a rotation, but he’s good enough to be the difference-maker who can take an O to a whole other level.
NEXT: No. 3 Pre-NFL Combine Running Back
3. Devin Singletary, Florida Atlantic 5-9, 200 (2)
Career Statistics: 714 carries for 4,287 yards (6.0 ypc), 66 TDs. 51 catches for 397 yards, 1 TD
Why Devin Singletary Is Here On The List: Ultra-productive despite being keyed on by everyone, he’s a smooth runner who seems to always find his way into the end zone. Yeah, he got a LOT of work, but he doesn’t take a slew of big hits and doesn’t seem to be affected throughout a game.
Best of all, he’s a willing player who’ll do the dirty work for the hard yard, the big block, and anything else needed. However, he’s not all that big, and how much of a shelf life does he really have? The guy touched the ball 765 times in his career. With his style, there’s a chance he falls off a cliff fast.
What The NFL Types Want To See: Quickness and more speed. He’s a tough guy runner, and coaches are going to love his style, but he has to find a little bit of wiggle to his game to survive. Don’t expect a big 40 time, but he has to crush the short drills.
Bottom Line: Someone might see him as a missing piece back who could just turn into something special in the right offense. Of course he’s not Emmitt Smith or Frank Gore, but once he adds a little more bulk, he’ll play at around the same size and might just have a few years where his stats are comparable. There won’t be any longevity, but with the right team – hey, Houston and San Francisco – he might just be a top ten pick in your fantasy draft.
NEXT: No. 2 Pre-NFL Combine Running Back
2. Josh Jacobs, Alabama (1)
Career Statistics: 251 carries for 1,491 yards (5.9 ypc), 15 TDs. 48 catches for 571 yards, 5 TDs
Why Josh Jacobs Is Here On The List: 251 carries. Now, there’s a school of thought that might question why a back with top five overall draft pick skills and talent only carried the ball sparingly under Nick Saban – even with all the stars in the backfield. The better way to look at him is as an elite talent with a whole lot of hits left to take before he wears down.
Angry, powerful, and with a big-time attitude whenever he got his chance to make something happen, he was able to deliver a big pop while also showing that little extra burst to crank out yards in chunks. And he can catch the ball, too.
What The NFL Types Want To See: Does he have the tools to be that much better than everyone else? He might look the part, and he might have all the upside in the world, but he’s also a leap of faith that he can stay healthy and handle a full workload. He has to be so quick and look the part so much that he’s going to be worth the top ten overall pick.
Bottom Line: There’s something that just doesn’t seem quite right. Yeah, he was great when he got his chances, but that’s because he was always fresh. Saban knows his running backs, and he always keeps the stars fed. Derrick Henry got 395 carries in 2015. TJ Yeldon was a workhorse. Eddie Lacy had over 200 carries as a junior a year after Trent Richardson got the ball 283 times. Mark Ingram won the Heisman with 271 carries. On talent, Jacobs is the No. 1 running back in the draft, but … be careful.
NEXT: No. 1 Pre-NFL Combine Running Back
1. David Montgomery, Iowa State 5-11, 219 (2)
Career Statistics: 624 carries for 2,925 yards (4.7 ypc), 26 TDs. 71 catches for 582 yards
Why David Montgomery Is Here On The List: Nowhere near as sexy as Josh Jacobs as a prospect, and not as explosive or as special as others who’ll blow up the workout circuit, Montgomery is simply a very, very good back with the talent to grow into one of the league’s top ten backs.
If you’re going for the three-run home run pick, again, that’s Jacobs. But Montgomery is a feisty baller’s baller who takes a whole lot of pops and keeps on going. There won’t be too many big runs, but he’ll crank up enough midrange ones to keep an offense moving, he’ll block, he’ll catch, and he’ll bring an attitude.
What The NFL Types Want To See: A deep crush prospect among the scouting circuit, teams are going to look for any reason to take him in the top 50. Montgomery’s 40 time and short drills can’t give those same teams a reason to move him into the mid-round category.
Bottom Line: There’s a problem when everyone will likely see him as a mid-round steal. The tools might not be quite there to jump off the page, but he’s a talented runner who knows what he’s doing and should produce at a steady level to become someone’s fixture – say, at Tampa Bay. Draft him, put him out there, and don’t worry.
.jpg?w=600)
