NFL Draft Scouting

Every year rookie running backs take the league by storm, from the Vikings’ Adrian Peterson to the Texans’ Steve Slaton, no position converts to the NFL faster than the running backs.  Who is going to be this year’s breakout player?  Here is a breakdown of the top running back prospects.

1. Chris “Beanie” Wells, Ohio State - Wells has tremendous size at 6′1″ and 235 pounds and has outstanding explosiveness to go along with that big banging frame.  He suffered a foot injury early in the 2008 season but averaged close to 120 yards a game over the 10 games he played after he returned.  He was labeled a bit of an underachiever in college but his combination of size and ability could make him a rare talent in the NFL.

2. Knowshon Moreno, Georgia - The NFL Draft should be a showcase for Georgia talent with quarterback Matthew Stafford and Moreno both likely going in the first round.  Moreno has extraordinary quickness and elusiveness and decent size for a back.  He has good hands out of the backfield and could be one of the top playmakers in the NFL in the next few seasons.

3. LeSean McCoy, Pittsburgh -McCoy enters the NFL draft after his sophomore year at Pitt (because he attended a prep school he is eligible) after averaging over 1400 yards a season and scoring 35 touchdowns over the same span.  He suffered a broken leg his senior year of high school which is something NFL  teams will be looking at but based on his stats at Pitt the leg is just fine.

No position on the field matters more than the signal caller, and while this year’s crop is young there are some impressive leaders coming out in this year’s draft.  Here is a look at this year’s top five quarterbacks in the NFL draft.

1. Matthew Stafford, Georgia - Stafford is the unquestioned number one quarterback in this year’s draft and he is likely to be a top five pick, depending on the team needs at those positions.  He has a very strong arm and is very accurate.  There is some concern that he may become a Brett Favre style gunslinger, but overall he is a very talented athlete and will make an excellent pro in the right situation.

2. Mark Sanchez, USC - Coming out in his junior year, Sanchez is viewed by many as the most “pro ready” quarterback in the draft having started for USC’s pro-style offense and national exposure.  Sanchez is another good athlete with above average arm strength but not quite to the level of Stafford.  There is some concern about his lack of playing time in college (he started just one season), but coming off an outstanding Rose Bowl showing, he should be a first round or early second round pick.

3. Josh Freeman, Kansas State - Freeman is a big quarterback at 6′6″ and 248 pounds, and fits the typical NFL quarterback mold with his frame.  Despite being as large as he is he can move around quite well and has a good arm.  He is a raw player with a lot of potential but the reward will likely be worth the risk for a team and Freeman’s name could be called early on the first day.

4. Rhett Bomar, Sam Houston State - Bomar is an intriguning prospect from Sam Houston state, where he transferred after losing his spot at Oklahoma due to a booster scandal.  Bomar has a decent arm and is mobile enough to move around the pocket.  He suffered an ACL injury in 2007 so being “injury prone” could be a concern.

5. Nate Davis, Ball State - Davis doesnt have great size at just 6′1″ but he is a great athlete and can make plays on the fly.  He proved his leadership ability at Ball State getting off to a 12-0 start on a team without a ton of talent around him.  Davis should be a borderline first day draft pick or could be a tremendous value for someone early on day two.

6. Graham Harrell, Texas Tech - Harrell will have his share of doubters from the “gimicky” Texas Tech offense to throwing to the best receiver in the game in Michael Crabtree.  Harrell has decent but not spectacular size at just over 6 foot 2, and has a decent, but unspectactular arm.  Still he’s a smart leader and should make an above average pro should he land in the right situation.