20/20: Cam Akers

Ray Garvin

Welcome to the 20/20 series. As part of our continued Dynasty Scouts coverage and in preparation for the NFL Combine, we profile 20 of the top incoming rookies of the class of 2020 by giving you 20 facts you must know.

1.) Player Name – Cam Akers

2.) College – Florida State University

3.) Height/Weight – 5’11″, 212 pounds

4.) Birth Date – 06/22/1999 (20 years old)

5.) Class – Junior

6.) Basic College Stats:

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7.) NFL Draft round projection – Akers has to be one of the more difficult draft round projections for the running back position in the 2020 class. Coming into 2019 there was one high-profile draft scout who had an undrafted free agent grade on him. While that is almost certain not to happen, the combine and pro day will loom large for Akers. He’s a player who could be drafted anywhere from round two to round four.

8.) Current NFL comparison – He reminds me of a bigger, more explosive version of Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones. Both have the ability to bang between the tackles and grind out tough yards, and both can be utilized in space. Based off of his listed height and weight, Akers profiles as a more powerful back, and looking back at his verified times in high school, a more explosive one. He ran a 4.4 40-yard dash and recorded a 40” vertical leap.

9.) Best possible destination – Pittsburgh Steelers. I know they have James Conner, Jaylen Samuels and Benny Snell Jr. However, I think he would give them much needed juice to the backfield and make a player like Samuels or Conner expendable at the end of the 2020 season. Pittsburgh has already come out and said they want to get better in their running game. Akers behind that line could do some of the same things Le’Veon Bell did during his tenure.

10.) Worst possible destination – Any team with an established bell-cow. Much like most of these running backs, landing on an offense with an established young running back would cripple his dynasty value. He could be used in a change-of-pace role if needed, but his size and athleticism profiles as a lead back for an offense.

11.) Best current skill – Physicality. He plays without fear. He’s very willing to deliver a blow to a defender, whether that’s while he’s running the ball or in pass protection. He is not a liability on passing down situations, and – while not perfect – his toughness bodes well for him as he enters the NFL.

12.) Skill that needs to be improved – Ball security. Eight fumbles over the past two seasons is less than ideal. He has a tendency to put the ball on the turf at times and will definitely need to clean that up moving forward. I’m not overly concerned with it, just noting a slight weakness.

13.) Skill that needs to be improved (part two) – Dancing behind the line. This is more a product of his environment that should be a non-issue at the next level. He played behind a historically bad offensive line at FSU. His up-front unit ranked near the absolute bottom among all Division I teams in run blocking metrics. Because of this, he had a tendency to dance in the backfield in search of running lanes. Any NFL team he lands on should be an instant upgrade from a blocking standpoint, giving Akers something he hasn’t had since high school – daylight.

14.) Current rookie ADP – In single quarterback rookie mock drafts, he has a current ADP of sixth overall behind other running backs: D’Andre Swift, JK Dobbins and Jonathan Taylor. In superflex mocks his ADP is tenth overall.

15.) Projected dynasty value – Draft capital is going to be critical for most of these incoming rookie rushers, but especially for Akers. His draft value is one of the more inconsistent in the entire class.

16.) Recruiting profile – In 2017, he was the number three overall ranked prospect and number two ranked running back in his class. According to 247sports.com, he is ranked as the 59th recruit all-time in the history of their scouting service.

17.) High school quarterback – He put up mind-blowing stats his senior year of high school. During his time in Clinton, MS, Akers played quarterback and posted a stat line of 3,128 passing yards and 31 touchdowns to go along with 2,105 rushing yards and 34 touchdowns.

18.) Akers film 2019 week 1-4:

19.) Akers film – According to PFF, in 2019 Akers avoided 74 tackles and 904 of his 1142 yards came after contact. Both of those numbers were among the highest in the nation.

20.) Learning the position – As noted above, he played quarterback in high school. He’s still very young at the position, still learning the intricacies of playing running back. He’s a very talented but raw player. He played on a team with a horrible offense that did him no favors. Because of this, he probably picked up some bad habits that can and will be coached out of him at the next level.

Akers should put on a show at the combine next week, and with that could see his draft stock sky-rocket. His best days running the rock are definitely ahead of him.