It is much better to have an idea of where you stand on an incoming
talent before he is drafted, if only the public tends to cater to
popular opinion and "fit" after he is selected. Evaluating
the incoming rookie class before the draft gives us a more stable
ground with which to base our opinions and helps us avoid some of
those "popular" pitfalls.
The goal with this piece (and the position-by-position ones to
follow) is to provide a slightly quicker but still very thorough
overview of some of the top prospects that were not covered in
my draft profiles. The hope is that this
exercise will give readers all the information that could ask
for as they began preparing for upcoming rookie drafts.
Brian Robinson Jr. Draft Profile
Vitals
College: Alabama
Height/Weight: 6'2"/225
Hands: 9 3/4"
Age: 23 (at the time of the 2022 season opener)
High-end NFL Player Comp(s):
Gus Edwards Low-end NFL Player Comp(s):
Jamaal Williams
Position-Specific
Attributes and Grades
Attribute
Att Grade
Scale
Burst/Explosiveness
7.5
10.0
Contact
Balance
9.5
10.0
Instincts/Patience/Vision
8.0
10.0
Power/Tackle-Breaking
Ability
10.0
10.0
Quickness/Elusiveness
8.0
10.0
Route-Running/Hands
6.0
10.0
Ball
Security
6.0
6.0
Pass
Protection
5.5
6.0
Durability
3.0
4.0
Long
Speed
2.5
4.0
Film
Grade
66.0
80.0
Pre-Draft Fantasy Prospect
Grade* (out of 50): 41.0
* - How well does his skill set carry over
to the fantasy game? For running backs, a player needs to be a
three-down option as well as a realistic threat for 1,000 rushing
yards and 500 receiving yards to be a candidate for a perfect
grade. Positional scarcity at the pro level is also a part of
the equation.
Positives
Every inside run is a test of manhood for defenses when Robinson
is carrying the rock. There may not be a more physically imposing
running back in this draft; he is powerful and he knows it. What
he lacks in natural quickness, he tends to make up for by keeping
his feet moving at all times. While he mostly relies on power, he
occasionally flashes a jump cut in the open field to augment his
ability to run through second- and third-level defenders. In his
one season as the featured back in Tuscaloosa, he did not lose a
fumble despite handling 306 touches (271 carries and 35 catches).
He churned out 891 yards after contact and forced 79 missed tackles
(per Pro Football Focus), illustrating just how much of a menace
he was for defenses. Robinson also proved in 2021 that he could
be an effective pass-catcher if/when necessary, finishing with 35
catches (versus two drops). The Tuscaloosa native also proved to
be much more adept in pass pro than anyone should have expected
for a power back in his first full year as the starter; Robinson
is very good at identifying the most immediate threat and punishing
him for trying to enter the pocket.
Negatives
While Robinson's muscular build serves him well, he is a bit on
the tall side for a running back and does not help his cause by
running too upright. The first-team All-SEC selection was able to
get away with that in 2021, but his large strike zone could lead
to durability concerns down the road in the NFL. While his top-end
speed is good (4.53 was a surprising result for him), he is mostly
a one-speed back who rarely showed off a second gear (he churned
out 22 runs of at least 15 yards in 2021, but only three of his
545 career carries went for more than 25 yards). Robinson was not
asked to do much more than catch the occasional swing pass or serve
as a dump-off option last season; he probably should not be asked
to do more than that, as he catches with his body a fair amount
and doesn't always seem to trust his hands.
Bottom Line
Robinson is not getting the credit he deserves this spring. While
he is already 23 years old and his running style is not conducive
to a long career in the NFL, his battering-ram approach figures
to be one that immediately makes him a favorite of the coaching
staff. He should immediately find a place as his team's top short-yardage
and goal-line option, but he has the upside to be more than that
if he can learn to trust his hands more in the passing game. He
is unlikely to ever be a true workhorse because of the lack of big-play
ability, but it should come as no surprise if he carves out a career
similar to the one Edwards has established for himself in Baltimore.
