2011 NFL Draft Running Back Rankings

(this is the 4th installment of the PRO DRAFT REPORT)

2011 Running Back Rankings-By Mark Kern

1. Mark Ingram- The comparisons to Emmitt Smith are definitely warranted. You know what you are going to get with Ingram. He is going to come to play every single day and give it his all. He had a very successful career at Alabama, which included a National Title and a Heisman Trophy. A knock on Ingram is that he does not have the breakaway speed that the scouts look for. He makes up for that with his ability to hit the hole and the “never go down” attitude that he plays with. Overall, Ingram may not be the most explosive running back in this draft, but he is definitely the most polished running back and will be able to contribute from day one. Look for Ingram to go anywhere from 15-25 in the first round.

2

Daniel Thomas- Thomas was an absolute beast for Kansas State the past two years. Thomas, last year, had 298 carries for 1585 yards and 19 touchdowns. The fact that he was able to have those numbers is impressive because the Wildcats had a very limited passing attack allowing the defense to load up in the box and try to stop the run. Thomas has great size for a running back at 6’2 230 pounds. He has dealt with injuries during the pre-draft workouts, which have hindered him, and he also has a tendency to run a little too straight up. Overall, Thomas has only been a running back for two seasons as he was a quarterback in junior college. He has made great strides and will give whichever team that drafts him a nice weapon in the backfield. Thomas should be off the board early in the second round. Look for teams like New England, Indianapolis, and Detroit to give him a serious look.

3. Ryan Williams- Williams broke onto the scene two seasons ago as a red-shirt freshman rushed for 1655 yards and 21 touchdowns for the Hokies of Virginia Tech. He dealt with injuries last year and it caused him to miss some games and not put up the numbers he expected. However, when healthy, Williams has the talent to be a big time running back. Williams plays with great intensity and will run through an arm tackle and he must be wrapped up. A knock on him is that he has also had problems with injuries. He also fights for those extra yards, leaving himself exposed to take big hits. If he can get back to the player he was two years ago, he could make a huge impact this year. Look for him to go sometime in the mid-second round and maybe a team like Washington or TampaBay may take a look at him.

4 Mikel Leshoure- Leshoure had a breakout year last year for the Fighting Illini, and has been compared to former Illinois running back Rashard Mendenhall. Leshoure is huge at 6’0 232 pounds. The thing that makes him a great prospect is for his size he is very nimble and can get to the second level in a hurry. The knock on him is that he does not seem to always bring it on every play. That is something that could scare teams away from him, but he is definitely a guy to take a look at because of his physical tools. Leshoure should go late second, early third round to a team that likes to run the ball on offense such as the Tennessee Titans or the New York Jets.

5. Kendall Hunter- Hunter had a very solid career at Oklahoma State. Hunter does not have the physical stature that people expect out of a running back in the NFL. However, what Hunter brings is just a knack to find a crease and make plays. He has a very similar style to former running back Priest Holmes, in the fact that he is very patient and he uses his blockers very well. He has had his fair share of durability issues, but he is confident those are in the past. He should go mid-third round to a team that has a star running back, that could use a breather every once in a while. A couple of these teams would be the Jacksonville Jaguars and the St. Louis Rams.

6. Jordan Todman- Todman had a very successful year which led him to leave college after his junior year and enter the draft. Todman has outstanding speed and he can get in the open field in a hurry. Another plus for him compared to the guys above him is that he can help out a team in the return games as well. Todman is not a very physical runner and he struggles to break tackles. When Connecticut went up against the better defenses, he only averaged 3.3 yards per carry. This can be accredited due to the fact that Connecticut did not have quite the talent that those teams had in those games.. Todman is going to get a chance because of his versatility and look for him to go off the board in the early part of the fourth round. Teams like the Patriots and the Colts could take a look at him and use him because of his versatility.

