Best Running Backs in the 2017 Draft

[Maelstrom787]

Dalvin Cook will be a hall of famer if he can stay healthy. Calling it.

It's a good thing that I'm not GM of this team, because there'd be a large trade up for him on draft day.

 

[hawkfan68]

Joe Williams, RB, Utah. I think the would be a good fit for the Seahawks. He's currently under the radar. He was a monster for the Utes once he came back from early season retirement. Look's like he is one of the stand outs at the Shrine game practices this week.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...-joe-williams-among-top-shrine-game-standouts

 

[Jimjones0384]

Any thoughts?

3. D’Onta Foreman | Texas
6-1 | 249 | Junior

249, is that for real?

At USA Today
http://draftwire.usatoday.com/2016/12/0 ... sition-rb/

My draft crush this year. The dude is huge, and runs away from defensive backs. His feet never stop, and he has a little shimmy to him. His jump cuts help set his blockers up for success. I think I would like to see them trade back and pick this dude up. I think his stock is going to shoot up after the combine.

 

[Jimjones0384]

Foreman has very light feet for a big man..reminded me of Lynch(without the speed) the 1st time I watched him...rarely see bigger rb's able to pick holes

my early list

Davin Cook Florida St 5'11 205 speed/balance combo not an elite blocker or receiver undersized for a feature back but makes WOW! runs reminds me of Marshall Faulk


Leonard Fournette LSU 6'1 220 top pick in 2015 late 1st in 2016 with lingering health issues..which player are you getting? likely both...that 2015 player was special. elite power/speed and moves combo


Christian McCaffrey Stanford 6'0 202 elite vision, understanding how how to set up blocks, patience and burst...still a gadget player needing a Josh McDaniels type OC to use him as a weapon not a wr or feature back


Kareem Hunt Toledo 5'11 225 fast powerful, relentless Senior bowl rushed for 1355 in 2016 and 4,825 yards in his career
runs angry like Jay Ajayi

D'Onta Foreman Texas 6' 1/20 249 ist team Big 12, was the nation's leading rusher and totaled 2,028 yards on the ground despite playing in just 11 games. He averaged 184.4 yards per game in 2016 shades of Marshawn Lynch with his light feet and ability to find holes and power over people..just lacks great speed


Joe Mixon Oklahoma 6'1 226 hit a woman after she hit him twice...not going to bury the young man after losing his temper and doing something stupid at the age of 18. as a rb has the weight to be an feature back, solid pass a pass receiver and in pass pro runs through arm tackles


Alvin Kamara Tennesee 5'10 215 Alabama transfer from JC junior 3rd down back/pr very athletic


Wayne Gallman,Clemson 6'0 215 quick feet, good vision/eyes solid rb just lacks elite power solid not great feature back prospect


Elijah Hood North Carolina 5'11 220 Alla academic class kid powerful runner, loves contact lacks breakaway speed. Great #2 back


Curtis Samuel Ohio St 5'11 200 similar to McCaffrey but not as talented. 3rd down back, very fast

I'm curious about your assessment of foreman. I think he has incredible speed for 250. Watch his highlights, he continually pulls away from DB's tens of pounds lighter than him.

 

[Jimjones0384]

Dalvin Cook will be a hall of famer if he can stay healthy. Calling it.

It's a good thing that I'm not GM of this team, because there'd be a large trade up for him on draft day.

I agree. I can literally see how great his work ethic is in the way he runs. He reminds me of Tomlinson. Just that sheer passion and intensity, not to mention natural ability. Watching him run, I would think he is a flashy, loud guy. Then I see him in interviews, and he is humble and laid back. He will be that "hardest working guy in the building," guy. He is the best pro prospect I have seen on video for years.

Man, if only the Hawks could find a way to pull it off. Cook, some defensive depth, and a couple of decent to good o linemen through fa, Superbowl bound.

 

[pcbball12]

Foreman has very light feet for a big man..reminded me of Lynch(without the speed) the 1st time I watched him...rarely see bigger rb's able to pick holes

my early list

Davin Cook Florida St 5'11 205 speed/balance combo not an elite blocker or receiver undersized for a feature back but makes WOW! runs reminds me of Marshall Faulk


Leonard Fournette LSU 6'1 220 top pick in 2015 late 1st in 2016 with lingering health issues..which player are you getting? likely both...that 2015 player was special. elite power/speed and moves combo


Christian McCaffrey Stanford 6'0 202 elite vision, understanding how how to set up blocks, patience and burst...still a gadget player needing a Josh McDaniels type OC to use him as a weapon not a wr or feature back


Kareem Hunt Toledo 5'11 225 fast powerful, relentless Senior bowl rushed for 1355 in 2016 and 4,825 yards in his career
runs angry like Jay Ajayi

D'Onta Foreman Texas 6' 1/20 249 ist team Big 12, was the nation's leading rusher and totaled 2,028 yards on the ground despite playing in just 11 games. He averaged 184.4 yards per game in 2016 shades of Marshawn Lynch with his light feet and ability to find holes and power over people..just lacks great speed


Joe Mixon Oklahoma 6'1 226 hit a woman after she hit him twice...not going to bury the young man after losing his temper and doing something stupid at the age of 18. as a rb has the weight to be an feature back, solid pass a pass receiver and in pass pro runs through arm tackles


Alvin Kamara Tennesee 5'10 215 Alabama transfer from JC junior 3rd down back/pr very athletic


Wayne Gallman,Clemson 6'0 215 quick feet, good vision/eyes solid rb just lacks elite power solid not great feature back prospect


Elijah Hood North Carolina 5'11 220 Alla academic class kid powerful runner, loves contact lacks breakaway speed. Great #2 back


Curtis Samuel Ohio St 5'11 200 similar to McCaffrey but not as talented. 3rd down back, very fast

I'm curious about your assessment of foreman. I think he has incredible speed for 250. Watch his highlights, he continually pulls away from DB's tens of pounds lighter than him.

IMO, Foreman needs an outstanding line to have any success in the NFL. He has good feet for his size and his long speed is actually really good. He just lacks natural vision and he isn't the bruiser you would think for a guy thats almost 250. Now, when he gets going he is tough to bring down, but he doesn't look to finish runs violently and he gets stuffed before he gets going too often. I see him run into the backs of his OL far too often, just lacks creativity as a runner. He will need a "runway" to get going in the NFL. So if he lands in the right spot he could be successful, but I don't think he is a fit with us other than that size aspect.

 

[Largent80]

I think anyway you slice it, the Hawks are going to end up with a pretty decent RB in this draft. If only we could count on Rawls to be healthy, heck even Procise.

That really forces our hand to get a guy.

Great work everyone on these dudes.

 

[DJrmb]

Joe Mixon is really growing on me especially if he drops into the middle of the draft he'd be crazy good value. If not for his mistake as a Freshman he'd be probably talked about in the top 3 right up with Fournette and Cook. He seems to have learned from his mistake and kept his nose clean. Obviously they'd need to do their due diligence to make sure that's the truth (like they did with Clark), but Mixon looks to have elite level talent.

 

[Ozzy]

I've got it Cook, Mixon, Fournette as my top 3.

 

[massari]

Mixon at #90 overall would be ideal....

 

[cover-2]

IMO, Foreman needs an outstanding line to have any success in the NFL. He has good feet for his size and his long speed is actually really good. He just lacks natural vision and he isn't the bruiser you would think for a guy thats almost 250. Now, when he gets going he is tough to bring down, but he doesn't look to finish runs violently and he gets stuffed before he gets going too often. I see him run into the backs of his OL far too often, just lacks creativity as a runner. He will need a "runway" to get going in the NFL. So if he lands in the right spot he could be successful, but I don't think he is a fit with us other than that size aspect.

I have the same opinion as you, on Foreman.

 

[CamanoIslandJQ]

Re: Jamaal Williams; I found a recent piece by Matt Waldman, who IMO, is one of the better technical analyst of football talent. Here, he comps RB-Jamaal Williams with RB-Marcus Allen (from the 1980's). I see a similar running style between the two, however, Allen seemed to have more receiving highlights, even though he had much, much better QB's in a different system and at a different time. Jamaal Williams is currently regarded as a round 5/6 prospect.
--Interesting read with comparison videos. -- https://mattwaldmanrsp.com/2017/02/09/a ... -williams/

 

[Jimjones0384]

Foreman has very light feet for a big man..reminded me of Lynch(without the speed) the 1st time I watched him...rarely see bigger rb's able to pick holes

my early list

Davin Cook Florida St 5'11 205 speed/balance combo not an elite blocker or receiver undersized for a feature back but makes WOW! runs reminds me of Marshall Faulk


Leonard Fournette LSU 6'1 220 top pick in 2015 late 1st in 2016 with lingering health issues..which player are you getting? likely both...that 2015 player was special. elite power/speed and moves combo


Christian McCaffrey Stanford 6'0 202 elite vision, understanding how how to set up blocks, patience and burst...still a gadget player needing a Josh McDaniels type OC to use him as a weapon not a wr or feature back


Kareem Hunt Toledo 5'11 225 fast powerful, relentless Senior bowl rushed for 1355 in 2016 and 4,825 yards in his career
runs angry like Jay Ajayi

D'Onta Foreman Texas 6' 1/20 249 ist team Big 12, was the nation's leading rusher and totaled 2,028 yards on the ground despite playing in just 11 games. He averaged 184.4 yards per game in 2016 shades of Marshawn Lynch with his light feet and ability to find holes and power over people..just lacks great speed


Joe Mixon Oklahoma 6'1 226 hit a woman after she hit him twice...not going to bury the young man after losing his temper and doing something stupid at the age of 18. as a rb has the weight to be an feature back, solid pass a pass receiver and in pass pro runs through arm tackles


Alvin Kamara Tennesee 5'10 215 Alabama transfer from JC junior 3rd down back/pr very athletic


Wayne Gallman,Clemson 6'0 215 quick feet, good vision/eyes solid rb just lacks elite power solid not great feature back prospect


Elijah Hood North Carolina 5'11 220 Alla academic class kid powerful runner, loves contact lacks breakaway speed. Great #2 back


Curtis Samuel Ohio St 5'11 200 similar to McCaffrey but not as talented. 3rd down back, very fast

I'm curious about your assessment of foreman. I think he has incredible speed for 250. Watch his highlights, he continually pulls away from DB's tens of pounds lighter than him.

So, Foreman ran 4.45 forty at his pro day. Faster than both McCaffrey and Cook.

 

[nanomoz]

I wish the Hawks would draft Perine, but I think they'll be turned off by his performance in shorts and a t-shirt.

 

[DJrmb]

40 times are so hard to take at complete face value in pro day workouts in my opinion. Too many variables not accounted for. It's even harder to compare pro day 40's to combine 40's. That's not a fare comparison at all.