Great-uncle is three-weight world champion boxer Iran Barkley.
Set a school record for a freshman in 2015 with 1,076 yards
rushing, leading to Freshman All-American and second-team All-Big
Ten honors.
Set another program mark in 2016 for the most rushing yards
as a sophomore (1,496), leading to All-Big Ten first-team honors.
Two-time Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year in 2016 and
2017.
Was one of only six FBS players to score four or more offensive
touchdowns of 65-plus yards in 2017.
First running back in school history to amass over 1,000
career receiving yards.
Program's all-time rushing touchdown (43) and total touchdown
(53) record holder; finished his career second in school history
in career rushing yards (3,843).
High-end NFL Player Comp(s):
LaDainian Tomlinson Low-end NFL Player Comp(s):
Fred Taylor
Best Scheme Fit: Universal. Note: All times listed in parentheses
in strengths/weaknesses section reflect the start time on video
- via Draft Breakdown - that displays that skill/trait.
The ability to string together multiple moves and repeatedly
make defenders grasping for air in the hole. (1:48,
5:46,
7:44,
7:52,
9:22,
10:07,
11:06,
12:51)
Possesses rare athleticism for a bigger back to stop/turn
on a dime and the ability to make a two-lane jump cut if necessary
before quickly regaining full speed. (6:07,
7:45,
9:47)
Consistently turns nothing into something without exposing
himself to needless punishment and has good overall football
awareness. (5:45,
6:54,
7:52,
9:22,
10:07,
10:30,
11:06,
12:51)
Instinctively keeps his hips low, allowing him to more easily
transition into his next move when he finds a crease. (2:42,
5:35,
5:46,
6:20,
9:56,
10:07)
Uncommon speed, quickness, balance and agility, especially
for a 230-pound back. (1:47,
4:51,
6:07,
9:47)
Extraordinary vision in most cases and sets second-level
defenders up well. (1:48,
6:07,
10:07)
Lower-body strength enables him to keep balance through contact
(1:48,
9:46,
11:07);
good forward body lean allows him to break arm tackles, which
should allow him to convert in NFL short-yardage situations.
(2:03,
2:42,
5:23,
10:42,
10:50)
Obvious mismatch for just about any linebacker in space.
(0:30,
7:17,
12:17,
12:51)
Appears very comfortable as a receiver and is a natural hands-catcher;
can line up just about everywhere and create separation. (0:06,
1:57,
2:10,
5:28,
6:51,
7:17,
11:06)
Sinks hips, uses leverage and typically holds up well when
asked to block, shows the ability to identify a free blitzer
(6:31)
and can stone or cut his defender. (2:15,
2:30,
3:15,
5:22,
6:39,
13:22)
Noted "character guy" who is a noted worker in
the weight room, the latter of which becomes obvious when he
shows the same elusiveness in the fourth quarter that he does
in the first quarter. (12:52)
Adds value as kick returner, although his draft status/contract
will almost certainly keep him off special teams duty (ran two
of his 15 kick returns in 2017 back for touchdowns). (0:01,
0:01)
Concerns
Will make a poorly blocked run worse by giving up ground
and sometimes even turning his back to the line of scrimmage;
shows a tendency to probe too long and will need to run north-south
on a more regular basis as a pro. (0:28,
4:00,
6:26)
Occasionally trips himself up and falls awkwardly when doing
so. (0:22,
0:30,
11:16)
Carries the ball with his inside arm, making him more susceptible
to fumbles and less able to use a stiff arm than most backs.
(1:47,
3:03,
4:31)
Won't always square up his defender and periodically puts
his head down as a blocker. (2:10,
3:19,
7:00)
Sporadic concentration drops; occasionally takes his eyes
off the ball when expecting an oncoming defender. (4:10,
4:35)
Appeared to try to take things into his own hands in search
of a big play when defenses started selling out to stop as the
season wore on.
Ran almost exclusively out of the shotgun in college.
Bottom Line
Barkley's 2017 game against Iowa may be the most impressive piece
of film I have seen from a running back prospect. With most draft-eligible
backs, I need to review roughly six games to get enough good video
for his "strengths." With Barkley, I pretty much had
what I needed after one. He is the rare running back prospect
who can legitimately turn any play into a big play, and often
does so within the framework of the play call and not because
he is trying to make a highlight. With most college backs, scouts
can struggle to pick out more than one good quality the player
is showing off on some of his best runs. Barkley often displays
three or four. Perhaps most impressively, one has to consistently
remind him/herself that he/she is watching a 230-pound back make
moves that would make LeSean McCoy proud.
Critics may be quick to point out Barkley produced a lot of zero-gain
or negative runs throughout his college career. While that may
be true, very few stats in football stand on their own and/or
don't require some degree of context. Barkley averaged nearly
six yards per carry throughout his three-year college career in
a shotgun-based offense behind an offensive line that may very
well end up not having a single player make a NFL roster (or at
least stick around very long). Whereas many college backs can
often thank their blockers for at least half of the yards they
gain on any given play, Barkley routinely turned what should have
been third-and-long situations into third-and-short or first downs
by making unblocked (or poorly blocked) defenders miss frequently
enough to find a hole.
Without getting into the tired and often pointless "Player
X is the best prospect at his position since …" discussion,
the sky is truly the limit for Barkley. Tomlinson - or for those
folks old enough to remember Fred Taylor in his prime (when he
wasn't injured) - are fair comparisons for a player who will bring
instant credibility to any running game and force defenses to
make him the focal point of their game plans. If Barkley somehow
fails to become a Pro Bowl-caliber back within the first year
or two of his pro career, it will be because his offensive line
and/or coaching staff let him down in a big way. In a lot of ways,
he is a stronger version of Christian McCaffrey with about 30
more pounds on his frame. Barkley is as much a physical marvel
as he is an incredible football player - a combination that makes
him a worthy No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft.
Doug Orth has written for FF
Today since 2006 and been featured in USA Today’s Fantasy
Football Preview magazine since 2010. He hosted USA Today’s
hour-long, pre-kickoff fantasy football internet chat every Sunday
in 2012-13 and appears as a guest analyst on a number of national
sports radio shows, including Sirius XM’s “Fantasy Drive”.
Doug is also a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association.