NFL Draft 2014 Preview (12 page)

Strengths:
Has legit big-time sprinter’s speed with very quick turnover (and is field-fast). Cat-quick to the corner, accelerates very quickly and can easily take the perimeter. Good vision and cutback ability — is patient and follows his blocks. Can tightrope-walk the sideline. Very quick to and through the hole once he sees a crease and can stick his foot in the dirt and go. Catches in stride with ease and can make difficult one-handed snags (see Arizona). Has home-run speed in the return game, with 3 career return TDs. Exceptional pro day performance.

Weaknesses:
Very small. Does not play in a conventional-style offense and takes most carries moving laterally. Goes down too easily and looks for a soft landing spot. Lacks the size, strength and toughness to be an every-down back. Alligator-arms the ball in the middle of the field and does not consistently show timed speed. Needs to learn to appreciate the preparation process and would benefit from working more at his craft.

Future:
A deluxe, specialty back and potential slot receiver with game-breaking return ability, Thomas can be an explosive mismatch weapon in multiple facets of the game. Diminutive stature will decrease the odds he’ll be able to stay healthy in the pros, and his commitment to the game will dictate his future success. Rare speed creates a higher commodity on Draft Day.

Draft projection:
Fourth- to fifth-round pick.

Scout’s take:
“The ‘Black Mamba’ is like Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps. He is legit fast. He’s one of the fastest players I have graded on tape. I still don’t know what you do with him. He is fast, but he’s small and they don’t run a conventional offense. Do you take him as a change-of-pace back? What change-of-pace backs have gone early like that and had any kind of production in the league. There are not many. You better have a plan for him.”

RB terrance west, #28 (JUNIOR)

towson
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Grade:
5.37

Ht: 5-9 1/4 | Wt: 225 | Sp: 4.54 | Arm: 31 | Hand: 9 1/8

History:
The Baltimore prep was a multi-sport athlete, participating in basketball, baseball and track in addition to football. Spent the 2010 season at Fork Union Military Academy (Virginia) after difficulty qualifying due to his SAT score. Burst onto the collegiate scene in ’11 by winning the Jerry Rice Award (top freshman in FCS) and ECAC Offensive Rookie of the Year after rushing 194 times for 1,294 yards (6.7-yard average) and an FCS-leading 29 touchdowns in 11 games (one start). Had five catches for 25 yards (5.0) and did not play in the season opener against Morgan State. Led the Colonial Athletic Association in rushing yards per game (104.6) and scoring (90) in ’12 after logging 195-1,046-14 (5.4) while grabbing 5-102-1 (20.4) in 10 games (six starts). Missed the Old Dominion game due to a death in the family. Set the NCAA FCS single season rushing mark and led all of college football in ’13 with 413-2,519-41 (6.1) and grabbed 26-258-1 (9.9) in 16 games. Was the CAA Offensive Player of the Year, a finalist for the Walter Payton Award, led the Tigers to the FCS Championship game and set the FCS record for touchdowns in a season with 42. Had 354 yards and five touchdowns against Eastern Illinois in the playoffs. His 84 career rushing touchdowns tied the FCS record, set by Adrian Peterson (Georgia Southern 1998-2001) in only three seasons.

Strengths:
Equipped to run between the tackles and withstand a pounding. Good vision — reads and cuts off blocks. Runs with attitude and power — stays behind his pads, churns out yards after contact and finishes runs. Opens up his stride in space and has competitive speed to break long runs. Rare production. Bore a heavy workload and thrived with a lather. Has a nose for the goal line — 83 rushing TDs in three seasons.

Weaknesses:
Lacks elite timed speed. Average initial quickness and elusiveness. Tight hips. Can be more cognizant of ball security — tends to swing the ball away from his body and fumbled five times as a junior. Needs to polish his third-down skills, including route running and pass-protection awareness. Running style and college workload do not lend to longevity — tread is worn down from 780 carries in three seasons.

Future:
Good-sized, compactly built, highly productive, physical workhorse and program-changer who took Towson to new heights while dominating inferior competition. Has the chops to factor prominently in a power-running scheme, showing the ability to slash and cut, run over defenders and contribute as a receiver.

Draft projection:
Fourth-round pick.

