2019 NFL Draft Rankings: Running Backs
Kevin Gardner
5. Devin Singletary – Florida Atlantic University – 5’9″ 200 lbs
Singletary refuses to go down without a fight, and he offers great cut and burst to go with his persistence. He is instinctive with contact points and takes great angles with defenders. Not heavily utilized in the passing game his senior year, Singletary is more than capable of expanding his receiving presence based on his sophomore and junior season stats. He is not going to break a lot of tackles due to his smaller frame and weight, but he fights for extra yardage and generally falls forward on most tackles.
On the other hand, if he is caught in the backfield before he can get running, he rarely slips away from first contact. If Singletary possessed more breakaway speed, he would be a serious threat in this class. Instead, he relies on his great vision and footwork to find space at the second level.
4. Darrell Henderson – Memphis – 5’9″ 200 lbs
Henderson boasts some of the best cuts in the draft class with top end speed to pair with it. When given clean opportunities to find holes in the offensive line, he usually finds the end zone. Henderson changes directions as well as anyone and has good vision to find favorable cutback lanes. Arm tackles won’t bring him down easily; however, he fails to find his way out of trouble often. Adding good weight and working on pad level through contact, Henderson could end up being one of the best to come out of this draft class. He doesn’t offer much in terms of pass protection, but he has the frame and footwork to improve. Receiving wise he is competent in this class, averaging 21 receptions per year at Kentucky and showing soft hands.
Henderson has home run talent to offer a team that can compliment him with a more physical back. With almost 2,000 rushing yards his senior year, he is no stranger to elite production, and will look to carry some of that over to the NFL.
3. David Montgomery – Iowa State – 5’11” 216
You can count on one hand how many times David Montgomery was tackled on first contact. Montgomery thrives by bouncing off would-be tacklers, effectively utilizing his great balance, quick cuts, and good vision. His first cut is deadly, opening huge run lanes to advance to the second level. Montgomery also has good hands and was successful in the passing game at Iowa State. He also holds his own as a blocking back. I believe Montgomery can contribute at the next level, and if needed can be a true three down back.
Though Montgomery’s cuts are fantastic, he does not possess great burst out of them. He relies more on footwork and deception to create space rather than great quickness and agility. Along with the absence of burst, Montgomery is not going to light up his 40 time at the combine. He never separates from the pack with his speed. His ability to rack up yards after first contact, receiving and blocking ability, and footwork are plenty enough to hear his name called on day two of the draft, however.
2. Elijah Holyfield – Georgia – 5’11” 215 lbs
He’s the best pure runner in the draft class. Holyfield does everything except catch the football, which isn’t necessarily a shortcoming, rather it falls on the lack of opportunities at Georgia. Holyfield has elite footwork for an underclassman. His ability to change direction and make a last second cut with his feet gives him the ability to find running lanes and bounce runs to the perimeter. He shows good patience and vision, waiting for holes to open so he can explode through them. Once to the second level, Holyfield punishes defenders. He maintains great pad level through contact and refuses to stop churning his legs, thus offering valuable extra yardage. His speed is decent in beating cornerbacks to the perimeter, and at times, he appears as the fastest player on the field. Much like Josh Jacobs, front offices will bite on his upside and low wear-and-tear coming out of college.
Holyfield did have the tendency to bounce a couple runs instead of letting the play develop, but usually produced positive yardage. In pass protection, he was boom or bust, often going for the big hit on pass rushers when he should’ve anchored down and held is position. When used on third down, he had the tendency to run lazy routes and clearly did not expect the ball during most plays.
I expect his draft hype to heat up even more so after the combine and closer to the draft, as analysts and teams will fall in love with his tape.
1. Josh Jacobs – Alabama – 5’10” 216 lbs
I present you RB1 folks. Jacobs does everything NFL teams want in a running back. Need someone that will pick up third and short yardage? What about a receiving threat out of the backfield? How about someone that can get to the edge and punish cornerbacks with speed and/or power? What about a back with extremely low mileage in college, a la 2017 Alvin Kamara? Jacobs is the collective answer.
My favorite thing about watching Jacobs is his passion for contact. He desires contact, often searching for it instead of going out of bounds or conceding to tackles. Jacobs enters piles and always finds a way to move it or find a path out of them completely. His cuts are better than Montgomery’s, and he has the burst and speed to pair with them. Jacobs offers great hands for a running back and offers a mismatch against linebackers and safeties. Did I mention he loves contact? He isn’t going to back down in pass protection.
Under-utilized at Alabama, questions will surface if he can be a three down back and handle an increased workload. With only 120 rushes last year, Jacobs still found the end zone 11 times. A team could very well bite on his upside and low mileage much like the Patriots did with Sony Michel last year at the end of the first, or more likely at some point in the second round.
Mark Brooks
5. Darrell Henderson – Memphis – 5’9″ 200 lbs
This big time producer for the Tigers draws parallels to similarly built DeAngelo Williams. Henderson was a terror for opposing defenses, single handily out rushing a handful of college football programs: Ole Mill, WVU, UCLA, and Standford. His 1,909 rushing yards were 2nd in the nation and his 22 TDs tied for first. He isn’t being projected as highly by the experts, but I anticipate him to rise up the board after a solid combine.
4. Damien Harris – Alabama – 5’11” 215 lbs
The typical Alabama bruising back, Harris has been the leader of a three-headed rushing attack in Tuscaloosa. He paced the backfield rushing over 1,000 yards as a sophomore and again as a junior. Harris boasted 7.1 yards per carry and 14 rushing touchdowns. He followed with a down year (by his standards) averaging 5.8 yards per carry, 876 yards, with 9 TDs. He would be a great fit as the thunder to another back’s lightning. Look for him to wind up in a place like Carolina or Miami where he can compliment a great receiving back.
3. Benny Snell – Kentucky – 5’11 222 lbs
Can Benny be a lead back in the NFL? Snell yeah he can. Three straight 1,000+ rushing yards in the SEC paired with leading the Kentucky Wildcats to a 10-3 record this past season, proves Snell is an impact back. Running the ball, he is dynamic with excellent power. Snell’s Achilles heal is the receiving game. This past year, he caught only17 passes for 105 yards and only has 29 career catches with no receiving TDs. In the NFL today, backs must be a receiving threat out of the backfield. Look for him to try and put some good hands on display during his pro day.
2. David Montgomery – Iowa State – 5’11” 216
A bruising runner and the catalyst for the Cyclones’ 8 win season, Montgomery is a playmaker. After rushing for 1,216 yards and 13 TDs in his junior season, he has declared for the draft. Turn on any game film to see him using his agility, speed, and power to make unblocked defenders miss at the point of attack to move the chains. His best performance of the year was arguably the Cyclones’ 30 – 14 win over West Virginia in week 6 (WVU was undefeated at the time). During that game he channeled Shady McCoy with his agility and acceleration as he torched the Mountaineers for 189 yards and a TD. Montgomery will be a good fit for a team seeking a young feature back.
1. Josh Jacobs – Alabama – 5’10” 216 lbs
Jacobs wasn’t the starting running back for the Crimson Tide, but he very well may have more upside than teammate Damien Harris and should be drafted higher based off that potential. During his career in Tuscaloosa, Jacobs was able to contribute with limited wear and tear. Jacobs looked explosive on each touch, racking up 5.3 yards per carry and 12.4 yards per reception for 14 TDs. The reason he is climbing draft boards is because athletically he compares favorably to Alvin Kamara. His 30-yard catch and run versus Auburn in this year’s Iron bowl is a perfect example of this.
