NFL Scouting Combine Review: Running Backs

Although there is plenty of action left in the 2018 NFL Combine, the running backs chosen to participate in the events in Indianapolis will get an early start on their weekend as they concluded all off-field and on-field activities Friday afternoon.

Depending on who you talk to, the events of NFL Combine weekend can either greatly impact a prospect’s standing or should be altogether ignored. The truth is somewhere in the middle, but there is no argument that this feels like Christmas in March for dynasty players.

The 32 running back prospects invited to participate in the Combine began the week with interviews and medical testing, followed by the all-important measurements in mid-week. They performed the bench press on Thursday. Then, the group wrapped things up with Friday’s on-field events, including the 40-yard dash, vertical and broad jumps, the three-cone drill along with rushing and receiving drills.

Before looking at some backs who improved or damaged their standing, let’s take a look at the full results of measurements and drills.

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Let’s take a look at each of the top running backs, in order of the current DLF rookie rankings.

Saquon Barkley, Penn State

The hands-down 1.01 dynasty rookie pick didn’t need to prove anything to NFL teams this weekend, but that didn’t stop Saquon Barkley from putting on a show. Even his weigh-in of 233 pounds drew the attention of media, fantasy players and, we can assume, many NFL decision-makers. Although Barkley skipped the broad jump and three-cone drill, he dominated everything he did, benching a position-best 29 reps, running the second-fastest 40 behind satellite back Nyheim Hines and jumping 41”, another best mark at his position. Barkley also looked great, as expected, in the position-specific drills, making catches with ease out of the backfield. The only question now is: will the Browns consider taking Barkley with the top overall selection?

Derrius Guice, LSU

The performance of Barkley overshadowed every other back, but that doesn’t mean we should ignore the show put on by LSU’s Derrius Guice and several others. Guice also posted top-five performances in the 40 (4.49), though his bench press and vertical marks were below average. Guice skipped multiple drills and left some lingering questions about his agility but is still looking like the strong favorite to be the second player picked in rookie drafts.

Ronald Jones, USC

Southern Cal’s explosive playmaker Ronald Jones has been recently creeping into the first round of some NFL mock drafts, but that hype train might be slowing down after a tweaked hamstring led to Jones running a disappointing 4.65 40. That ended the day for Jones, but he was able to jump a solid 36.5” before the injury. The questions around Jones’ game come primarily in his role as a pass-catcher and he wasn’t able to show off his skills in the positional drills. Jones should get a shot at redemption at Southern Cal’s Pro Day.

Sony Michel, Georgia

One of the favorites of the dynasty community over the past six weeks has been Georgia’s Sony Michel, who rode an end of season hot streak to become the favorite for the dynasty RB3 spot in the early off-season. Michel was right around the historical averages of the 40 and bench press but skipped the other drills. Michel will inevitably be compared to his former teammate throughout this pre-draft process and that comparison didn’t go his way this weekend.

Nick Chubb, Georgia

Michel’s teammate, Nick Chubb, was one of the big winners among the back this weekend. After two full seasons since his career-threatening injury, many continued to doubt if Chubb was all the way back. His Combine performance will go a long way in proving that he is his same explosive self. Chubb tied Barkley for the most reps on the bench, ran an impressive 40 considering his size and posted a 10’8” broad jump, the second-best mark among all running backs. Chubb is firmly back in the conversation to be the rookie RB3 and potentially the 1.03 rookie pick.

Rashaad Penny, San Diego State

During his time in college, Rashaad Penny was not known for his speed or athleticism, but that was on display on Friday as he posted a 4.46 40, tied for the third-best time at his position, and posted an above-average broad jump. Penny looks like a second rounder in the NFL Draft and will be moving up the boards in rookie rankings and drafts.

Kerryon Johnson, Auburn

Auburn’s Kerryon Johnson was an interesting case as he opted not to run but posted top three marks in both the vertical (40”) and broad (10’6”) jumps, displaying surprising athleticism. The hype on Johnson may be slow to gain steam since he skipped the marquis event, but Johnson certainly improved his standing this weekend.