Scout’s take:
“(West) doesn’t have a lot of juice in his legs, and he’s not proven. He has not had to face Southeastern Conference stacked boxes week in and week out. I do like the way he runs and plays the game. I would take him in the third (round).”

RB james white, #20

wisconsin
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Grade: 5.01

Ht: 5-9 1/8 | Wt: 204 | Sp: 4.57 | Arm: 29 1/4 | Hand: 8 1/4

History:
Distant cousin of NFL players Santana and Sinorice Moss. The Florida prep also played baseball. Named Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2010 after leading the team in rushing with 156 carries for 1,052 yards (6.7-yard average) and 14 touchdowns while grabbing 11 passes for 88 yards (8.0) in 12 games. Did not play at Purdue with a left knee injury (sprained MCL). In ’11, he saw action in all 14 games and logged 141-713-6 (5.1) on the ground and 15-150-0 (10.0) in the air. Missed most of ’12 spring practice with left knee (tear in meniscus) injury. Spent the fall as a backup to Broncos 2013 second-rounder Montee Ball and was the second leading rusher with 125-806-12 (6.4) while grabbing 8-132-1 (16.5) in 14 games. Had 119 rushing yards, four rushing touchdowns and threw a 3-yard touchdown pass in the Big Ten Championship game against Nebraska. Was the Badgers second-leading rusher in ’13 after amassing 221-1,444-13 (6.5) in 13 games, including the first 12 starts of his career (only non-start was Ohio State). Also hauled in 39-300-2 (7.7). Helped set the FBS single-season record with 3,052 rushing yards by teammates (Melvin Gordon 1,609). Had 670 career receiving yards, which set the school record for a running back. Had 39 career kickoff returns for 765 yards (19.6-yard average).

Strengths:
Controlled mover with a low center of gravity. Good vision, balance and short-area burst. Shifty runner — cuts efficiently and jukes tacklers. Shows competitive speed. Finishes runs. Willing blocker in pass protection. Takes care of the football — fumbled just twice in 754 career touches. Has kickoff-return experience. Tough and competitive. Good football aptitude. Highly respected by teammates and coaches.

Weaknesses:
Played in an offense that helped inflate his production. Undersized with exceptionally short arms and small hands. Run strength is just adequate. Limited power to move the pile or bust through tackles. Lacks bulk strength to stymie blitzers. Was never a feature back, splitting carries with Broncos 2013 second-rounder Montee Ball as a junior and Melvin Gordon as a senior.

Future:
White had a very productive career despite splitting carries for four years, and offers a balanced enough skill set to factor as a recyclable, complementary, change-of-pace back in the pros.

Draft projection:
Priority free agent.

RB james wilder, #32 (JUNIOR)

florida state
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Grade: 5.12

Ht: 6-2 5/8 | Wt: 232| Sp: 4.86 | Arm: 32 | Hand: 9 3/4

History:
Has a daughter. Is the son of former NFL running back James Wilder, who had a 10-year career with Tampa Bay, Detroit and Washington. Was a five-star prospect and considered the best overall athlete in the country after playing running back and linebacker as a Tampa-area prep. Saw action in 12 games as a true freshman in 2011 as a reserve running back and special teams player, rushing 35 times for 160 yards (4.6-yard average) and one touchdown. Arrested in February of ’12 on felony charges of obstructing a law enforcement officer without violence and battery on a law enforcement officer. Pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of resisting arrest without violence in April and was placed on probation and ordered to anger management classes. Spent a week in jail in May after violating his probation. Was part of a running back trio in the fall, logging 110-640-11 (5.8) on the ground in 14 games (started against Duke). FSU had three backs with over 600 yards rushing for the first time since 1984. Was in trouble again in January of ’13 after being charged with failure to appear in court because of a suspended license. Totaled 81-563-8 (7.0) in 13 games (one start vs. Maryland) in ’13. Missed the NC State game with a concussion. Caught 24 career passes for 182 yards (7.6-yard average) and two touchdowns.

