How Many Round 1 / 2 RB's Next Year?

Jimmy · 05-02-2012, 10:39 PM

I think next year's RB crop may be one of the best in quite some time, especially for teams in the 25-50 range.

Christine Michael is a surefire top 20 pick without the injuries he's suffered. If he can shake away injury concerns and put up a solid year next year, he's gold. He's suffered two completely different injuries - one was a left ACL and one was a cracked tibia. Most "injury prone" players have problems with ligaments and muscles. Michael does have to prove he can rebound, but if he can, someone will take a chance on him by the second at the very least. He has some of the best tape in next year's draft.

Montee Ball - I have a full scouting report written up. I'll keep it at this. I believe he is late first, but most likely early second round quality. I think he'll be a very good back for a very good team, or if he doesn't go in that 25-32 range, I think he'll be a pretty average back. Despite playing in a running system (if there ever was one) with the best o-linemen in the land, Ball still has tons of lateral burst, decent leg drive and size, and very solid vision and patience.

Cameron Marshall - This kid is a slimmer, faster version of Mike Tolbert, I'd say damn close to Jonathan Stewart. Completely under the radar. He's knocked off several 60+ yard runs with defenders at his ankles WITH ankle sprains.. In terms of sheer power, all I'll say is - GET OFF ME.

Absolutely no chance of arm tackling him above the waste. You can catch him in a footrace, but you better hurry. His build is so burfict-esque that the naked eye tells me he can't be as good as he is. But he's the real deal. He's gonna EXPLODE next year.

This doesn't even include any mid-major prospects, undersized scatback types, Marcus Lattimore (lock for round 1), Joseph Randle, Michael Dyer, Eddie Lacy and Knile Davis. AND Ray Graham.

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say 6+ of these guys go in the first 2 rounds next year.

Matthew Jones · 05-02-2012, 11:07 PM

I don't think Montee Ball is going to be a first-round pick. He's not nearly special or dynamic enough to warrant a top pick, especially now that the league has shifted towards passing the ball. Keep in mind that Wisconsin had a prolific passing game last year and one of the top offensive lines in football. I see Ball as a runner with good vision who picks up what yardage is available but he's not explosive or powerful enough for the first round.

gator3guy · 05-03-2012, 12:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matthew Jones

I don't think Montee Ball is going to be a first-round pick. He's not nearly special or dynamic enough to warrant a top pick, especially now that the league has shifted towards passing the ball. Keep in mind that Wisconsin had a prolific passing game last year and one of the top offensive lines in football. I see Ball as a runner with good vision who picks up what yardage is available but he's not explosive or powerful enough for the first round.

Gotta agree. He's obviously a good player, but you gotta think he is a product of the system. He runs behind a pro line (or did). Dayne, Davis, Hill, Clay all couldn't find there niche in the NFL. He's a different player, but I don't think he's special.

cmarq83 · 05-03-2012, 08:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matthew Jones

I don't think Montee Ball is going to be a first-round pick. He's not nearly special or dynamic enough to warrant a top pick, especially now that the league has shifted towards passing the ball. Keep in mind that Wisconsin had a prolific passing game last year and one of the top offensive lines in football. I see Ball as a runner with good vision who picks up what yardage is available but he's not explosive or powerful enough for the first round.

I really think that Montee Ball is a lot more talented than most people here give him credit for. His burst, toughness, and moves in the open field grade out as above average for a college back, and when you combine that with his elite vision and receiving ability I think you have the makings of a late first round back. He's every bit as good as Ingram and I think he's better than Doug Martin. People look at some of the holes opened up by Zeitler, Konz, and Wagner open up, and certainly a lot of Ball's success is a result of that, but I think Ball has flashed enough on broken plays and in the open field to show that it's not all a product of that line. 39 TD's is something special regardless of how talented your line is.

jrdrylie · 05-03-2012, 08:36 AM

Yeah, I don't think Ball will be a first rounder either. I think he was wrong to go back to school this year. He had over 300 carries last year and he'll probably have a similar amount this year.