Tyler Allgeier Draft Profile
Vitals
College: BYU
Height/Weight: 5'11"/224
Hands: 9 5/8"
Age: 22 (at the time of the 2022 season opener)
High-end NFL Player Comp(s):
James Conner with more explosiveness Low-end NFL Player Comp(s):
Rex Burkhead
Position-Specific
Attributes and Grades
Attribute
Att Grade
Scale
Burst/Explosiveness
8.0
10.0
Contact
Balance
9.5
10.0
Instincts/Patience/Vision
8.5
10.0
Power/Tackle-Breaking
Ability
9.0
10.0
Quickness/Elusiveness
6.0
10.0
Route-Running/Hands
7.0
10.0
Ball
Security
4.0
6.0
Pass
Protection
4.5
6.0
Durability
3.5
4.0
Long
Speed
3.0
4.0
Film
Grade
63.0
80.0
Pre-Draft Fantasy Prospect
Grade* (out of 50): 40.0
* - How well does his skill set carry over
to the fantasy game? For running backs, a player needs to be a
three-down option as well as a realistic threat for 1,000 rushing
yards and 500 receiving yards to be a candidate for a perfect
grade. Positional scarcity at the pro level is also a part of
the equation.
Positives
Allgeier is a former walk-on running back-turned-linebacker-turned-running
back and plays with the kind of attitude that one might expect from
an underappreciated player. FBS' reigning leader in rushing touchdowns
(23) is ready-made physically to handle a heavy workload right away
at 224 pounds and has some build-up long speed. While he can hit
a defender with a move in the open field, Allgeier possesses above-average
(if not very good) power and runs through most contact (70.9 percent
of his yardage in 2021 came after initial contact). He complements
his power well by running with patience, vision and discipline.
As such, he ranked sixth in the country in missed tackles forced
with 76 last season and 12th with 20 runs of at least 15 yards (per
Pro Football Focus). The Kaiser (CA) High School product steadily
improved as a receiver each year in Provo and showed good enough
hands and attention to detail in the passing game to make evaluators
believe he is capable of being a three-down back in the NFL. Allgeier's
story of perseverance is also noteworthy and makes him worth betting
on as an NFL prospect.
Negatives
There is a fine line between being a physical runner to set a tone
and foolishly seeking out contact. Allgeier doesn't necessarily
do the latter, but he also does not try to avoid much contact either.
Ball security was a bit of a problem in 2021 (four fumbles). While
he does have a surprising second gear when he has a runway, it would
be a mistake to believe he will routinely break loose for a big
gain in the pros. The California native obviously runs with power
but doesn't always run through defenders when he should. Although
Allgeier creates his own yards as a physical runner, it is at least
slightly concerning that he averaged 3.2 yards per carry on 42 attempts
against the top two rush defenses he faced in 2021.
Bottom Line
Allgeier is somewhere on the Alfred Morris and Conner continuum.
In his heyday, Morris was a perfect example of how an average talent
with vision and power can thrive in a zone-blocking scheme. Conner
dropped some weight before the start of last season and proved he
had some elusiveness in his game. Allgeier's career could easily
end up mirroring either player. Ultimately, what separates him from
other "average" big-back talents are his instincts and
quick feet. To what degree he can improve his speed (there was talk
he had 4.4 speed at one point) might determine if his ceiling is
as a powerful complement in a committee attack or a true three-down
back.
James Cook Draft Profile
Vitals
College: Georgia
Height/Weight: 5'11"/199
Hands: 9 3/8"
Age: 22 (at the time of the 2022 season opener)
High-end NFL Player Comp(s):
A more dynamic Giovani Bernard Low-end NFL Player Comp(s):
Chris Thompson
Position-Specific
Attributes and Grades
Attribute
Att Grade
Scale
Burst/Explosiveness
8.5
10.0
Contact
Balance
7.0
10.0
Instincts/Patience/Vision
9.0
10.0
Power/Tackle-Breaking
Ability
6.0
10.0
Quickness/Elusiveness
9.0
10.0
Route-Running/Hands
10.0
10.0
Ball
Security
5.5
6.0
Pass
Protection
3.5
6.0
Durability
2.0
4.0
Long
Speed
3.5
4.0
Film
Grade
64.0
80.0
Pre-Draft Fantasy Prospect
Grade* (out of 50): 40.0
* - How well does his skill set carry over
to the fantasy game? For running backs, a player needs to be a
three-down option as well as a realistic threat for 1,000 rushing
yards and 500 receiving yards to be a candidate for a perfect
grade. Positional scarcity at the pro level is also a part of
the equation.
Positives
Playing running back is part of the family business in the Cook
household, as James shares some of the same characteristics as his
brother, Dalvin. Among the similarities is their ability to run
well behind zone blocking, make sharp cuts, stack multiple moves
on top of one another and serve as dynamic weapons in the passing
game. Although he is not going to make his living doing so in the
NFL, the younger Cook ran inside more often than one might expect
for a smallish back last season, displaying better-than-expected
contact and an ability to power through some weak tackle attempts.
Where Cook excels is as a receiver out of the backfield (one drop
on 74 career targets). He is a near-impossible cover for a linebacker
with his 4.42 speed and a challenge for most safeties with his ability
to run routes like a receiver. He is sudden enough that defenses
may have to commit a corner to him on likely passing downs.
Negatives
Cook is more smooth and slippery than he is explosive, which is
a bit of a bummer for a running back who checks in just under 200
pounds. James lacks the contact balance and build of his brother,
which likely means his NFL future will be limited to a part-time
role. While the younger brother runs with more power than one might
expect from a scat-back type, he will not last very long by challenging
linebackers in between the tackles. Speaking of not lasting very
long, Cook never handled more than 12 carries (or 15 total touches)
in any game and still struggled with injuries in college, undergoing
ankle surgery in 2019 and missing time with a hand injury in 2020.
Bottom Line
If he finds the right offensive coordinator, he could easily be
one of the three most productive backs from this class. There isn't
a Deebo Samuel
clone in this draft, but Cook could be the closest thing to it in
terms of how is used if he lands on a team with a creative play-caller.
There are obvious differences between the two, most notably that
Samuel is a receiver now (and was one at South Carolina) but plays
more like a running back. Conversely, Cook is a running back now
but plays much more like a receiver. Cook's 27 catches in 2021 (and
67 for his career) do not begin to tell the story of how much of
an impact he can have in the passing game. At the very least, he
should be a movable chess piece in the NFL who can handle breather-back
duties and command the bulk of reps on passing downs. In an ideal
scenario, Cook will see about 6-8 carries and 4-6 targets per game
all over the formation as defenses try to decide if they would rather
have their linebackers run with him or their safeties try to wrap
him up in the open field.
Dameon Pierce Draft Profile
Vitals
College: Florida
Height/Weight: 5'10"/218
Hands: 9 3/8"
Age: 22 (at the time of the 2022 season opener)
High-end NFL Player Comp(s):
Mark Ingram Low-end NFL Player Comp(s):
CJ Anderson
Position-Specific
Attributes and Grades
Attribute
Att Grade
Scale
Burst/Explosiveness
7.5
10.0
Contact
Balance
9.5
10.0
Instincts/Patience/Vision
8.5
10.0
Power/Tackle-Breaking
Ability
9.5
10.0
Quickness/Elusiveness
6.5
10.0
Route-Running/Hands
7.0
10.0
Ball
Security
5.5
6.0
Pass
Protection
5.0
6.0
Durability
3.5
4.0
Long
Speed
2.5
4.0
Film
Grade
65.0
80.0
Pre-Draft Fantasy Prospect
Grade* (out of 50): 39.5
* - How well does his skill set carry over
to the fantasy game? For running backs, a player needs to be a
three-down option as well as a realistic threat for 1,000 rushing
yards and 500 receiving yards to be a candidate for a perfect
grade. Positional scarcity at the pro level is also a part of
the equation.
Positives
Pierce's love for contact and desire to punish defenders is evident
on just about every run. He looks the part and runs like an NFL
running back, almost as if he has something to prove each time out.
