20/20: Derrick Henry
Welcome to 20/20. As part of our continued Dynasty Scouts coverage and in preparation for the NFL Combine later this month, we’ll be profiling 20 of the top incoming rookies of the class of 2016 by giving you 20 facts you must know.
1.) Player Name – Derrick Henry
2.) College – Alabama
3.) Height/Weight – 6-foot-3, 242 pounds
4.) Birth date – 7/17/1994 (21)
5.) Class – Junior
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6.) Basic college stats – Henry rushed for 2,219 yards and 28 touchdowns while averaging 5.6 yards per carry during his junior season. He finished his three year collegiate career rushing for 3,591 yards and 28 touchdowns while also catching 17 receptions for 285 yards and three touchdowns.
7.) NFL Draft round projection – Second Round
8.) Current NFL comp – Henry’s height and thickness makes him comparable to Brandon Jacobs. Both players are very similar with their running styles as both backs are great straight line runners but lack lateral agility.
9.) Best possible destination – Dallas Cowboys. Of course, this is considered the best possible destination for most running back prospects due to the talent Dallas has on the offensive line, but Henry is an ideal fit for the Cowboys. Henry runs exactly where the play is drawn without dancing in the backfield which is a trait head coach Jason Garrett likes in his running backs. He has the size and power to be used on goal line situation which is an element the team currently doesn’t have.
10.) Worst possible destination – New Orleans Saints. He would be apart of a carousel of running backs that would end up being a mess when it comes to fantasy production. Mark Ingram would eat up a lot of his short yardage and goal line work while C.J. Spiller will take over most of the market share in the receiving game. There won’t be enough work within the offense to make him a consistent fantasy asset.
11.) Best current skill – His speed is incredibly deceptive and once he hits the hole and gets up to running at full speed, he’s a load to bring down. He’s a run-away freight train that can obliterate defensive backs in the open field.
12.) Skill that needs to be improved – He doesn’t move laterally well and he’s not agile enough to slip by defenders to gain extra yards. The offensive line needs to have a lane created for him to run through because he doesn’t have the short area quickness to create the yards himself.
13.) Past/current rookie ADP – He’s currently the second running back off the board with an ADP of 6.0.
14.) Projected dynasty value – He has the potential to be an RB1 if he gets drafted by a running back needy team that wants to give him a large volume of touches. Due to his limited receiving skills his floor is lower in PPR leagues. He only caught 17 receptions during his entire career at Alabama and it’s highly unlikely that he will be the focal point of the passing game on his new team in the NFL. If he doesn’t get consistent carries around the goal line and a large volume of touches he could end up being a RB2 with volatile fantasy production.
15.) Efficient with a large volume of carries – Bo Jackson is the only player in SEC history that has as many rushing attempts as Henry with better yards per carry average. Jackson rushed for 6.6 yards per carry on 650 rushing attempts for the Auburn Tigers from 1982 to 1985 and Henry rushed for 6.1 yards per carry on 566 career rushing attempts.
16.) Elite college production – Henry led the nation in rushing during his junior season at Alabama and his 2,219 yards rushing has him ranked fifth all-time for rushing yards in a single season. He had 10 games where he eclipsed the century mark during his junior season and he owned 36.06 percent of the team’s offensive production. He had four games where he rushed for at least 200 yards rushing which ties an SEC record.
17.) Highly touted recruit- Henry was a five-star recruit from Yulee Florida where he rushed for an absurd 4,261 yards and 55 touchdowns during his senior year of high school. He finished his high school football career rushing for 12,124 career rushing yards surpassing Ken Hall’s career record.
18.) Taking home the hardware – Henry’s bookcase is filled with awards and trophies from his junior year as he won the Doak Walker Award, Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award, SEC Offensive Player of the Year, and Walter Camp Player of the Year Award.
19.) He won’t shy away from a heavy workload – He broke a school record with 46 rushing attempts against Florida, the previous record was set by Johnny Musso with 42 rushing attempts against Auburn in 1970.
20.) Heisman Trophy Winner – Henry is the fifth winner of the Heisman Trophy from the SEC in the last nine years and he shares those honors with Tim Tebow, Mark Ingram, Cam Newton and Johnny Manziel.
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