I would compare him to Kevin Smith a few years ago. Decent size. Decent physical skills. But nothing dynamic and way too many carries on his legs. I wouldn't draft him before the third at the highest.

TimmG6376 · 05-03-2012, 08:48 AM

I would love to have Montee on the Packers. He fits the scheme and what they like out of their RBs, however, if it is going to take a first round pick I'm not sure it will happen.

I agree with cmarq that he gets dismissed in some circles as a benefactor of that line but I think he will buck the trend for WI running backs.

draftguru151 · 05-03-2012, 09:21 AM

I definitely would have taken Ball over Martin this year (depending on workouts obviously). Really shocked he didn't come out after the season he had.

Giantsfan1080 · 05-03-2012, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by draftguru151

I definitely would have taken Ball over Martin this year (depending on workouts obviously). Really shocked he didn't come out after the season he had.

I agree. All the extra hits he takes this year are going to be a big turn off to a lot of executives in the league.

A Perfect Score · 05-03-2012, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Giantsfan1080

I agree. All the extra hits he takes this year are going to be a big turn off to a lot of executives in the league.

I couldn't understand why he didn't declare after the enormous year he just had either.

And I'm so curious to see how Lattimore rebounds from the injury and whether he's able to make the same level of impact. He's obviously a first round talent if he's healthy, but I want to see if he can put together the type of dominant season I was expecting of him in his draft season.

Iamcanadian · 05-03-2012, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by draftguru151

I definitely would have taken Ball over Martin this year (depending on workouts obviously). Really shocked he didn't come out after the season he had.

He probably didn't declare because the NFL Advisory Board gave him a pretty low ranking and it indicates to me that he is just another Wisconsin RB who will have a great deal of difficulty making the jump to the next level.

stlouisfan37 · 05-06-2012, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iamcanadian

He probably didn't declare because the NFL Advisory Board gave him a pretty low ranking and it indicates to me that he is just another Wisconsin RB who will have a great deal of difficulty making the jump to the next level.

And I think that is very telling as far as what scouts think of him at the next level altogether. There isn't anything he can do statistically to improve over last season.

jojo · 05-03-2012, 10:20 AM

Hmmmm, Lattimore isn't next yr's Richardson, he's coming back from a bigtime injury.

Although not popular as they once were, low NFL career span means an annual need to reload for most teams.

But overall much better & deeper RB class, so I said 3 taken. Marshall & Ball are really intriguing.

Spartan4224 · 05-03-2012, 10:37 AM

Ball was like Emmitt Smith with the Cowboys. There were too many times he wasn't touched until he was 3 yards past the line of scrimmage. He is good but the Wisky O-Line made him look great. This year could mean the difference of a 2nd round back (if he looks good) or a 5th round back (if it truely was the O-line).

gator3guy · 05-03-2012, 10:42 AM

Don't forget about Knile Davis. If he comes back 100% watch out.

ATLDirtyBirds · 05-03-2012, 11:42 AM

I love Michael Dyer.

jrdrylie · 05-03-2012, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ATLDirtyBirds

I love Michael Dyer.

I'm very curious to see if he declares for next year's draft. Since he transferred to Arkansas State, he'll have to sit out next season. Would he really declare after sitting out the entire year?

Spaceboy1 · 05-06-2012, 01:48 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKdmmyvM5vM

This kid can really play, only going to be a Junior tho...

TACKLE · 05-06-2012, 04:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spaceboy1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKdmmyvM5vM

This kid can really play, only going to be a Junior tho...

You know, I remember watching Houston play during the regular season. I'm not sure who against but I think it was UTEP. Anyway, I knew nothing of Sims but remember watching this #5 for Houston and thinking what a great one-cut, zone runner he could be. His ability to just plant and go really impressed me. To be honest, I kinda forgot about him til just now. Definitely a guy I'm gonna keep my eye on this year and with Hayes (and Keenum) gone he should get a lot more work.

