NFL Draft preview: Running back
The college football season and the Senior Bowl are finished with the NFL Scouting Combine coming up before the NFL Draft. Here is our look in order of the top 10 running backs available and a look back at their ranking and recruitment along with an opinion of each from Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell.
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Ranking: Elliott, from St. Louis (Mo.) John Burroughs School, was rated as the No. 12 running back and No. 84 overall in the 2013 class. The four-star was the top-rated prospect in Missouri.
Recruiting: Elliott committed to Ohio State in April while on an unofficial visit, but took a late official trip to Missouri, where his father played football and his mother ran track. He decided to stick with the Buckeyes.
Overview: Elliott rushed for 1,821 yards with 23 touchdowns on 289 attempts this past season. He averaged about 140 yards per game and was also third on the Buckeyes with 27 receptions.
Farrell’s take: Elliott became a physical freak in college, but he wasn't that way in high school. In fact, his speed was a bit of a question mark overall. Despite that question, he was still a Rivals100 prospect and a player we liked very much. Elliott has been consistent this season but had the one bad game against Michigan State and his comments afterwards about not getting the ball enough could haunt him. His speed, ability to run inside and outside and exceptional blocking ability makes him the best back in the draft heading into the combine.
Ranking: Rated as the fifth-best running back in a loaded 2013 class, the Yulee, Fla., standout was the first player at his position outside of five-star status. Henry was No. 36 overall and sixth in the Florida state rankings
Recruiting: An early Georgia commit, Henry picked Alabama over the Bulldogs and Tennessee months later. Even before his de-commitment from Georgia, Henry said he felt Alabama would be a better fit for him.
Overview: On the way to the national title, Henry had 395 carries for 2,219 yards and 28 touchdowns this season. The Heisman Trophy winner averaged 5.6 yards per touch.
Farrell’s take: Henry was very close to that coveted fifth star and broke all sorts of records on the ground in high school, but we didn't pull the trigger because we thought he might be too tall and upright to be elite. He’s clearly shown that was the wrong decision as he had one of the best seasons in SEC history. Now I’m starting to believe he will be an NFL star as well. His body lean, balance and vision are off the charts.
Ranking: The four-star running back from Plantation (Fla.) South Plantation was rated as the No. 13 running back and No. 117 overall in the 2013 class.
Recruiting: Collins was involved in a bizarre National Signing Day when he signed his LOI to Arkansas, only to have his mother steal the document because she wanted her son closer to home. Miami and Arkansas were the final two and the matter was finally resolved hours later.
Overview: Collins rushed for 1,577 yards with 20 touchdowns on 271 attempts. He averaged 5.8 yards per carry.
Farrell’s take: Collins has gotten better and better throughout the season and the former four-star can catch the ball and is a willing blocker at times. He’s moving up the boards, but is still a distant third behind Elliott and Henry. He was a five-star running back on some other sites, so we will see if he pushes for the first round grade that comes with that or if we had him tagged correctly as a second- or third-rounder. After Elliott and Henry, it’s a crapshoot who goes next and the combine and pro days could determine that. Collins will need to run well.
Ranking: Dixon was a three-star prospect out of Strong (Ark.) Strong Huttig.
Recruiting: The three-star recruit picked Louisiana Tech early in his senior season over offers from Arkansas State, Central Arkansas, Louisiana-Monroe, Memphis and Missouri State. A January visit to Ruston finalized his decision.
Overview: Dixon rushed for 1,070 yards and 19 touchdowns on 197 attempts, averaging 5.4 yards per touch. He also caught 34 passes for 467 yards and seven scores.
Farrell’s take: Dixon was a three-star despite zero Power Five interest and signing with Louisiana Tech, so we saw things we liked and he’s played with a chip on his shoulder. He’s a good pass catcher for a running back and could do some slot work, so his versatility could make him more valuable than some of the bigger, slower backs behind him. He could be a steal.
Ranking: Perkins was rated as the No. 40 athlete in the 2012 class. He was also valuable on defense and special teams at Chandler (Ariz.) High School.
Recruiting: The Bruins landed Perkins' commitment even though they didn't have a coach following Rick Neuheisel’s firing. Colorado, Fresno State and Northwestern among others had offered, but a visit to UCLA sold him. His relationship with high school teammate Brett Hundley played a factor, too.
Overview: Perkins ran for 1,343 yards and 14 touchdowns on 237 carries. He averaged 5.7 yards per carry and also caught 30 passes.
