Running Back Needs for Bears Point to End of Draft
When Derrick Henry started powering through opponents during the playoffs last season, Bears fans lit up social media with thoughts about how nice it would be to have a running game again.
Who could blame them?
Yet, Henry was running outside zone plays and out of the deep I-formation, which the Bears don't run—at least they try not to run it.
Although Henry was set to be a free agent, he received a tag and no one pried him away from the Tennessee Titans.
There is someone not entirely unlike Henry in this draft.
AJ Dillon of Boston College is 6-foot, 250 pounds and ran a 4.53-second 40-yard dash at the combine. It was .01 seconds faster than the time Henry ran at his combine. He's not quite the height of Henry, who is 6-3, 247. He's actually almost the exact same size as Jerome Bettis. The Bus was 5-11, 252, on a day when he fasted.
"I had 7.8% body fat, so I mean, there's a lot of muscle behind it," Dillon said to reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine. "It's not bad weight."
Dillon hasn't shown the power running style of either Henry or Bettis, but has extremely quick feet for a player his size and runs with some shake for a big man. He even can get outside in the passing game.
"I'm a player who can do everything on the field," Dillon said. "I've got size, obviously that's just God-given, but I have speed. I can catch the ball, pass protect. So I bring everything to the table."
We'll skip the pun about the table and his size.
The Bears probably aren't drafting Dillon, although it wouldn't be a bad thing for the big back to be paired with another back like David Montgomery. It would save Dillon some wear and tear, and that is the real knock on his abilities. He was used so much at Boston College, NFL teams might be wary of the tread on his tires.
He went over 300 carries twice.
The Bears' needs at running back fail to meet spending the use of a second-round pick or even a fifth-round pick for the position.
They require someone who can come in and battle with Ryan Nall for the backup running back spot, preferably someone with special teams abilities.
A late-round pick or even an undrafted free agent would be ideal considering they need the earlier picks to help fill several other positions where they don't have the luxury of a player like Tarik Cohen, who can take some running back duties as long as it's outside tackle, or Cordarrelle Patterson.
An earlier look at some possible talent in the backfield turned up some possibilities.
These might be more revealing options and better ones considering the Senior Bowl and combine clarify the picture a bit.
Javon Leake
Maryland's explosive back was barely used in college. He had just 145 carries, but ran for 1,144 yards on just 145 rushes, an average of 7.9 yards a rush. Several scouting reports denote an ability to make small cuts and still make people miss. Although he's not really fast at 40 yards with 4.65 seconds for his official time, he is quick the first 10 to 20 yards and was fast enough he averaged 26.7 yards a kick return last year and had three return TDs in his career.
Joshua Kelley
UCLA's starter might be rising up the charts too quickly for the Bears to get him late now. He turned in a 4.49-second 40, seventh fastest among backs. At 5-11, 214, he also can run with power and finishes runs well. If there were any questions, he answered them at the Senior Bowl with a 105-yard game following a career in which he ran for 2,303 yards on 454 carries (5.07 yards per rush).
Patrick Taylor Jr.
Memphis' big back might be an ideal complement for Montgomery because his specialty is said to be short yardage. He is 6-3, 227 and in 2018 ran for 1,122 yards in a season when Darrell Henderson went over 1,900 yards for the Tigers. He's also an asset in the passing game, which would please Matt Nagy. He had 55 catches despite being a big, powerful player.
Darius Anderson
The Bears have shown some interest in the man known at TCU as "Jet Anderson," and visited with him at the Senior Bowl. He shows both power and is slippery as a runner, and ran for 18 touchdowns in a career in which he gained 2,418 yards. Anderson caught everyone's attention at the Senior Bowl with a 75-yard touchdown catch on a wheel route. He ran for 43 yards in that game.
DeeJay Dallas
How could you not like a guy with a name like that and how could he not end up with the Cowboys? A versatile back who split time at Miami, he gained 1,527 yards and averaged 5.8 yards in three seasons. He is 5-10, 214 and runs with good explosion and burst, but scouts noted his lack of of work in college and point out he'd have to be in a committee situation, which most backs are now anyway.
Lamical Perine
Florida's back might not last to the last few rounds, so the Bears would have to take him before then. At 5-11, 218, he displayed great explosion to break tackles well. He's considered an effective red zone and short-yardage runner and also played extensively on special teams. He gained 2,485 yards and averaged 5.0 a carry.
Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven
