Draft preview: Auburn duo heads crop of running backs

Auburn running backs Ronnie Brown and Carnell "Cadillac" Williams have made a friendly wager. What's at stake is still to be decided, although it will probably end up being a big, thick steak dinner or something along those lines.

The bet? Which of the two backs is the first runner to go in the NFL Draft.

"We had to do something," Brown said. "So there is a small bet. It's all in fun."

A power back with some speed, Eric Shelton was part of an explosive offense at Louisville. (Getty Images)

Brown and Williams shared a backfield last season, fighting for carries in a friendly sort of way. Now they're fighting to see which back will be the first to have his name called come draft day.

Will it be Williams, the elusive, quick, darting back with the catchy nickname? Or will it be Brown, the bigger, more powerful player, who wowed the scouts with his combine workout in February?

The answer might be as simple as the old vanilla and chocolate debate. It depends on your preference.

In speaking with 20 personnel men and scouts, there is no real consensus when it comes to who is the better player. Those who like their backs to make tacklers miss prefer Williams. Those who like their backs in a Jamal Lewis-power style go for Brown.

"You won't go wrong with either of them," said one AFC scout. "I prefer Williams because he's a little quicker and can make people miss. But both of those guys are going to be big-time runners. It's just a matter of who you like."

The Miami Dolphins, picking second, will likely be the team making the decision. Does new coach Nick Saban, who played against the two when he was at LSU, opt for one of those two to make South Florida forget Ricky Williams? Or try to?

"Going that high would definitely be nice," Brown said.

It would be an amazing story for Brown if he does go second. He had just one 1,000-yard season in his Auburn career, was viewed as the "other" back for much of his time there and has a total of seven starts on his resumé.

But he's 6-feet-2, 233 pounds and ran the 40 in 4.43 at the combine. That workout alone didn't vault him into the top of the first round, but it might have been enough to make him the first back taken.

Williams is smaller at 5-11, 217 pounds, and he didn't run quite as well, clocking 4.5 in the 40 at the combine.

"He doesn't run like he's 210 or so," Brown said. "He's more powerful that than that. But he's still so explosive."

Williams was more productive at Auburn. He rushed for 3,831 yards at Auburn, while Brown rushed for 2,707 yards.

"If you go on productivity, Williams would be the pick," the AFC scout said. "But this isn't based on college productivity. It's what they will do on the next level."

Brown started last season at fullback in large part to help get him on the field more. The Tigers would flex him out some on passing downs, which is why he is considered the better receiver of the two. In fact, some scouts say he's the best-receiving back they have seen in a long time. That could be the edge for him to be the first back taken.

"That's something I've been doing since high school," Brown said. "I would flex out and catch the ball. It's something I'm comfortable doing."

Brown and Williams are both easy-going, unassuming players. It had to be that way, didn't it? If they had egos the size of the state of Alabama, could it have worked with both in the same backfield?

Instead, they put any thoughts of selfishness aside and did more than just co-exist. They became great friends.

"There was never any problems," Brown said. "We have a lot of respect for each other. We're real competitive and we both want to win, but put the team ahead of ourselves. We knew we had to do that to be successful."

Auburn went unbeaten last year, although it was Southern Cal who won the national championship. In rolling to the unblemished season, Brown and Williams co-existing was a big reason why.

Along the way, Brown even earned a nickname.

"They started calling me The Hummer," Brown said. "But it's not as well known as Cadillac. He's had that since high school."

You can't usually go too wrong with a Cadillac or a Hummer. And neither will the NFL teams that get these two.

They both will be special backs.

But who will be the one eating that free steak, the spoils of winning the bet? The guess here is that it will be Brown, although it really depends on what flavor you prefer.

Is it power or quickness? Both will work in the NFL.