Day one of the NFL Draft saw no running backs taken, but six ball carriers were selected in rounds two and three Friday. Running backs are no longer valued like they were 15 years ago, but a high end running back can help balance your offense in an increasingly pass heavy league.
Breece Hall – Iowa State, New York Jets
Hall has all the tools to be a three-down back in the NFL. He ran a 4.39 40-yard dash time, and is a downhill runner with good vision and instincts. The former Cyclone catches the ball well out of the backfield and doesn’t bring any fumble concerns to the table. Hall only put the ball on the ground four times in 800 career touches in college.
The only thing Hall needs to work on to truly excel at the pro level is his pass protection. He may lack breakaway speed but he should be a solid back in the NFL and could be a good fantasy option as well.
Kenneth Walker III – Michigan State, Seattle Seahawks
Kenneth Walker ran for 1,634 yards in 2021 at Michigan State, winning the Doak Walker Award for the best running back in college football in the process. Walker flashed his elusiveness on multiple occasions, forcing 89 missed tackles with the Spartans.
He runs with good balance through contact, which allows him to break tackles. Walker is known as a hard runner who can truck defenders that tackle with poor form. He has reliable hands, making him a capable receiver. Sometimes Walker relies on cutback opportunities too much and leaves yardage on the field. He could be another solid fantasy option in the Pacific NorthWest.
James Cook – Georgia, Buffalo Bills
Cook has good vision, and his lateral agility makes it difficult for defenders to tackle him. One of his best attributes is his outstanding ability to catch the ball out of the backfield, and can even be split out wide for exotic plays as well. James is the younger brother of Vikings running back Dalvin Cook, so he comes from a family with NFL pedigree.
Cook’s body control and quickness make him an effective route runner. The former Bulldog didn’t put the ball on the ground very much, only losing one fumble throughout his college career. He may not be much of a lead back, but he will rack up numbers in the passing game and will bring explosiveness to the Buffalo backfield.
Rachaad White – Arizona State, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
White has good size for a running back at the NFL level. He’s a patient runner who likes to wait for his blocks to develop. White has a surprising burst at the line of scrimmage that allows him to get through the hole clean.
The former Arizona State star is outstanding at slashing laterally to avoid tacklers and maneuvers through open holes. White does a good job reading blocks and setting up his runs. The future Buccaneer can run through tackles with his size and is shifty in space. White can catch out of the backfield, and can hold his own in pass protection, which is crucial at the NFL level. This is especially true when your starting QB is on the wrong side of 40.
One of the few weaknesses that White has is in his game is that he sometimes runs too high, making him an easy target for tacklers. That’s something that should be easily coached out of him in Tampa Bay however. He will also need to work on ball security as he had four fumbles in two years at Arizona State.
Tyrion Davis-Price – LSU, San Francisco 49ers
Tyrion Davis-Price is a big running back with an NFL-ready frame. He has good speed and makes sharp cuts without losing any momentum. He could be a load to tackle once he gets going. However, the LSU product is sometimes impatient and is a questionable pass protector at the moment.
Luckily for him, he’s heading to a running back factory on the west coast, as Kyle Shanahan’s offense seems to produce a new starting RB every season.
Brian Robinson Jr. – Alabama, Washington Commanders
Washington taking an Alabama product? Shocking…Robinson is big back at 6-1, 225, who is quick to the hole and reaches his top speed rapidly. With his size, he forces a lot of missed tackles.
Robinson can also catch the ball out the backfield hauling in 35 of 38 targets in college. He displays good body control and knows how to drop his pad level to run over would-be tacklers. Although Robinson appears stiff as a runner at times, coaches will like the “North/South” style of running he brings to the table. He doesn’t use many spin moves or jukes to avoid defenders, but is more than happy to fight through contact for extra yards. Robinson will be good between the tackles in the NFL and could be another running back that could wear down a defense.
-LaMarr Fields
Twitter: @raiderway83
Photo: Daniel Hartwig. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.