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Running Backs
In a somewhat uncharacteristic development, every healthy running back decided to participate in the rigorous Combine drills. That included Oklahoma's Adrian Peterson, the consensus #1 runningback and likely top-5 draft choice, who really had nothing to gain and everything to lose from doing so.
- Maybe no one helped themselves more than maligned Arizona runner Chris Henry. Henry, a former highly touted recruit who was injured early and often upon his arrival to Arizona, became frustrated with the notion of having to earn the starting role back after his injuries and decided to enter the draft early even though he had very little collegiate experience. The 6', 233 pound Henry has a track background and made sure everybody knows it by running a 4.40 in the 40-yard dash--tied for the fastest time among all RB's. He didn't stop there, however; his 4.14 in the 20 shuttle, 11.51 in the 60 shuttle, 6.96 in the three cone drill, and 10-foot 7-inch broad jump were all worthy of being top-5 or better at the position. The concerns about his character and lack of experience will remain, but he clearly established himself as a big, strong, and quick runner who will get some long looks in the 3rd or 4th round.
- The afforementioned Adrian Peterson surprised some people by declaring that he would participate in every drill, but he may have opened even more eyes with the stellar performance he turned in. His 4.40 sprint was tied for the best at the position, and his 38.5" vertical leap showed a glimpse of the burst and power that made him a legend in only 2 and a half years at Oklahoma. Even more impressive about these numbers--and more so, Peterson's determination and character--is that it has since been learned that Adrian ran all of these drills only hours after learning that his half-Brother had been shot and killed. Questions about his injury history and durability will still linger, but you can rest assured that never again will Adrian Peterson have his skills or fortitude questioned. Welcome to Cleveland, Adrian, hopefully you can stay healthier than the majority of the other players they've drafted high in the 1st round.
- Since the day he declared for the draft California's Marshawn Lynch has been, at worst, the consensus #2 runner behind Adrian Peterson, with some scouts going as far as to rank Lynch #1. His versatility and experience in the various faccets of Jeff Tedford's offense at Cal make Lynch an attractive fit to a number of teams who need their running back to do more than just run between the 20's. He's proven to be adept at catching the ball out of the backfield, blitz pick-ups, patient zone running, and running inbetween the tackles; he doesn't excell in any single area but does all of them very well, drawing comparisons to Joseph Addai coming out of LSU last season. His combine performance was a solid one, but the discrepancy in some of the numbers clearly illustrates that Adrian Peterson deserves to be the number one runner taken. However, said discrepancies are not large enough to cause any legitimate decline for Lynch's stock, and he will still be given a long look by teams like Green Bay in the 1st round.
OSU's Antonio Pittman 
- Just as he often did while toting the rock for the power house Buckeyes, Ohio State's Antonio Pittman may have flown under the radar with his terrific performance at the combine. His un-official time of 4.40 was tied for the fastest by the backs, and he stood out in the positional drills. Pittman has oft been perceived as under-sized at 5'11" and 195 pounds, but his nice combine workout should open up some eyes and urge scouts to go back and pay closer attention to him, rather than teammates Troy Smith and Ted Ginn. The NFL is always looking for shifty runners who are fluid in their cuts and display patience, and those are some of Pittman's real strengths. Most teams probably won't project him as an every down back, but he's still a legitimate option in the 2nd round of the draft.
- A quick note on two early eligibles who entered the draft out of necessity and not because of draft stock: Minnesota's Gary Russell and Texas's Ramonce Taylor. Russell was kicked off of the Gophers squad for failing to meet academic standards, and showed up to the combine severely out of shape. Later in the day he posted a paltry 4.77 in the 40-yard dash, essentially guaranteeing him of never hearing his name called on draft day.
- Ramonce Taylor on the other hand, was an explosive athlete who was scheduled to be the Long Horns' starting running back in 2006 before being booted from the team for being arrested for carrying a copious amount of marijuana. Taylor dazzled at times at UT, amongst fanfare and fabled tales of his ability, such as him reportedly running a 4.19 during a warm-up. Not quite. Taylor ran a 4.5 flat, and can no longer hope that his hyped athletic ability will over-shadow his obvious character concerns. The moral of the story? Stay in school, don't do drugs, and eat your Wheaties.
Mr Everything, Brian Leonard 
- Known as "Mr. Everything" to the Scarlet Knight faithful, Rutgers' Brian Leonard was one of the true "tweeners" on the offensive side of the ball at this year's Combine. Leonard is a natural running back who was very productive at the position before taking one for the team and moving to Fullback to become the lead-blocker for explosive Rutgers RB Raymell Rice. He didn't stop producing at FB either, astoundingly recording a reception in every single game he ever played, and leaving school as Rutgers' all-time leading receiver to go along with his nearly 2,000 career rushing yards. The complications with Leonard are that prior to the Senior Bowl he lost about 14 pounds from his playing weight of 235lbs in hopes of appearing as a leaner, quicker, more viable option to be a pure NFL running back. His 4.52 scamper in the 40 won't really hurt that cause, but it won't help it either. The NFL loves versatility, and a Fullback who can carry the ball, catch the ball, and block is a very hot commodity. If Leonard realizes that and focuses on those strengths, he is a very likely 2nd round pick. |
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