Welcome to this year's NFL scouting combine. Now find a running back.
No problem there, because this year's draft is loaded at the position, with one general manager saying it's the richest and deepest he has seen in the past decade. Start with Arkansas' Darren McFadden, then work your way down, and when you're finished you could have anywhere from four to six first-round picks.
"It's probably closer to four," said an AFC personnel director, "but then you look at what you have in the second and third rounds, and there are plenty of people there for teams that need running backs."
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| One word for Darren McFadden? 'Extraordinary.' (US Presswire) |
"I'd put him right in there with Mendenhall and Stewart," said one scout.
Jones is a junior, and that's significant. Without underclassmen this year's draft might have been one of the worst for running backs in years. Instead, the juniors saved the program, and let us count the ways.
McFadden? Junior. Mendenhall? Junior. Stewart? Junior. Charles? Junior. Jones? OK, you get the idea. Of the top 10 backs in this year's draft, most if not all are underclassmen, starting with McFadden.
The University of Arkansas star is, take your pick, either the best or second-best player in this draft. That doesn't mean that's where he will be chosen; it's simply a measure of his talent. The other top choice could be LSU defensive lineman Glenn Dorsey, who has been likened to former University of Miami star Jerome Brown.
Anyway, McFadden is the third elite back to emerge in three years. In 2006 there was Reggie Bush, and he lasted two picks. Houston passed on him because the Texans were more interested in helping their defense and because owner Robert McNair worried about signing Bush.
A year ago there was Adrian Peterson, who lasted until the seventh pick because prospective buyers worried about his durability -- Peterson's injured shoulder was a frequent topic of conversation.
There are no such concerns about McFadden, the two-time Doak Walker recipient. There is speed, power and size. There is versatility, too. The guy can block and catch. Heck, he can even play quarterback ... and he did, operating out of the Razorbacks' "Wildcat" formation that had him throwing for seven touchdowns in his collegiate career.
"An extraordinary football player," is how one scouting report describes him.
But he has company. Look at Mendenhall. All he did at Illinois was set a school record for all-purpose yards in his one year of starting. Or how about Stewart? An all-Pac-10 choice, he has blinding speed, kick-return ability and a résumé that includes more than 1,700 yards rushing and nine 100-yard performances last season.