Mark Walton, Miami

It was not a good showing for former Miami back Mark Walton, who missed much of the season with an injury. Although Walton did look fully healthy, his performances in every single area were below average and he simply failed to capitalize as other backs stole the spotlight.

John Kelly, Tennessee

Former Volunteer running back John Kelly, who took the place of superstar Alvin Kamara this past season, was another player who opted out of the 40. The good news for Kelly came earlier in the week when he measured in at 216 pounds on a 5’9” frame. That is bigger than expected and should give teams hope that Kelly can be an every-down back in the league. The remainder of Kelly’s on-field drills were near historical average marks. Kelly will have to perform well at his Pro Day to regain some of the hype he had entering the Combine.

Kalen Ballage, Arizona State

One of the most difficult backs to figure out has certainly been Kalen Ballage of Arizona State. His counting stats are well below average for an NFL prospect as he was consistently on the wrong side of a committee attack for the Sun Devils, yet his athleticism and physique keeps teams and fantasy players interested. As expected, he put on a show at the Combine, posting top-five numbers in the 40 and broad jump as well as a very respectable 6.91 in the three-cone. Surprisingly, Ballage was not asked to do additional receiving drills following the workout. Some have questioned if Ballage will stick as a running back.

Josh Adams, Notre Dame

Despite reportedly being fully healthy, Notre Dame’s Josh Adams did not participate in any of Friday’s on-field drills. He’s already getting lost in this class from a dynasty perspective and this won’t help his value at all. Currently, I’d view him as a borderline second-round pick in dynasty rookie drafts.

Royce Freeman, Oregon

One of the major surprises of the day was Oregon’s Royce Freeman, who displayed surprising athleticism throughout the drills. Freeman put up a very respectable 4.54 40, followed by strong jumps and a top three time in the three-cone drill. This could really boost Freeman’s stock in both the NFL Draft as well as dynasty rookie drafts, especially considering the numbers he put up in his Oregon career.

Akrum Wadley, Iowa

It seems that everyone has already conceded Iowa’s Akrum Wadley will not be an every-down back, so that means he needed to really impress with his speed. He failed to do that, running a below average 4.54 before skipping some of the agility drills. He looks like a late-rounder at this point in the process.

Justin Jackson, Northwestern

Justin Jackson has been the workhorse back for Northwestern for years. In fact, he ended his career with over 1,000 carries and that has some people discounting him with the assumption that he was overused in college. Regardless of that possibility, Jackson made a statement on Friday, posting top-five marks in the vertical and broad jumps and running a 4.52 40 at 6’ and nearly 200 pounds. Jackson also had the second-fastest three-cone time of the day. He’s still likely to be viewed as a late-round prospect but should certainly be on the radar for dynasty owners.

Nyheim Hines, North Carolina State

North Carolina State’s Nyheim Hines did exactly what most expected him to do. His 4.38 was the fastest 40 time for a running back and he looked very strong as a receiver out of the backfield. He was also one of four running backs asked to run receiver routes following the workout. The others were Trey Edmunds, Sony Michel, and John Kelly.

Bo Scarbrough, Alabama

Much like Ballage, most expected Alabama’s Bo Scarbrough to dominate the Combine even though he was disappointing in his final college season. A monster of a man, Scarbrough had a top six 40 time, the second-best vertical jump (40”) and the top broad jump (10’9”). We can’t question his athleticism, but there are still plenty of doubts about Scarbrough’s role in an NFL offense.

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Ryan McDowell

Contributor at Dynasty League Football

In addition to his senior leadership role here at DLF, Ryan is also a husband, father of three and PE teacher. Ryan is the commissioner of multiple dynasty leagues, most notably the Kitchen Sink Dynasty Leagues. Here at DLF, Ryan’s focus is on identifying, monitoring and analyzing player value.

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