Dynasty Draftnik

49ers, Round 2. Of course he goes to the 49ers. They only have three or four other RBs who would start for any other team. He’s a good fit there, talent-wise, but I really don’t see how it helps his fantasy prospects. He has Frank Gore ahead of him, and Marcus Lattimore is apparently back from injury now. Has the skills to be a successful power back in a committee approach.

Positives: Good height and bulk– probably large enough to be a fullback. Above-average hand size. Good hands – extends well. Adequate speed for his size, but with above-average burst. Though his track speed is below average for the position, it is above-average for his size. Also has quick feet for his size that allow him to make subtle changes of direction. Runs with above-average power – breaks arm tackles and fights hard in short-yardage situations. Knocks back defenders on impact. Gets low in short yardage situations to tunnel for extra yards. Runs with nice lean and leverage and almost always falls forward for extra yards after contact. Doesn’t waste motion while making moves – consistently moves forward. Subtle shifts in the open field. Above-average cutback vision. Decisive and almost never gets caught in the backfield. Above-average hands and shows good concentration in traffic, coming down with the ball even when he’s hit. Keeps squared well in run blocking and gives consistent effort. Good blocker on the run. Also has special-teams experience as a gunner on the punt coverage team. Fairly tough — sprained right MCL in Sept 2012 but missed little time. Adequate upper body strength.

Negatives: below-average track speed for the position. At times, conditioning seems to be an issue, and he will tire in games. Dismissed from team in summer 2013 for assaulting a woman, but charges were dropped. Still suspended for first three games of the season. Injured hamstring at Combine and was limited for the next month.

Projection: He probably had immediate RB2 potential before he went to the 49ers. Now, draft him as a long-term hold with eventual RB2 potential.

Rams, Round 3. Was a junior. He went a little later than I expected – I expected him to go in Round 2, but in a good situation, where I expect him to be part of a solid committee with Zac Stacy. Has the skills to be effective in the NFL as either a workhorse or as a strong member of a running-back-by-committee approach.

Positives: Though his height and bulk are low, he has a solid build. Above-average track speed for the position. Runs with adequate speed and above-average burst. Above-average ability to stop his momentum and restart with good acceleration. Is elusive in the open field, with good vision, lateral movement, and change-of-direction ability. Above-average power – can push the pile and knock defenders back on impact. Good balance for yards after contact and gets low, lowers his shoulders, and churns well for extra yards. Patient runner who waits for blocks to develop. Demonstrates pretty good ball security technique when he knows contact is coming, and will cover up the ball with both hands. Okay pass blocker in that he gets in the way.

Negatives: Short for the position, with slightly below-average bulk. Below-average hand size. Though his track speed is above-average for the position, it is slightly below average for his size.Needs to learn to follow his blockers in short-yardage situations. Inconsistent hands, and tends to body catch. Seems a little bit indecisive behind the line and dances too much when he should push the ball toward the line and rely on his vision and blockers. As a pass blocker, seems passive – does not get enough leverage and doesn’t seem aggressive.

Projection: On the Rams, he probably won’t be much more than an RB3, but he has RB2 potential. Draft in the second round of dynasty rookie drafts.

Bears, Round 4. Was a junior. He was probably the second- or third-best running back in this draft, and has just about everything you need in an all-purpose running back. Will backup Matt Forte and should get 5-10 touches per game. He may, potentially, replace Forte if the Bears let him go in the next few years.

Positives: Runs with adequate speed and above-average quickness and burst. Good vision for cutback lanes. Is fairly athletic and agile, and is nimble in the open field. Above-average power and is hard to bring down. Gets low and squares his shoulders to churn through contact. Finishes runs hard and will knock defenders back. On the sidelines, he doesn’t look to just duck out of bounds, but lowers his shoulders to drive through defensive backs. Above-average ability to stop and start, and is very shifty. Nice jump cut. Adequate hands. Demonstrates pretty good ball security technique when he knows contact is coming, and will cover up the ball with both hands. On outside runs, he is patient and then accelerates through the whole with good cutback vision. Adequate hand size. Adequate upper body strength.

Negatives: slightly below-average height and bulk for the position. Below-average track speed for his size and for the position. Slightly below-average burst and ability to change directions at Combine drills. Below-average lateral quickness in Combine drills. In the open field, his ball security technique is lax. Runs too upright at times. Has some big character red flags, with a December 2012 domestic disturbance/drug case and an altercation at a January 2013 basketball game.

Projection: If you have Forte, he’s a definite handcuff in dynasty leagues. Otherwise, he’s worth an early second-round pick in dynasty league rookie drafts with the potential of being a workhorse all-around back and eventual RB1.

