2020 NFL Draft Prospect – Cam Akers, RB Florida State
Our NFL rookie profile series continues with this analysis of 2020 NFL Draft Prospect Cam Akers, RB from Florida State. We will continue to provide you with these in-depth rookie profiles and a ton of other fantasy football rookie analysis right up through the NFL Draft. Stay tuned, and stay ahead of your league!
The 2020 rookie class has long been touted as exceptional. The running back group features a handful of top tier talents earmarked as first-round dynasty rookie picks since 2017. Cam Akers is squarely in the group of first-round backs possessing attractive upside. His mix of production and athleticism checks boxes in several categories and suggests he can find success in the NFL.
THE STATS
Statistics from sports-reference.com.
Akers was a five-star prospect and top five overall recruit in the 2017 recruiting class, projected as a running back despite playing quarterback in high school. He made an immediate impact at Florida State and set multiple school records. His sophomore year presented a buying opportunity in devy as he played behind a historically bad offensive line and his production decreased. His value rebounded as the dynasty community came around to the context of his production and better realized his talent.
His statistical metrics support his case as a quality prospect. His team-adjusted share of production places him in the 90th percentile of NFL running backs.
THE FILM
The film also supports Akers’ potential as a legitimate NFL running back. We immediately see the limits of the FSU offensive line, yet he is able to utilize power, agility and speed to create yards.
That said, Akers is still a work in progress. Recall he was a high school quarterback and is still learning the running back position. He shows surprising ability as a receiver and exhibits strength and willingness as a blocker. However, he often lacks the polish of more refined runners. We want to see improvement hitting the proper hole, setting up defenders and doing the things as a runner that we often attribute to “feel” or “vision” that are the difference between a five-yard run and a house call. But the athletic ability is there.
https://youtu.be/gtlnXT0L2-k
Additional videos can be found on Akers’ DLF videos player page.
MEASURABLES
Akers performed well at the NFL Combine. His height and weight put him in the top 30 percent of NFL running backs in terms of body mass index. His 4.47-second 40-yard dash is a 90th percentile result on a size-adjusted basis.
His Mock Draftable profile suggests strength, speed and explosion are his top physical attributes given his bench press, 40-yard dash and vertical and broad jump testing. The testing matches the film.
His player comparisons include Marshawn Lynch, Joseph Addai, D’Andre Swift, Spencer Ware and Chris Thompson. It’s a mixed bag peer group but one that includes relevant dynasty assets.
Overall, Akers’ measurables reinforce the idea he has the tools to succeed in the NFL.
DYNASTY VALUE
According to DLF’s March 2020 Rookie ADP, Akers currently sits as the rookie 1.06 with an ADP of 6. If you look at February startup ADP, he sits at RB13 with an ADP of 42. This is around running backs Austin Ekeler, Melvin Gordon, Devin Singletary and Todd Gurley.
He sits at eight in the DLF staff rookie rankings between Tee Higgins and Henry Ruggs and implying a mid- to late-first round rookie pick value slightly lower than ADP.
The DLF Dynasty Trade Analyzer, which determines values based on actual MFL trades, ADP data and DLF rankings, places Akers’ value around the rookie 1.04 pick, suggesting actual MFL trades are boosting his value relative to the Trade Analyzer’s other inputs. This suggests he may be more pricy in real leagues relative to rankings and ADP.
CONCLUSION
Cam Akers has been a quality devy asset since national signing day 2017. His devy value has already experienced volatility since that point, mainly due to questions around his sophomore year production. It rebounded with a solid junior year, a strong NFL Combine showing, and as people put his sophomore year in context. He firmly projects as a mid-first round dynasty rookie pick and an immediate fringe RB1 in dynasty with an overall ADP of 42 (RB13).
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