Spaceboy1 · 05-06-2012, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TACKLE

You know, I remember watching Houston play during the regular season. I'm not sure who against but I think it was UTEP. Anyway, I knew nothing of Sims but remember watching this #5 for Houston and thinking what a great one-cut, zone runner he could be. His ability to just plant and go really impressed me. To be honest, I kinda forgot about him til just now. Definitely a guy I'm gonna keep my eye on this year and with Hayes (and Keenum) gone he should get a lot more work.

Yeah, he plays in a system where they obviously throw the ball a lot, but Sims is talented, catches the ball well and like you said has potential has an excellent zone scheme back because of his ability to put his foot in the ground and cut.

stlouisfan37 · 05-06-2012, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spaceboy1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKdmmyvM5vM

This kid can really play, only going to be a Junior tho...

I really like Charles Sims. I think he is a much better pro prospect than Hayes. Can you tell me why he didn't play his sophomore year?

stlouisfan37 · 05-06-2012, 03:10 PM

I also really like Kenjon Barner from Oregon. He will get a lot of the same criticisms that LaMichael James received coming out regarding the system he played in, but has great quickness and is a very good receiver out of the backfield. 2nd-3rd round.

Spaceboy1 · 05-07-2012, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stlouisfan37

I really like Charles Sims. I think he is a much better pro prospect than Hayes. Can you tell me why he didn't play his sophomore year?

He was academically inelgible.

Iamcanadian · 05-03-2012, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jimmy

I think next year's RB crop may be one of the best in quite some time, especially for teams in the 25-50 range.

Christine Michael is a surefire top 20 pick without the injuries he's suffered. If he can shake away injury concerns and put up a solid year next year, he's gold. He's suffered two completely different injuries - one was a left ACL and one was a cracked tibia. Most "injury prone" players have problems with ligaments and muscles. Michael does have to prove he can rebound, but if he can, someone will take a chance on him by the second at the very least. He has some of the best tape in next year's draft.

Montee Ball - I have a full scouting report written up. I'll keep it at this. I believe he is late first, but most likely early second round quality. I think he'll be a very good back for a very good team, or if he doesn't go in that 25-32 range, I think he'll be a pretty average back. Despite playing in a running system (if there ever was one) with the best o-linemen in the land, Ball still has tons of lateral burst, decent leg drive and size, and very solid vision and patience.

Cameron Marshall - This kid is a slimmer, faster version of Mike Tolbert, I'd say damn close to Jonathan Stewart. Completely under the radar. He's knocked off several 60+ yard runs with defenders at his ankles WITH ankle sprains.. In terms of sheer power, all I'll say is - GET OFF ME.

Absolutely no chance of arm tackling him above the waste. You can catch him in a footrace, but you better hurry. His build is so burfict-esque that the naked eye tells me he can't be as good as he is. But he's the real deal. He's gonna EXPLODE next year.

This doesn't even include any mid-major prospects, undersized scatback types, Marcus Lattimore (lock for round 1), Joseph Randle, Michael Dyer, Eddie Lacy and Knile Davis. AND Ray Graham.

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say 6+ of these guys go in the first 2 rounds next year.

I believe next year's RB crop is particularly weak. Only Lattimore IMO, rates a 1st round grade and I'm not seeing a lot of 2nd round talent either. Michael has had way too many serious injuries to get drafted early, Ball is just another Wisconsin RB who will have trouble at the next level and right now I don't see Marshall going too high.
Now, they still have to play and a couple might rise above the crowd and make it into round 2 but that is the absolute limit IMO.

gator3guy · 05-03-2012, 12:05 PM

Guys will emerge, I think we can count on that.

Mufasa · 05-06-2012, 02:20 AM

I think Ingram is a decent comparison. Ball is a late first to mid second talent. He's not going to be a game breaker in the NFL, but he can get yardage consistently. That has been an underrated aspect in the pro game, and right fully so, but to a team that has the rest figured our like New Orlens or Green Bay, he could be a very valuable asset.