Draft Analysis: Kenneth Gainwell

Height: 5’8″
Weight: 201 lbs
College: Memphis
Tape watched: Penn State, Ole Miss
NFL Comparison: Jerick McKinnon

Pros

Gainwell possesses good lateral agility and burst. He excels when he has early running lanes to explode through or in open space. He is effective at staying away from contact with his jump cuts. Being a converted receiver, Gainwell has good hands and knows the basis of route running. Gainwell is extremely physical with chip and releases in pass protection.

The good and bad of what you get with Gainwell. He explodes off his cut into the third level, but a mediocre safety hit shows his lack of stopping power.

Cons

Gainwell absorbs contact like a sturdier receiver, good enough for most secondaries, but not something you desire from a running back. There are moderate hits that knock Gainwell off-balance. He could improve with more than one full season of running back work, but currently it is not a strength. Gainwell’s vision is suspect, missing cutback lanes and putting his nose down and running into the line of scrimmage. There is not a lot of patience behind the line of scrimmage, as he picks his spot and hits it regardless of expected outcomes. Pass protection is a work in progress with Gainwell. He has a few missed assignments on tape and he relies on throwing his shoulders into lineman too often.

Overview

After one true season as a college running back, Gainwell burst onto the scene with over 200 carries and over 1,450 yards on the ground. Pair that with his 51 receptions and 610 receiving yards and you have a mismatch for any new-century offense. Gainwell has good burst and elusiveness to break off big plays. His strength and pass protection are a question mark, along with the competition he faced at Memphis and the high powered offenses they produce. He could turn out like Antonio Gibson, or be more of a Ty Montgomery journeyman.