2020 Running Back Athletic Comparisons
The Scouting Combine initiated some added excitement for this year’s running back class. Before then, tape and production metrics were the main drivers for our player evaluations. Now we have some athletic metrics to add to the mix.
Unless you count the XFL, we haven’t had much action between now and the end of the season. Just seeing these prospects run out of the blocks and participate in drills was a breath of fresh air for the hardcore football fan.
Athletic metrics are just a piece of the pie. There’s more to a player’s evaluation than how fast they can run in a straight line. The Combine does provide a gauge on an even playing field on how some of these players might stack up athletically to their peers.
For athletic comparisons, I used Combine data from the last 18 years and sorted the rookie running backs by their height, weight and their athletic numbers. I kept the comparisons tight to the player’s actual size, so we have a close depiction of how a player may look athletically when they step on the NFL field.
This is by no means an actual player comparison. There will be times where a player’s list won’t make sense and that’s because the listing is just based on purse size-adjusted athleticism. Therefore, it’s not a grade on the player’s overall talent. We are just trying to paint a picture of how a player would look playing against NFL competition.
Cam Akers, Florida State
Akers is a very explosive athlete with a 108.7 weight-adjusted speed score. At 5’10’’ and 217 pounds, he has more than enough size to be a three-down back at the NFL level. He has plenty of long speed and will be able to pull away from NFL defenses. Unlike some running back prospects, his athletics metrics translate to his tape. He has numerous highlight-reel plays and has the potential to take over a game when given the opportunity.
He has a very exciting comparable list and it starts with Marshawn Lynch. They are similar in size and they both won’t hesitate to run through a defender’s face. Julius Jones was an explosive running back out of Notre Dame.
There are going to be some interesting discussions involving Cam Akers this draft season. He has really improved his stock with his 2019 campaign. pic.twitter.com/aFltxdLCjg
— Bruce Matson (@MetricScout) November 5, 2019
Akers is a smooth athlete. He moves laterally well and can quickly change gears once he hits the second level of the defense. He builds up inertia quickly which allows him to drop devastating blows at the point of contact. He is a fun running back to watch.
Eno Benjamin, Arizona State
Benjamin had a very underrated Combine. He didn’t blow up the track but he demonstrated great explosiveness with a 39-inch vertical. He also showcased his short-area quickness with a 6.97 three-cone. Even though he’s not the most athletic prospect on the field, he still tested with a 94.9 weight-adjusted score.
There are some interesting names that athletically compare to him. Devonta Freeman has been very productive with the Atlanta Falcons over the years. Aaron Jones is considered one of the best running backs in the league.
AJ Dillon, Boston College
We saw Derrick Henry roll through the Combine with elite level size-adjusted measurables. Dillon is another thick athlete who can move like a cat. At 247 pounds, he is almost as fast as some of the scat backs in this year’s draft class. His 41-inch vertical demonstrated elite level burst. I wouldn’t expect him to be all world in the three-cone because after all, he is almost a 250-pounder.
No one really compares to him. There aren’t many people walking around in this world who can move like him at 250 pounds. Dillon is literally a ball of knives and will blow dudes up at the point of contact. Once he gets going, he’s impossible to tackle.
I am all aboard the AJ Dillon hype train.
— Donnie Druin (@DonnieDruin) March 2, 2020
Dillon is built. He has a thick lower body and bowling balls for shoulders. Defensive backs are in trouble when they see him rolling their way because they are either going to get run over or stiff-armed into the next hemisphere. He will develop into an interesting case study when he hits the NFL scene.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire, LSU
LSU made some major changes for the better in 2019. They had one of the most explosive offenses in college football. Edwards-Helaire benefited greatly from the changes to the offense. He rushed for 1,414 yards and 16 touchdowns while averaging 6.6 yards per attempt last year. With 55 receptions on the season, he was also one of the better receiving backs in college football.
His short-area quickness and precise footwork made him a smooth operator on the field. He maximizes every bit of his athleticism. He ran a 4.6-second 40-yard dash and is not the fastest prospect in this class, but there are some features to his game that will allow him to excel at the NFL level.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire is going to be a very good pro. He's 'my guy' from this RB class. pic.twitter.com/AvYqBTzsxw
— Nick Farabaugh (@FarabaughFB) March 5, 2020
With a compact frame, Edwards-Helaire is larger than what people realize. He has a 32.4 BMI which ranks in the 89th percentile among running back prospects. Since he’s just five-foot-seven, his short stature will camouflage him some when he’s running behind the line of scrimmage, making it easier for him to sneak through the holes and surprise the defense when he hits the second level.
