Dynasty Draftnik

Slightly below-average size.

Positives: Adequate upper-body strength.

Negatives: Tore ACL/MCL and missed rest of 2011 season.

Projection: Because he was injured much of 2011, I haven’t seen enough of him.

Packers, UDFA. S. Cal.: Above-average size. Average hand size. Son of former 49ers RB Wendell Tyler.

Positives: Good balance after contact. Sets up blockers well. Fair hands. Adequate upper-body strength.

Negatives: Below-average speed and burst. Below-average routes and hands. Has trouble tracking passes over shoulder. Had alcohol-related problems in April 2011. Kicked off team for 2011 for comments about getting paid by school but reinstated in August. Hurt at end of 2011 season.

Projection: Enters one of the thinnest RB depth charts in the league, and that may be his only hope to make a team. Would still be 4th-best RB in camp, at best. Doesn’t have NFL skills.

Seahawks, 4th round. Utah St.: Junior who has declared for 2012 draft.  Good size. Above-average hand size.

Positives: Good burst and power. Good speed for the size. Runs hard and is always moving forward after contact. Adequate vision. Often used in short yardage.

Negatives: Below-average change-of-direction skills.

Projection: He’s got a very similar style as Marshawn Lynch, and should see a lot of action in 2012 spelling Lynch and filling in for Lynch if he gets injured. If he starts, should put up RB2 numbers. Draft as 2012 RB4 with RB2 potential.

Cowboys, UDFA. S. Fla.: Junior who has declared for 2012 draft. Great size — nearly fullback size. Transferred from Colorado in 2010.

Positives: Above-average power. Adequate speed for the size. Fair vision.

Negatives: Below-average change-of-direction skills and burst. Unable to break run outside if he has to make any moves. Below-average hands and has trouble tracking passes over shoulder. Below-average upper-body strength. Holds ball too low in traffic. Hurt shoulder in Big East Championship.

Projection: Strictly a north-south back, he won’t find many spots open in the league. May stick on a practice squad, but isn’t fantasy relevant.

Steelers, 5th round. Fla.: Small size — like a slot WR, and practiced there extensively in Senior Bowl drills. Above-average hand size.

Positives: Elite track speed and excellent quickness in Combine drills. Fair hands and tracks well over shoulder. Keeps legs churning in short yardage. OK hands. Can take a hit and keep balance. Can finish with surprising power. Very good special teams player who blocked six punts in college — one in 2011 bowl game.

Negatives: Doesn’t seem very creative or elusive as RB or KR. Long strider in open field and looks to rely on speed rather than quickness, though his Combine drills show that this can be fixed. Needs to protect ball through line. Dances behind line too much — indecisive. Below-average upper-body strength.

Projection: He’ll make the team as a hybrid slot WR/RB, with more success at WR and returner, giving him fair value in return-yardage leagues. But don’t expect much from him. Especially with Brown, Sanders, and Cotchery on team. Team has also signed Marquis Maze as an undrafted free agent, who I think is a better slot WR than him.

Panthers, UDFA. Tenn.: Average height, but slightly below-average bulk. Small hands.

Positives: Decisive. Above-average burst. Adequate speed. Adequate hands and can track over his shoulder. Runs with fair power. Above-average upper-body strength.

Negatives: Suspect routes. Needs better sideline awareness.

Projection: On Panthers, should compete with Josh Vaughan for the last RB spot. I’ve always liked Vaughan, and it’s a tossup which one wins the battle. With Williams, Stewart and Tolbert on the team, whichever one wins the spot will only get scraps, anyway, outside of special-teams duty. Not fantasy relevant.

Eagles, UDFA. Wash.: Adequate size. Above-average hand size.

Positives: Good vision. Fair lateral movement and quick feet. Adequate power. Lowers shoulders well in short yardage. Average speed and burst. OK receiver. Fair hands and can extend. Good balance after contact. Hard to drag down.

Negatives: No speed to get outside. Makes poor decisions. Loses some power in short-yardage situations because he leans in rather than drives — needs to be more consistent in keeping legs moving. Looks unwilling to be creative. Looked bad in pass-blocking drills in Senior Bowl practices. Reportedly had poor interviews at Senior Bowl.

Projection: Isn’t as good as his college hype, but is better than his undrafted status might indicate. Had 4th-round talent, but reports of a degenerative hip condition made him fall. Lands in a great situation on Eagles as backup to McCoy. Thin depth chart at RB and team has indicated they want to spell McCoy more often. Is also a nice change of pace to McCoy. Draft as a McCoy handcuff and potential RB3.

Ravens, 3rd round. Temple: Junior who has declared for 2012 draft. Great size. Average hand size.

Positives: Adequate speed. Very good track speed. Good balance. Hard to arm tackle, and usually falls forward. Gets skinny through line. When contact is coming, gets low and gains extra yards. Fair balance after contact. Patient. Fair vision and change-of-direction skills.

Negatives: Below-average burst on game film, but appeared improved at Combine. Below-average hands and has trouble tracking passes over shoulder. Below-average upper-body strength. A little upright in short-yardage situations, negating his power.

Projection: With Ravens, has long-term RB2 potential. He’ll never beat Ray Rice, and I don’t think he’ll beat Anthony Allen for the backup RB position, but may provide enough anyway to be worth stashing on a roster.

Rams, 2nd round. Cincinnati: Slightly below-average size. Below-average hand size. Browns and Patriots have shown interest.

Positives: Despite size, is willing to be physical. Runs angry and is hard to bring down. Gets skinny through line. Fair pass protection skills. Effective after the catch. Excellent balance after contact. Keeps squared in open field. Elusive in the open field and has good vision as a PR. Patient, with good burst and speed. Very good vision. Adequate hands.

Negatives: Loses leverage when blocking against bull rush. Doesn’t keep legs moving in short yardage — leans in rather than driving. Body-catches too often. Not very strong on inside runs. Seems to lose focus easily when he makes a mistake.

Projection: Probably the best of the 3rd-down back candidates in the 2012 draft. If he learns to block, could be a very solid back similar to Ahmad Bradshaw. Goes to a team with only the aging Steven Jackson ahead of him on the depth chart. Should be able to very effectively spell Jackson at times as well as take on some additional 3rd-down RB duties. Draft as 2012 RB3 with RB2 potential.

Redskins, 6th round. Fla. Atlantic: Adequate size. Good hand size. Lions and Colts have shown interest.

Positives: Shifty and strong. Fair vision and decisiveness. Keeps balance after contact and breaks arm tackles. Adequate change-of-direction skills and burst. Usually falls forward for extra yards. Finishes runs with power. Willing blocker.

Negatives: Average speed at best. Below-average hands and has trouble tracking passes over his shoulder. Gets caught flat-footed and lowers head when blocking. Below-average upper-body strength.

Projection: May stick in weak Redskins depth chart as a part-timer and special-teamer, but not likely to ever be a fantasy contributor –but with Shanahan running the show, he could end up as their starter. Draft if you want that kind of Shanahan headache.