Strengths:
Looks the part — built like a cut-up strong safety with tight skin and layered muscle. Equipped to withstand the pounding of inside running. Effective in short-yardage situations. Good balance. Runs behind his pads. Robust tackle-breaker — churns out yards after contact and carries defenders. Brandishes a stiff-arm. Explosive, well-conditioned athlete with very low body fat. Enters the league relatively fresh, having carried just 226 times in three seasons. Averaged 7 yards per carry in 2013 and averaged a TD every 10 carries from 2012-13. Clear upside. Has NFL bloodlines. Recorded a 6.92-second 3-cone time.

Weaknesses:
Has a long torso, runs upright and exposes his frame to hits. Lacks ideal foot speed — gets tracked down from behind. Tight-hipped with limited wiggle. Gears down to cut and does not string moves together. Lets throws into his body. Could stand to improve as a blocker. Was not a feature back in college. Durability has been an issue — hurt his shoulder and sustained a concussion in 2013. Has multiple arrests in his past — character and maturity need to be investigated. Marginal timed speed at the Combine.

Future:
Physically gifted, energetic, pedigreed runner with potential to develop into a productive sledgehammer and be a better pro than college player if he embraces a violent running style, remains healthy and keeps his stays focused.

Draft projection:
Late draftable pick.

Scout’s take:
“Wilder is good looking on the hoof. He is a bigger back that does not drive the pile. I wish he were more of that. I love the size and look of him. I just don’t think he is an instinctive runner or quick-footed. He’s going to really struggle at the next level, I think — he does not have the twitch. He’s just a guy for me.”

RB andre williams, #44

boston college
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Grade: 5.62

Ht: 5-11 3/8 | Wt: 230 | Sp: 4.56 | Arm: 33 1/2 | Hand: 9

History:
The Pennsylvania prep rushed for 1,913 yards and 33 touchdowns as a senior. Lived in Georgia for his first two seasons of high school. Appeared in all 13 contests as a true freshman in 2010, starting the final two, and rushed 95 times for 461 yards (4.6-yard average) and two touchdowns. Led the team in rushing touchdowns in ’11, posting 124-517-4 (4.2) in 10 games (seven starts). Missed two games due to injuries Clemson (ankle) and Florida State (abdominal). Did not participate in ’12 spring practice after surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder. Was the team’s leading rusher in the fall despite only playing in nine games (eight starts) and logging 130-584-4 (4.5). Missed the final three games with a torn abdominal muscle (left side) suffered against Wake Forest. Had a stellar senior campaign in ’13, leading the nation in rushing yards (2,177), being a finalist for the Heisman Trophy and winning the Doak Walker (nation’s premier running back) in addition to being a consensus All-America selection. Ran for 335-2,177-18 (6.5) in 13 starts and became the 16th player in FBS history to top the 2,000-yard mark. Rushed for over 200 yards in a game five times, including an Atlantic Coast Conference and school record 339 yards (42 attempts) against NC State. Averaged 167.5 yards per game on the ground to lead all Division I players. Was not used much as a receiver in his career, catching 10 passes for 60 yards (6.0-yard average) in four years. Graduated in December.

Strengths:
Has very long arms with good overall musculature, wide shoulders and a thick, power base. Good vision to find creases. Runs with urgency and steps downhill fast. Shows an extra gear to kick it into overdrive and outrace defenders to the end zone. Good finishing speed — did not see him get tracked down from behind. Can power through arm tackles, brush off contact and clear his feet through traffic — very good contact balance. Solid anchor in pass protection. Keen blitz recognition. Smart and competitive.

Weaknesses:
Much of his production is blocked for him — produced many runs of 20-plus yards untouched. Is not dynamic or creative and makes few tacklers miss. Can do a better job selling routes and settling into soft spots in zones. Very minimal receiving production — 10 career catches.

Future:
Very strong, stocky, powerful runner with the instincts, contact balance and toughness to carry a heavy workload. Really emerged as a senior, when he led the nation in rushing, and proved worthy of a starting role. Limitations in the receiving game could diminish his value.

Draft projection:
Second- to third-round pick.

Scout’s take:
“He might sneak into 2. He runs hard. He has good vision. He reminds me a little bit of ‘Cadillac’, ‘Crazy Legs’ (Carnell Williams). There are not a lot of backs that can be featured guys.”

RB damien williams, #26

oklahoma
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Grade: 5.05