Farrell’s take: I'm a big fan of what Perkins has become and he flashed some of that potential in high school. So what has he become? A patient runner who sees holes, sets up his blocks, explodes when he needs to and can catch the ball and be a receiving threat. There was a chance he could have been a receiver or defensive back in college, but UCLA clearly made the smart choice at running back. There are some questions about how physical a runner he can be and if he can hold up without injury, but he’s an intriguing talent who could surprise.
Ranking: The four-star from Belle Glade (Fla.) Glades Day was rated as the sixth-best running back and No. 38 overall in the 2013 class. He was seventh in the Florida state rankings.
Recruiting: The son of former Florida running back Fred Taylor, the four-star picked the Gators during his visit to Gainesville for junior day. Alabama and many other national programs were also involved.
Overview: Taylor rushed for 1,035 yards and 13 touchdowns on 259 carries but averaged just four yards per touch.
Farrell’s take: Taylor was a top 40 talent out of high school and a legend as early as 8th grade. He had great size but wasn’t a burner and that is probably his biggest issue as an NFL back. His yards-per-carry isn’t impressive, he had some good games and some poor games and was a surprise early entrant. However, with his name (Fred Taylor’s son) and playing in the SEC, he should land in the middle of the draft. We expected him to add speed in college, but he really hasn’t.
Ranking: Howard was a two-star prospect out of Gardendale, Ala., who signed with UAB out of high school.
Recruiting: After the UAB program was shut down, Howard transferred to Indiana. Wisconsin and Vanderbilt were two of many programs who tried to land Howard after the UAB situation.
Overview: Howard carried the ball 196 times for 1,213 yards and nine touchdowns this past season, averaging 6.2 yards per touch.
Farrell’s take: Howard was a two-star that only UAB wanted out of high school, but he really developed nicely at Indiana and showed durability and power, although he lacks great speed. He’s done well against some big-time defenses, especially Ohio State, so that bodes well on film, but like many at this position it will come down to how well he runs if he wants to boost his stock. He’s light years better than he was out of high school.
Ranking: Booker was rated as a three-star all-purpose back in the 2013 class out of Sacramento (Calif.) American River C.C.
Recruiting: After a visit to Utah, Booker decided to make his commitment. He also had offers from Hawaii, Houston, San Jose State, Utah State and West Virginia.
Overview: Booker finished with 1,261 yards and 11 touchdowns on 268 carries, averaging 4.7 yards per touch. He also caught 37 passes.
Farrell’s take: Despite pretty good size, we had Booker as an all-purpose back out of JUCO because he can do things in the passing game and that bodes well for him at the next level. He had a great season a year ago and got into a groove this past season after a slow start. It's not a deep year at running back and some others could emerge with testing, but Booker could keep himself in that second-third round talk if he runs well. Speed is the biggest question mark he needs to answer.
Ranking: Prosise was rated as a three-star safety out of Woodberry Forest (Va.) Woodberry Forest School. He played receiver and special teams and then moved to running back this past season.
Recruiting: Prosise committed to Notre Dame in May over offers from Penn State, North Carolina, Vanderbilt and Virginia Tech. He took his official visit to South Bend in October.
Overview: Prosise carried the ball 156 times for 1,032 yards and 11 touchdowns. He averaged 6.6 yards per touch and also had 26 receptions.
Farrell’s take: Prosise is so interesting to scout as he started the season for Notre Dame as the No. 3 running back, showed excellent athleticism and surprising vision and instincts when healthy but then fell to injury and was replaced a bit too easily by a freshman. NFL teams are intrigued by his versatility as a slot, third-down back who also has pretty good size, but he’s still very raw as a back. We had him ranked as a low three-star defensive back out of high school, so he’s come a long way.
Ranking: Ferguson was a three-star prospect out of Naperville (Ill.) Joliet Catholic.
Recruiting: The three-star picked Illinois in the summer before his senior season over offers from Air Force, Ball State, East Carolina, Memphis, Ohio, Toledo and others.
Overview: Ferguson was second on the Illini with 708 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 129 carries. He also caught 37 passes this season.
Farrell’s take: Ferguson was a small, scatback type in high school at around 170 pounds and has grown into a physical runner who still has those receiving skills of an all-purpose back. He missed some time this past season, which will hurt him a bit, but he has size, quickness and hands, so someone could get a steal in the middle of the draft. He’s the guy at running back in this class who has developed the most physically from high school to college.