Dynasty Draftnik

Texans, Round 6. Was a junior. I don’t see an NFL future for him, but he does fit better in Houston than at most other teams. But he’s behind Arian Foster, Dennis Johnson, and Ray Graham off the bat.

Positives: Okay speed. Fair vision for the cutback. Fairly patient behind the line. Runs with pretty good body lean. Churns well. Okay hands. Okay power. Great height and good bulk for the position. Built more like a fullback. Above-average hand size. Adequate to above-average burst and explosiveness in Combine drills.

Negatives: Tore ACL in Sept 2012 and missed rest of season. Runs a little bit out of control. Below-average quickness and change-of-direction ability. Below-average burst. Slightly below-average speed for the position, but good for his size. Poor upper-body strength for the position and for his size. Below-average lateral quickness.

Projection: Not worth drafting in dynasty fantasy leagues unless he shows very well in the preseason.

UDFA. Signed by the Panthers as a UDFA but was released in August. Was a junior.

Positives: Though his bulk is on the low side, he’s compactly built. Above-average hands and can extend to catch passes away from his body. Keeps legs churning through contact. As a pass protector, he keeps his feet fairly well and doesn’t lunge too much. Runs with good body lean. Doesn’t just duck out of bounds on the sidelines. Keeps his balance fairly well after contact. Adequate speed and burst. Patient behind the line. Fair lateral quickness, and can bounce runs outside. Above-average concentration on contested passes. Very good vertical leap.  Adequate ability to change directions in pro day workout.

Negatives: Very short for the position. Slightly below-average bulk. Though he shows fair pass-protection technique, he’s not much good at it. Has a hard time staying with quicker-moving defenders as a pass protector. Below-average upper-body strength.

Projection: Should stick on an NFL roster somewhere and has a good chance of being a heavy contributor in the years to come. I’d stash him in deep dynasty leagues.

Junior who has declared for the 2014 NFL Draft.

Positives: Not easy to bring down. Keeps legs going after contact. AA burst and speed. Good cutback vision and has the quickness and lateral agility to take advantage of it in the open field. Fair change-of-direction ability. Creative — can push to the line and still bounce outside. Willing pass blocker. Fairly nimble. OK hands. Above-average lateral quickness and stop-and-start ability. Patient. Nice balance after contact. Is able to turn his shoulders to squeeze through small holes at the line of scrimmage. Adjusts fairly well to off target passes. Uses his balance well in the open field to get low and shed tacklers.

Negatives: Very small size. Though he’s a willing pass blocker, he’s not a strong one. Separated right shoulder in first game of 2013 and missed a few weeks. Then had a foot injury in October 2013 and missed rest of season, though he said he was dismissed from the team.

Projection: UDFA. Has the athleticism to be one of the better small RBs in the draft, but his lack of size is pretty major. That, coupled with his injury history will probably keep him undrafted. But he can be a very effective change-of-pace back if he gets a chance.

Redskins, UDFA. 2012 transfer from Penn State. Has enough running skills to stick on a roster or practice squad somewhere. His injury history is a little scary, though.

Positives: Though his height and weight are slightly below-average, he has a solid build. Adequate hand size. Good downfield blocker. Good cutback vision. Adequate speed. Above-average burst. Gets low through line to push for extra yards. Keeps squared when making moves. Good power and breaks a lot of arm tackles. Okay pass blocker. Fairly patient. Protects ball through the line. Churns legs through contact. Balanced after contact. Adequate upper body strength. Good vertical leap.

Negatives: Slightly below-average height and bulk for the position. Suspect ball security and fumbled in 2012 bowl game with small hit. Below-average hands and seems to not look passes into hands. Minor knee surgery in March 2013 and a cleanup in August 2013 and missed around half the season. Then was injured through the end of the season. Slow track speed for the position and the size.

Projection: No need to draft, but keep an eye on his playing time.