Rookie SWOT: Leonard Fournette

Bruce Matson Posted On May 23, 2017

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Name: Leonard Fournette

Position: Running Back

Pro Team: Jacksonville Jaguars

College Team: LSU Tigers

Draft Status: Round One, Pick No. 4 overall

Video Highlights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELXyc0IjZK0

Combine Review

Height: 6’0’’
Weight: 240 Pounds
Hands: 9 ¼’’
Arm Length: 31 5/8’’
Bench Press: DNP
40-Yard-Dash: 4.51
3-Cone-Drill: DNP
20-Yard-Shuttle: DNP
Vertical Jump: 28.5 Inches
Broad Jump: DNP

Strengths

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Fournette is built like a grown man, with the speed and power to make defenders pay at the point of contact. He has the ability to accelerate through the hole and enter the second level of the defense at an alarming rate. Defensive backs get weak in the knees when it comes to tackling him in the open, because he will effortlessly explode through smaller defenders. There’s not a running back in the NFL that can build up inertia as quick as Fournette, and at 240-pounds, he’s a sledge hammer at the point of contact, making him incredibly difficult to tackle. He also has a violent stiff arm that he uses to keep defenders at bay.

He has the speed to get to the edge while running off-tackle and sweep plays. The opposing defenses will need to execute the appropriate pursuit angles, because he can break-way for a long touchdown run anywhere on the football field.

His collegiate career was decorated with a lot of highlight runs of him blowing by the defense for long gains. He finished his career rushing for 3,830 yards and 40 touchdowns while catching 41 receptions for 526 yards and one touchdown. In 2015 during his sophomore season he managed to own an incredible 42.04 percent market share of LSU’s offensive production.

Weaknesses

Fournette has stiff hips which inhibits his ability to move laterally, causing him to not be able to jump cut or slide to the side to avoid defenders. He has trouble making the opposition miss in the open field. His inability to effectively move laterally causes him to miss open creases at the line of scrimmage.

Vision is another issue for Fournette, because sometimes he won’t see the open cut-back lane and instead run into the back of his offensive line or into a cluster or defensive players. His lack of anticipation before making him move towards the line of scrimmage, causes him to not see some of the open cut-back lanes, causing him to miss opportunities and leave yards on the football field.

Opportunities

He should already be etched into the starting lineup for the Jaguars for the first week of the season. The team drafted him at fourth overall to be the cornerstone player in their backfield. They are hoping to receive Ezekiel Elliott–type results. By reading the tea leaves from some of their previous moves, it’s easy to see that Jacksonville wants to run the ball. They spent a large amount of draft capital by selecting T.J. Yeldon in the second-round of 2015 NFL Draft. The Jaguars then acquired Chris Ivory by signing him to a five year $32 million deal. Even with their recent moves at running back, the team still nabbed Fournette with their first-round pick.

Allen Robinson is one of the top wide receivers in the league and his ability to create separation down field from the defensive backs that are covering him will help keep defenses honest and allow Fournette to see less eight-man fronts, making it easier for the offensive line to open the running lanes for him.

Threats

Blake Bortles is the biggest threat to the entire Jacksonville Jaguar offense. If Bortles struggles and the offense can’t push the ball down field, then Fournette will experience a limited amount of goal line opportunities due to Bortles’ inability to efficiently run the offense. Another bad season by Bortles and the team will be looking for a new quarterback either through the draft for by free agency. Waiting for a new quarterback to develop into a quality starter could stunt Fournette’s growth as a runner.

He will most definitely be the best running back on the roster going into training camp, but T.J. Yeldon and Chris Ivory could become a threat to steal touches if they decide to step up their game and become effective runners. Both running backs have some talent and if either one of them decide to put it together and deliver results then Fournette could be splitting carries during the early years of his career. Even though it’s in the realm of possibilities, I don’t see this scenario playing out.

Short-Term Expectations

Expect him to be the team’s starting running going into the week one and deliver RB2 results at a minimum. He has the potential to finish within in the top-three running backs in PPR scoring, but more than likely he should hover around low-end RB1 during his rookie season. Things should heat up for him during the second or third year of his career as he gets more acclimated to the NFL game and becomes a more efficient runner due to experience.

Long-Term Expectations

The sky is the limit for his career, because he has the potential to develop into the best running back in the league. I expect him to be one of the top running backs in the league during most his career. He should own the majority for the carries for the Jaguars for the next five to eight years. An injury plagued career or becoming a total bust are the only ways he would not develop into one of the league’s top running backs.

NFL Comparison

Honestly, there isn’t really a running back that directly compares to him. His straight-line speed and his ability to accelerate through the hole draws comparisons to Adrian Peterson. The way Fournette violently runs through defensive backs is very similar to how Bo Jackson would drop his shoulders and explode through defenders at the point of contact. Either way you shake it, he has some intangibles that compare to some of the best running backs to have ever played the game.

Projected Range for Rookie Drafts

Per DLF’s 2017 Rookie ADP, Fournette is being selected at 1.60, making him a top two selection in rookie drafts. It’s usually between him and Corey Davis for the top pick with Christian McCaffrey sometimes sneaking into the top two. Unless he suffers an injury, gets arrested or tests positive on a drug test, he should remain as one of the top picks in rookie drafts throughout the summer. He’s one of the best rookies in this class and if he can hit his potential, should become one of the top running backs in the league.

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Bruce Matson

Contributor at Dynasty League Football

I'm a financial counselor for a hospital in South Central Ohio. I graduated from Muskingum University with a bachelor's in business while minoring in Economics and Accounting. I won my first fantasy football title with Jake Plummer as my quarterback.