7. DeMarco Murray – Murray may not be the biggest risk/reward running back in this class; he could also be the biggest risk/reward player at every position in this draft. Murray is an explosive athlete and when he gets the ball in his hands, he has the ability to take it the distance at any time. He can run, catch the ball out of the backfield, and also play a major role in the return game. He ended his career at Oklahoma with the most touchdowns in school history. However, even with that impressive stat, his career at Oklahoma was up and down. Murray had some injury problems in college, which are scaring some scouts away. With that being said, some team is going to take a chance on him off of potential alone. In the right system, he could be a very dynamic weapon. He could go anywhere from late second to late fourth round, it just depends on which team wants to gamble on him. A team to keep an eye on is the New Orleans Saints. They may be losing Reggie Bush and DeMarco Murray could provide a lot of the big play potential that Bush does.

8. Shane Vereen- Vereen has helped to continue the trend of talented running backs to have successful seasons at California. Marshawn Lynch, Javhid Best, and Justin Forsett are all running backs who have made some plays in the NFL. Vereen should be no different. He benched 225 31 times, the best of any running back at the combine. He has also been involved in the return game, which is always a plus. A negative is that he often does help his quarterback at all on pass-blocking. He is a good running back who should be able to contribute and to help out a team. He should go late third round to a team like Arizona or Miami to help in the run game.

9. Delonte Carter- Carter was a huge part of getting Syracuse back on the right track in leading the Orange to a Pinstripe Bowl victory of Kansas State. Carter is a pinball at 5’10, 215 pounds.He is very effective running through the tackles. As a defense, you must gang tackle or he will just run right through you. He lacks the elite speed to get to the second level and beyond. He also has a tendency to try and get to the outside instead of working to his strength and continuing to attack north and south. He should be picked sometime in the late fourth to early fifth round and will be a good value pick by whatever team gets him. Cold-weather teams like Chicago, New England, and Green Bay could use him to help control the clock.

10. Alex Green- Green was a somewhat of an unknown at the beginning of the year but started to turn some eyes during the season. He is a big running back at 6’2 220 pounds, but also has the speed to make some plays. He had some ball security problems fumbling eight times on 271 touches in the past two years at Hawaii. He also played in the WAC where the defense is not real great and the offenses are spread out, helping to open up the field. Green is an interesting prospect with his size and speed and teams in the fifth round should like what they see there. A team like the Eagles could take a look here as Lesean McCoy has had injury issues in the past.

Sleeper: Noel Devine- Devine was electric in college having 36 career runs of 25 yards or more. He is tiny at 5’8 160 pounds, which is scaring teams off. He is not going to be able to carry the football 20-25 times, but the way game is changing, he will not be needed. Pound for pound this is one of the strongest players in the draft. If he can stay healthy, a team could pick him up at the end of the draft or even as a free agent. He will get a chance to prove he can do it though, and whichever teams gives him that shot, could be very thankful in the future.

Honor Roll: Harvard’s Gino Gordon could very well find his way onto an NFL roster. The swift runner is also adept at catching passes out of the backfield, and also blocks well for his smaller size. Gordon was the 2010 Co-Ivy Player of the year & was named to the All-New England FCS team, nad was the all-time yards per carry leader (5.3) and Harvard’s fourth all time leading rusher with 2,643 rushing yards and 25 Career TD’s (23 Rushing). Mike Montoya out of Canada’s Laurier College could also be another surprise selection. He does everything asked of him, is a “100% team player” and had did 41 Bench reps at his third party combine. He’s eligible for this draft because he graduated early last year. In 2009 he had 847 Rushing Yards and 6 TD’s. He is a tremendous blocker with a low center of gravity, making him hard to get off his feet.

This running back class may not have the “superstars” like an Adrian Peterson or a Chris Johnson, but there are many productive running backs in this class. There are a lot of durability issues with this class, but if they manage to remain healthy, this has the potential to be a solid class with many running backs contributing to their team’s success.