Top NFL Draft Running Back Prospects

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Mar 14, 2013

Top NFL Draft Running Back Prospects

Eddie Lacy

Lacy may be the only running back to go in the first round in this year's draft. He was a powerful, elusive runner at Alabama, gaining 1,322 yards and 17 touchdowns on the ground in 2012. Lacy also shined when the spotlight was brightest, rushing for a combined 321 yards in the SEC and BCS championship games.

Giovani Bernard

A do-it-all back, Bernard rushed for 1,228 yards, caught 47 passes for 490 yards and returned 16 punts for 263 yards in 2012. The speedy Tar Heel reached the end zone 19 times. Bernard does have lingering injury questions after tearing his ACL in 2010 and experiencing knee discomfort this past season.

Joseph Randle

A second big season convinced Randle to forego his senior year and jump to the NFL. After gaining 1,216 yards on the ground in 2011, Randle rushed for 1,417 yards last season. He's also capable of catching balls out of the backfield with 108 career receptions at Oklahoma State for 917 yards. Scouts like his ability to pass protect, too. He sometimes struggles with keeping his pad height low, which could diminish his effectiveness at the next level.

Stepfan Taylor

Taylor showed last season that even without the distraction of Andrew Luck, he could run over defenses, gaining 1,530 rushing yards and catching 41 passes for 287 yards. That ability to catch passes and his pass blocking foster Taylor's draft stock as a three-down back. He demonstrated solid quickness hitting holes at Stanford but not the top speed necessary to break away in the NFL once through the hole.

Jawan Jamison

Jamison built on his impressive freshman season in 2011 with 1,075 yards in 2012 despite suffering an ankle injury late in the season. Jamison was critical to Rutgers' offense, leading the team in yards from scrimmage by nearly 700. He's small and quick, which can be a powerful combination, though he probably won't live up to the legacy of another elite Rutgers running back: Ray Rice.

Mike Gillislee

Gillislee shot up the draft boards after a huge senior season. Buried on the depth chart for his first three years, he had 1,152 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns in 2012. Gillislee further helped his draft stock by gaining 4.6 yards per carry in the Senior Bowl. He's adept at picking up blitzes, too. The Florida senior does suffer sometimes from indecisiveness on carries and bounces to the outside a little too frequently.

Montee Ball

If it's possible to go under the radar while setting the NCAA record for touchdowns, Montee Ball may have done it. Ball lacks a particular trait in which he is truly elite but does everything reasonably well and has a strong track record of college success. He probably would have gone higher in the draft had he entered last year, coming off his Heisman finalist 2011 season.

Johnathan Franklin

Franklin demonstrated his quickness and helped his draft stock with a stellar senior season. He increased his yards per carry to 6.1 and gained 1,734 yards on the ground and 2,057 from scrimmage. He demonstrated good vision in spotting holes and has the cutting ability to hit them. His size won't allow him to drive the pile much in the NFL, and although he is quick, his speed may not be enough for him to blow past defenders.

Andre Ellington

After back-to-back 1,000 yard seasons, despite playing with the fleet-footed Tajh Boyd, Ellington is off to the NFL. He has solid speed and also has demonstrated the patience to wait for blockers to create lanes for him. Size and poor pass blocking are his major negatives.

Christine Michael

Michael runs low and hard and has decent speed for his 220-pound frame. He got the third most carries on Texas A&M this season behind Johnny Manziel and Ben Malena but averaged 4.7 yards on his 88 carries and scored 12 touchdowns. Michael has some issues with durability and never caught more than 15 passes in a season. He helped his draft stock with a solid performance at the East-West Shrine.

Kenjon Barner

He may not be fast compared to other Oregon running backs, but Barner still has impressive speed and can blow past defenders in the open field. He torched defenses in 2012, gaining 1,767 yards on the ground and 21 touchdowns. Barner can at times get too reliant on his speed, cutting outside rather than trying to gain yards between the tackles, and he lacks the strength to drag defenders.

Stefphon Jefferson

In his first year as a starter, Jefferson put together a huge season, rushing for 1,883 yards, second most in the nation, along with 24 touchdowns. He still is a big unpolished, lacking in technique as a blocker or the moves to make a defender miss. He does have a great burst, which served him well in 2012.

Spencer Ware

Ware is leaving LSU less because he has so clearly demonstrated he's ready for the NFL than because he won't get much of an opportunity to show anything more in 2013. Ware lost favor and carries in Les Miles' running-back-by-committee approach to Jeremy Hill, getting 94 carries and picking up 367 yards on the ground. He still put together a nice season catching passes out of the backfield, gaining 230 yards on 18 receptions. Ware lacks great speed but is a powerful runner who is not afraid to take on defenders.

Michael Ford

Like Spencer Ware, Ford saw decreased action in LSU's committee of backs and decided to jump to the NFL instead. He only got 71 handoffs in 2012 but made the most of them to gain 5.5 yards per carry. Ford has great speed and did manage to make an impact this past season as a returner, gaining 27.5 yards per kickoff return. He'll need to improve as a receiver in the NFL as he only caught eight balls in three seasons with the Tigers.