Vikings, Round 1. Was a junior. Though he should have been one of the first few players off the board, he lasted until the last pick in Round 1. He goes to a Vikings team with a little talent on offense, but not much. But he didn’t exactly have hall-of-famers in Louisville and he did great there. He has almost no holes in his game, though his abilities to consistently throw the deep ball may be questionable. Some questions have also come up about his leadership abilities, but these seem to have come out of nowhere since I never heard of them before this off-season. I would draft him in dynasty leagues with the top overall pick whether or not I needed a quarterback immediately. He should be a great one for years barring injuries. In the six years I’ve been scouting college players for the draft, the only quarterback who seemed more talented than him is Andrew Luck.

Positives: Adequate height, bulk, and hand size for the position. Adequate quickness for the position. Is experienced running a pro-style offense. Throws with above-average arm strength and adequate velocity. Great accuracy on short and medium passes. Above-average accuracy on deep passes. Excellent accuracy on the move. Good accuracy overall, even in very wet weather. Very good anticipation and consistently hits his receivers coming out of their breaks. Throws a very catchable pass – his passes are thrown with good touch and he knows how to vary his velocity to fit the situation. Has enough velocity and confidence in his arm to fit the ball into tight windows. Poised, and keeps his head very well under pressure to find the open receiver. Goes through his progressions well and consistently, and does not eyeball his receivers. Consistently finds single-covered receivers. Very effective on the blitz, and can find the open receiver. Moves around well inside the pocket and shows good footwork and escapability. Consistently steps up in the pocket under outside pressure while staying mechanically sound. Stays squared on the rollout to deliver accurate passes. Knows when to throw the ball away. Runs with above-average speed and is willing to run. Tough – he broke his non-throwing wrist but played through it. Good play fakes.

Negatives: Below-average explosiveness in combine drills. Though he has shown the ability to bulk up, his listed height and bulk are merely adequate. Some trouble with taking the snap in the rain – maybe due to only adequate hand size or use of gloves.

Projection: With Adrian Peterson taking some of the heat off him, I fully expect him to start his career pretty strong and eventually grow into a top fantasy quarterback. Draft as an immediate QB2 with top-five quarterback potential if the team lands a little more offensive firepower.

Buccaneers, Round 3. Transferred from Houston in 2013. I’m a fan of his – but more as a receiver than as a running back. He’s not built to be an every-down back in the NFL and his talents aren’t well-rounded enough to be a workhorse, either. Which make his going to a team that has Doug Martin the perfect situation for him. He should be a good complementary piece for the offense.

All-Star Games: Senior Bowl.

Positives: Very good height and adequate bulk. Runs with above-average speed and adequate burst. Above-average track speed for the position and the size. Quick feet and makes some nice cuts and changes directions suddenly. Fairly agile. Above-average power. Slashing style and keeps moving forward even when he’s making moves. Above-average hands and very experienced as a receiver out of the backfield. Patient and waits for openings to develop. Improved his decisiveness by the end of his college career. Gets upfield quickly on kick return. Solid pass blocker who keep his base and meets defenders in the hole. Above-average vertical leap. Generally explosive numbers in tests at the Combine.

Negatives: below-average upper body strength for the position. Built more like a wide receiver than a running back. Very small hands. Needs to be more decisive, and will stretch runs outside that he should just push up the middle. Runs a little stiff and upright, and is unbalanced at times making cuts.

Projection: Draft as an immediate RB5 in dynasty leagues, but as an RB3 if it’s a PPR league. Could develop into an RB3/RB2 eventually.

UDFA. Was signed by the Titans as a UDFA but was released in August and put on their practice squad. I see him as having too many negative traits to stick in the NFL, anyway.

All-Star Games: Senior Bowl.

Positives: Adequate height and good bulk. Average hand size. Adequate upper body strength. Runs with adequate speed, quickness, and burst. Okay vision for cutback lanes and has a nice jump cut. Gets low through line and protects the ball fairly well through the first line of defense. Above-average hands and can adjust to catch passes behind him. Also has reliable hands fielding punts. Above-average pass blocker and slides well laterally to stay with rushers while maintaining his base.

Negatives: Poor track speed. A little indecisive behind the line and doesn’t have enough burst to get away with it. His lack of explosiveness was also shown in Combine drills, where he had generally poor drill numbers. Not a very creative runner. Slips often while making cuts and seems to lack balance. Not much leg drive through contact. Below-average ball security in the open field. Suspect punt-return fielding decisions. Suspect balance making cuts and slips often. Isn’t especially strong as a pass blocker, and can be pushed around.

Projection: No need to draft.