Pierce routinely powers through the first tackle attempt and leaves
multiple defenders in his wake. However, he is more than just a
bulldozer. He is patient when he needs to be and urgent when he
needs to be, all the while showing enough juice to pick up a decent
chunk of yardage. He does this while showing the kind of vision
and instincts necessary to maximize his runs. Pierce did not get
a ton of work as a receiver (or in any other facet of the game …
more on that later), but he did take advantage of the few seam and
wheel route opportunities he had. The Georgia native was also asked
to block - both in the pass and run game - much more than most future
NFL running backs typically do and he often delivered in that regard
as well. Pierce did not fumble in 2021 and had only three in his
college career.
Negatives
While Pierce has his flaws, the biggest question about his viability
as a prospect is why he was not used more often. (He handled more
than 10 carries only nine times and more than 15 touches twice in
50 games. Worse yet, Pro Football Focus notes that he never logged
more than 23 snaps in any contest.) Among the things he has some
control over, Pierce lacks the elite explosiveness that allows him
to score from anywhere on the field (of his 206 carries in 2020
and 2021), only two resulted in a play of at least 25 yards). While
he does have some elusiveness in his game, he is unlikely to make
his defender grab air. (He probably would not have it any other
way anyway.)
Bottom Line
Was Pierce's lack of usage a product of incompetent coaching or
something his coaching staff did not want to share with the public?
If it was the former (and it likely was), some team is about to
get a 22-year-old power back with 329 career carries to his name
and is a proven team guy. Pierce's game is about taking the fight
to the defense and making the opponent pay for trying to tackle
him, but he showed enough as a receiver - despite his limited reps
- that he could eventually handle three-down duties. While he will
likely never fill the highlight reel with sensational long-distance
house calls or make defenders look silly in space, Ingram has carved
out a long career in the NFL by playing the same kind of game Ingram
put on film at Florida.
Rachaad White Draft Profile
Vitals
College: Arizona State
Height/Weight: 6'0"/214
Hands: 9 5/8"
Age: 23 (at the time of the 2022 season opener)
High-end NFL Player Comp(s):
A less powerful Knowshon Moreno Low-end NFL Player Comp(s):
Brandon Bolden
Position-Specific
Attributes and Grades
Attribute
Att Grade
Scale
Burst/Explosiveness
7.0
10.0
Contact
Balance
7.0
10.0
Instincts/Patience/Vision
8.0
10.0
Power/Tackle-Breaking
Ability
6.5
10.0
Quickness/Elusiveness
7.5
10.0
Route-Running/Hands
9.5
10.0
Ball
Security
5.0
6.0
Pass
Protection
4.5
6.0
Durability
3.0
4.0
Long
Speed
2.5
4.0
Film
Grade
60.5
80.0
Pre-Draft Fantasy Prospect
Grade* (out of 50): 37.5
* - How well does his skill set carry over
to the fantasy game? For running backs, a player needs to be a
three-down option as well as a realistic threat for 1,000 rushing
yards and 500 receiving yards to be a candidate for a perfect
grade. Positional scarcity at the pro level is also a part of
the equation.
Positives
White is the relatively rare college back who enters the league
with very few questions regarding his ability to contribute as something
more than a dump-off option in the passing game. Arizona State asked
him to run wheel routes out of the backfield and even lined him
up in the slot and out wide on occasion. The quick feet that serve
him so well in the passing game carry over to the running game,
where he flashes the ability to shake a defender in the hole. While
he is hardly a make-you-miss runner, he is a patient back capable
of making sharp cuts. While White is not a powerful runner, he displayed
a knack for putting the ball in the paint when Arizona State was
near the end zone. Perhaps most encouragingly, he ran with more
aggression as last season came to a close.
Negatives
The Kansas City native's winding road to the NFL Draft means he
will turn 24 years old by the time the NFL Playoffs start early
next year. For at least the first half of the season, White went
down far too easily on the first tackle attempt and typically only
picked up what was blocked. Despite his impressive 40 time (4.48)
at the NFL Combine, White either cannot or refuses to find a second
gear on potential long runs. That is not to suggest he lacks explosiveness,
but it is hard to find more than a play or two of his where he ran
to his timed speed. White is willing in pass pro, but he is still
a work in progress there.
Bottom Line
The difference between White's early-season running and late-season
running was so dramatic that it is fair to wonder if (or how long)
he was playing hurt before missing the Washington State game. It
provides hope he can hold his own on early downs and near the goal
line at the next level. If we see more of the late-season White,
he has a good chance at earning lead-back duties at some point.
