Rookie SWOT: Marlon Mack

By Mike Valverde

Posted on June 27, 2017

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Name: Marlon Mack

Position: Running back

Pro Team: Indianapolis Colts

College Team: University of South Florida

Draft Status: Round Four, Pick No. 37 Overall 143

Video Highlights

Combine Review

• Height: 5’11.”
• Weight: 196 Pounds
• Arm Length: 32’’
• Bench Press: 15 Reps
• 40-Yard-Dash: 4.5
• 20-Yard-Shuttle: N/A
• 3-Cone: N/A
• Vertical: 35.5.”
• Broad Jump: 125.0’’

Strengths

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Mack produces because he has great hips with the mobility to go in several directions. He bounces to the outside with relative ease and can shake defenders at multiple levels. His explosive burst gets him into the open field quickly and there he distances himself from defenders. Mack has great home run ability; six of his 15 touchdowns went a distance of 43+ yards. He will catch the ball and bust it to the outside. He has a way of breaking away from tacklers and always plays with speed. Mack also has great vision and the toughness to go through the middle. He can be an all-purpose every-down back.

Mack has the skills to be a top-notch receiver out of the backfield. He wasn’t used much at receiver for the USF offense, but he has the route-running skills and sticky hands. He has shown the ability to snag balls down the sidelines and has been used on swings and isolation routes. Mack has the talent to line up outside and can fit into the slot.

Weaknesses

Even though he breaks tackles, he also has a hard time powering through defenders. Mack would rather take it to the corner instead of busting through the gaps. His commitment level to go into the center of the defense is lacking and something he will need to learn if he wants longevity in the NFL.

Mack will start dancing with his feet when holes don’t automatically appear. He can be a great asset in jet sweeps, but will need to learn that it benefits to go downhill in space and not just take the ball around the corner. When he does go into the teeth of the defense, he will duck his head at times, instead of looking for open holes. The biggest worry I have about Mack is his fumble rate. He had 12 fumbles in 586 attempts (two per cent of his carries).

Opportunities

Mack has plenty of opportunities. He comes to a Colts team with no standout at running back, and the starter is a 34-year old veteran (Frank Gore). Other backs on the roster include Robert Turbin, who will be their goal line runner, 2016 UDFA Josh Ferguson, and possibly Troymaine Pope who replaced Christine Michael. Also, the Colts brought in New Hampshire running back Dalton Crossan as a 2017 UDFA. None of these names have any real dynasty value at the moment.

Threats

Since there isn’t a valid dynasty threat in Indianapolis the biggest threat could be himself. As long as Mack can take care of the ball and show more of dedication to get himself up the middle of defenses, he has a great chance to be a bell cow. It also seems to be that the skies are opening up for him as well.

The Colts brought in Michael, but he went down and his season is now over. Indianapolis then had to bring in Pope, but he is relatively unknown, and as long as he doesn’t pull out a magic trick, it’s Mack’s world at this time.

Short-Term Expectations

Mack has a solid chance to give the Colts’ running game a spark. His negatives show that he will struggle to be a full-time back, but it isn’t out of the realm of possibility. At the very least he should get looks from Andrew Luck in the passing game, and several chances to carry the ball. 

Expect Mack to be in a third-down role. Even if Gore should go down with injury, it’s my belief that they will have Turbin take over. The only real chance that Mack should have to see an expanded role is to have both Gore and Turbin get wiped out. Get him as one of your later round picks, and keep him on as a flex option and then see how he grows when 2018 rolls around.

Long-Term Expectations

This is also up to Mack. His short-term can turn into long-term. However, it also can turn into a no-term. He has a very high ceiling and a low floor. He can disappear as quickly as he can bust through holes in the defense. Personally, I have a lot of hope for Mack. I was very excited as a Colts fan to see him go to Indianapolis. He will do a lot of good there and be the player that they thought Josh Ferguson could be. The solid thing about him is that at the very least he will always be someone you can put into a flex position and be confident he will perform. 

NFL Comparison

He has been compared to several players, but I liken him to Mark Ingram. Both players have similar speed and body stature. Ingram is 5’10” and weighs in at 215 pounds, one inch smaller and two pounds heavier than Mack. Also, both ran a 4.5 forty. To be exact, Ingram came in a tad slower with a 4.53, but I think both players are faster on the field than what their times say. Each has skills in catching the ball. Bucky Brooks has made a comparison to Jordan Howard, but Howard is thicker and taller.

Projected Range for Rookie Drafts, Dynasty Rankings, and ADP

Marlon Mack is being ranked 20th overall in rookie drafts. He is averaging a ranking of 23.50 and has a high of 32 and a low of 14. For the most part, he is hovering between 19 and 25 as five of eight DLF rankers has him somewhere between there.

In positional rankings, Mack comes in tenth. He has Joe Williams and D’Onta Foreman in front and Wayne Gallman and Jeremy McNichols behind. I would put Mack in front of both Williams and Foreman and Samaje Perine who is seventh. However, I think Kareem Hunt will put up bigger numbers as he fits that Kansas City Chiefs offense like a glove. That would place Mack at seventh.

In overall dynasty, he is being ranked at 187, which is extremely low in my opinion. Players such as Jeremy McNichols are ranked ahead of him at 178, and Kareem Hunt is at 133. Mack should be around here. I also disagree that players such as Marshawn Lynch and Matt Forte are ahead of him. There isn’t much difference between Hunt and Mack besides the convenience of the Chiefs offense.

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Rookie SWOT: Marlon Mack