Draft Analysis: Isaiah Spiller

April 27, 2022 /
  • Height: 6’0″
  • Weight: 217
  • College: Texas A&M
  • Tape watched: Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi State
  • NFL Comparison: James Conner

Pros

  • Vision
    With an offensive line that appeared overmatched more often than not, Spiller was able to get to the second level with great anticipation and vision. He found running lanes to sneak through that were not his gap responsibility. Spiller’s patience at the line of scrimmage is a good trait of his.
  • Strength
    Isaiah Spiller is as sturdy as they come in the ’22 class. He has great upper body strength that sheds arm tackles. He looks to lower his pads and run defenders over in open space. Spiller is rarely tackled on first contact.
  • Receiving
    Spiller offers a good balance with his ability to catch the football and run routes. A&M’s Texas routes were extremely effective in getting Spiller one on one with a linebacker. Spiller has nice acceleration out of his route breaks and looks comfortable catching the football.

Midline

  • Pass Protection
    Spiller identifies threats well, but falls short in blocking them. He mirrors, but then whiffs on too many blocks. His chips off the edge are often ineffective. He had enough reps to show promise for improvement in the future, however.
  • Agility
    Spiller has a knack for making defenders miss, and it is less to do with being elusive and more to do with how he is able to shed tackles. Spiller isn’t a jukebox, but he can set his body up to run through contact well. He plays with a great feel of how defenders flow to the ball, and he slides past them.

Cons

  • Athleticism
    Spiller’s poor testing aligns with what shows up on film. He does not have enough speed to outrun defenders, or the quick twitch ability to make defenders miss. He has an adequate jump cut and enough strength to break first contact.

Overview

One of the more balanced backs in the class, Spiller can enter a running back room and do what is asked of him. He could end up being a starter in year one with more than enough serviceability. Spiller has great anticipation, vision, strength, and the ability to stay on the field on 3rd down. He may struggle to adapt to the athleticism of NFL defenses, but his bottom line traits project him favorably as a middling starter that can raise his ceiling in the right offense.