If he is more of the early-season version, his upside will probably
be as a change-of-pace or receiving back in a committee.
Pierre Strong Jr. Draft Profile
Vitals
College: South Dakota State
Height/Weight: 5'11"/207
Hands: 9 1/2"
Age: 23 (at the time of the 2022 season opener)
High-end NFL Player Comp(s):
Tevin Coleman Low-end NFL Player Comp(s):
Matt Brieda
Position-Specific
Attributes and Grades
Attribute
Att Grade
Scale
Burst/Explosiveness
9.5
10.0
Contact
Balance
6.5
10.0
Instincts/Patience/Vision
9.0
10.0
Power/Tackle-Breaking
Ability
6.5
10.0
Quickness/Elusiveness
7.0
10.0
Route-Running/Hands
6.0
10.0
Ball
Security
3.0
6.0
Pass
Protection
3.0
6.0
Durability
3.5
4.0
Long
Speed
4.0
4.0
Film
Grade
58.0
80.0
Pre-Draft Fantasy Prospect
Grade* (out of 50): 37.0
* - How well does his skill set carry over
to the fantasy game? For running backs, a player needs to be a
three-down option as well as a realistic threat for 1,000 rushing
yards and 500 receiving yards to be a candidate for a perfect
grade. Positional scarcity at the pro level is also a part of
the equation.
Positives
Few (if any) running backs in this draft class offer the kind of
explosiveness Strong does. His career 7.2 yards per carry mark on
631 attempts is good even after the fact he played most of his games
against FCS competition is factored into the equation.) He also
possesses the necessary panoramic vision and instincts to feel when
and where lanes are about to develop as a zone runner, presses the
hole well and has the kind of speed to score from anywhere on the
field. To that end, 76 of his career rushing attempts went for at
least 15 yards and 10 of his 40 career rushing touchdowns covered
at least 50 yards. While the Little Rock native is more of a straight-line
runner, he displays the requisite footwork to plant his foot in
the ground and often sidesteps the first defender in the hole. Strong
showed enough ability in the passing game (62 career receptions)
to believe he can be trusted as an option in the screen game or
on check-downs. Something else to consider: Strong completed all
nine of his career passes for 208 yards and six touchdowns, suggesting
he can be a factor on trick plays.
Negatives
For all the explosiveness he possesses, he does not run with much
power and goes down too easily too often. Strong is a bit undersized
and may lack the frame to add much more than five pounds of muscle
without sacrificing his speed. The leading rusher in FCS last year
is more elusive in terms of how he sets up defenders than he is
when he has to face them one-on-one. In other words, he is not a
player who has a bevy of make-you-miss moves. Strong showed capable
hands throughout his time at SDSU but was limited to a dump-off
option for the most part. He did split out wide on occasion but
usually spent far too long setting up his routes. Ball security
was also an issue in 2021 (five fumbles).
Bottom Line
Much like his comps above suggest, it is hard to see Strong being
much more than the explosive half of a committee backfield in the
NFL. If he was more developed as a route-runner or ran with more
power, he could make a stronger case to be a low-end lead back.
As it is, he is a bit too small right now to stand up to heavy workloads
as a runner in the NFL and too much of a project as a receiver to
consider him a true offensive weapon. On the plus side, his speed
should lead to ample opportunity to see the field early in a bit
role since teams are always looking for players capable of taking
one to the house on any play. The key with Strong will be how well
his new team manages his reps, at least until he adds more muscle.
If this happens and Strong can break a few more tackles, he could
emerge as a lead back down the road.
--- Predict
the top ten picks of the NFL Draft for a chance to win FFToday prizes.
Enter our NFL Draft Contest
now. Doug Orth has written for FF Today since 2006 and been featured
in USA TODAY's Fantasy Football Preview magazine since 2010. He
is also a high-stakes player who often appears as a guest analyst
on a number of national sports radio shows, such as Sirius XM’s
“Fantasy Drive." Doug is also a member of the Fantasy
Sports Writers Association.
Predict
the top ten picks of the NFL Draft for a chance to win FFToday prizes.