Ameer Abdullah is a very similar athlete. Both players are quick and can cover a lot of ground while moving laterally. Devonta Freeman is another running back who is in his arc-type. Freeman has good work and is very efficient with his feet.
Anthony McFarland, Maryland
McFarland was a fun running back prospect to watch at Maryland. Like his Combine metrics reports, he is capable of busting out a long gain whenever he sees open space. He has a 107 weight-adjusted speed score. McFarland averaged 2.77 yards after contact per attempt and 46.60 percent of his carries with for 15 yards or more.
I wouldn’t be surprised if McFarland surprises everyone in the next couple of seasons. He’s a decisive runner who can outrun the defense once he gets going. If he goes to a team with a good offensive line, then he could potentially develop into a reliable fantasy asset.
Zack Moss, Utah
Moss underwhelmed at the Combine. He posted good size but didn’t test well in any of the drills. He ran a 4.65-second 40-yard dash which translates to a 95.4 weight-adjusted speed score. He averaged 4.45 yards after contact per attempt and forced 87 missed tackles in 2019. Moss dominated the Pac-12 with three straight 1,000-yard seasons.
Ironically, Moss compares to three other running backs from last year’s class who were also productive in college and didn’t perform well at the NFL Combine. His on-field game draws similarities to all three of these running backs in one way or another.
D’Andre Swift, Georgia
Swift is one of the top running backs in this year’s class. He is a tremendous running back prospect and his athletic metrics match his tape. Swift’s 4.48-second 40-yard dash speed is always on display. He is a threat to score from anywhere on the football field. I’m very interested in how well he would have tested in the three-cone since he is more than capable of putting defenders on skates with his dead-leg in the open field.
For a top-flight running back prospect, his comparable list isn’t very encouraging. There’s more to being an NFL running back than sheer athleticism and players can be productive with different athletic profiles. We’ve seen smaller, less-athletic running backs succeed in the NFL. All of these running backs held their own in the athleticism department but carried some massive red flags on their draft profiles. Swift is a stud prospect who is going to carry more draft capital than all of these running backs put together. He will easily be a top-three pick in rookie drafts this year.
Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin
Taylor won the Combine and cemented himself as dynasty’s consensus 1.01 pick in rookie drafts. He has elite level size-adjusted athleticism. At 226-pounds, he ran an impeccable 4.39-second 40-yard dash. His 121.7 weight-adjusted speed score ranks in the 99th percentile among running back prospects. Not only that, but he proved that he’s also an explosive athlete with a 36-inch vertical jump.
If you don’t remember, Knile Davis was the athletic darling from the 2013 draft class. He was an end-of-bench flier in dynasty for multiple years until he fizzled out of the league. Rashard Mendenhall was another explosive playmaker who had high hopes but couldn’t live up to expectations. Taylor is different. He has elite-level production metrics combined with pristine athletic metrics, making him a five-star prospect.
Jonathan Taylor is so damn good.
Size, balance, strength, speed. He needs to work on keeping the ball in tight, but I can't wait to see his 40 time this week. pic.twitter.com/SZmXIhqp1P
— Taylor Jenkins (@TJenkinsTampa) February 27, 2020
Taylor can do everything. He can grind between that tackles while also being a home-run threat. The former Wisconsin Badger runs with good wiggle and contact balance. There aren’t any glaring red flags in his game. There’s a good chance he develops into one of the top assets in all of dynasty in the next couple of years.
Ke’Shawn Vaughn, Vanderbilt
Vaughn is an explosion waiting to happen. He is decisive and he hits the running lane hard. Unfortunately, he underwhelmed at the Combine. We knew he wasn’t the fastest player in college football, but his athletic profile would look a lot better if he could shave down his 4.51 40-yard dash time.
The 22-year-old running back prospect averaged 3.73 yards after contact per attempt last year while forcing 54 missed tackles. His Combine metrics don’t match up to his on-field traits. He looks more explosive on film compared to what he showcased at the Combine. Part of what we see on tape could be build up speed, but he could have just weighed in heavier than his playing weight, making him a tad slower.
Ke'Shawn Vaughn, RB Vanderbilt is quicker than a hiccup. pic.twitter.com/221rJL9Tlg
— Bruce Matson (@MetricScout) June 17, 2019
I wouldn’t discount Vaughn due to his Combine performance. He did some great things in college. He maximized his opportunities against SEC competition. Even if the tape holds true, the odds of him carrying enough draft capital to make him a lock are highly unlikely. With that being said, he’s still a very talented running back and I’m more than willing to invest in him.
- Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Profile: Luke McCaffrey, WR Rice - April 19, 2024
- 2024 Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Profile: Will Shipley, RB Clemson - April 6, 2024
- 2024 Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Profile: Braelon Allen, RB Wisconsin - March 29, 2024
