Carlos Hyde: Tale of the Tape

[kmbryant09]

This is the fourth installment in a series of posts that breaks down some of the top prospects in this year’s draft. I know someone is already breaking down some QB's, so I'll steer clear or those guys, focusing primarily on WR's & RB's (maybe a few TE's).

Note - As you probably know, I am by no means a scout. I'm just an avid dynasty player that enjoys watching film (not just YouTube highlights) and writing about my thoughts. Agree, disagree, or even ignore at your own choosing! On to the tape...

What I liked about Carlos Hyde:
+His size. Unlike the other RB’s that I've studied on tape thus far (Sankey & Seastrunk), Hyde has the prototypical size that teams look for in a franchise RB. While some think Hyde is 6’1 245 lbs, I think he’s more like 5’11 235 lbs – which is still ideal. It also doesn't hurt that he’s built like a tank.
+Despite his big (ish) frame, Hyde runs with agility and elusiveness. His combination of size + athletic ability is what has scouts talking about him as the top RB prospect in this class, and I tend to agree.
+He gets up to speed very quickly, and it shows up in 2 ways. First, his burst through the hole is tremendous. Holes open + close very quickly in the NFL, and I think Hyde has the ability to create big gains between the tackles because of how fast he is to and through the hole. Second, Hyde’s acceleration shows up on the rare occasion that he bounces a run to the outside. Brandon Jacobs always got himself in trouble by not running North-South, because he wasn't capable of getting to the edge with the speed of NFL defenses. Hyde, in my eyes, has enough speed to run inside and outside at the next level.
+He’s a capable pass catcher. He’s not a guy that will line up as a WR and run routes, but he showed very well in the screen game and on dump-offs. He looks like a natural pass catcher, and I really like how his first movement was always downfield.
+Before I watched Hyde on tape, I worried that his perceived height (fairly tall for a RB) and big frame would prevent him from dropping his pads enough. Well, I was pleasantly surprised. He’s always falling forward and seems to always dish out the hit as opposed to being on the wrong end of the collision. This often results in 4 or 5 yard gains turning into 7 or 8 yard gains.
+Because of that size and physical style, he really wears down a defense. The bowl game against Clemson was a perfect example: In the 1st half, Hyde had 14 carries 43 yards (3.1 ypc) / In the 2nd half, Hyde had 11 carries for 70 yards (6.4 ypc) to go along with 2 catches for 39 yards and 2 total TD’s.
+You probably guessed it by now, but Hyde is a very effective short-yardage runner, but it goes beyond being physical. He seems to really know when he’s close to the first-down marker or the endzone. He pushes for the extra yard, falls forward with almost every carry, and knows when to extend the ball to cross the goal-line.
+He’s very decisive. I think Hyde is a very instinctive runner that doesn't waste a lot of time dancing behind the line. On a few occasions, the edge defender collapsed inside at the exact time that Hyde was receiving the handoff. Every time, Hyde recognized the defender, and Hyde’s FIRST step/cut is to the outside - most of these carries resulted in big gains and a few 30+ yard TD runs.
+He’s very efficient in small spaces, which isn't usually expected from a big RB like Hyde. His vision and wiggle ability remind me of (spoiler alert!) Frank Gore – he’s very slippery to bring down even when crowded between defenders.

What I didn't like about Carlos Hyde:
-He got absolutely blown up in pass protection one time. He also completely blew an assignment on a blitz. Other than those 2 plays, he was pretty good in pass protection, but I figured it was worth pointing out. He was actually used as a lead blocker a lot on QB draws – and he was pretty effective, so I don’t imagine he’ll have trouble pass protecting at the next level.
-Hyde isn't an elite athlete. I would classify him as an explosive athlete for someone of his size (I expect his size/speed score will be very good), but he certainly doesn't have 4.3 wheels. If you are looking for a flashy, big-play type of RB, Hyde probably isn't your guy.
-Age. I've seen mixed reports (does anyone have a reliable place to find the age/D.o.B. of college players?), but either way Hyde will enter the NFL as an old rookie. According to Wikipedia, he’ll either turn 23 or 24 very early in his rookie season. It’s not a huge red flag, but at a position in which 28 is considered old, it’s certainly something to consider.
-He has pretty good straight line speed and agility, but it takes him a few extra steps to go from running full speed (or 75% speed) to break down his footwork to use his lateral agility. It’s probably the difference between a couple 8-12 yard gains and a 25+ yard gain that an RB like Seastrunk or Carey can break off.
-Because of this, I don’t think he’ll have a ton of success creating his own plays from nothing in the NFL. I think he’ll be a very, very good “get what’s blocked” type of RB (plus some). He’ll grind out a bunch of 4-8 yard gains over the course of a game and even break the occasional long run. But he’s not the special talent like Charles/McCoy/Peterson that can take any touch to the house.

NFL Draft Projection: Late 1st – Mid 2nd

Dynasty League Draft Projection: Top 5 Pick, 1st RB taken

NFL Comparison: As I mentioned earlier, he remind me of a bigger Frank Gore. Hyde is probably 2 inches taller and a few pounds heavier, but they are both power backs with surprising quickness and speed for a player their size. Both backs exhibit very good vision, burst through the hole, and a creativeness that most RB’s don’t have to work efficiently in small spaces. Hyde has enough athletic ability (speed + agility) to make people miss, but he’s most valuable as a 20-carry running back that can churn out yards and keep the chains moving. His second comparison would be to Marshawn Lynch, but he's a very unique runner. If you're still struggling for comparisons, picture a more fluid/athletic Le'Veon Bell.

NFL/Fantasy Career: If I was drafting my Rookie Draft solely off of 2014 production, I'd likely take Hyde 1st overall. I think he's the complete package as a RB, and should be the top RB on most team's draft boards. There are only 3 CLEAR teams without any semblance of a starting RB on their roster (Cleveland, Tennessee, Jacksonville). I could see Hyde being taken as early as Cleveland's #26 pick, but no later than the middle of the 2nd round. He projects as an instant starter who can handle being a 3-down RB - much like L. Bell has done in Pittsburgh. Hyde can run between the tackles, break the occasional big run, catch the ball, and pick up the blitz, so getting on the field shouldn't be a problem. While I was extremely high on Bishop Sankey, I actually have to temper those lofty expectations a bit because I think Hyde will get drafted ahead of him as the premier RB in this class. But I find these 2 RB's similar to the 2011 RB's - whereas I compared Sankey to Doug Martin, I think Hyde can be what we all hoped Trent Richardson was supposed to be. Obviously he won't be a top5 pick in the NFL draft, but that won't stop him from becoming a top7 dynasty RB with an impressive rookie season. For what it's worth, watching the tape on Hyde completely changed my opinion of him. For whatever reason, I figured Hyde was a typical big RB with slow feet and not a ton of athletic ability - but a back that churns out yards and falls forward a lot. The tape really impressed me - he's got quick feet, and while he does run with power, he shows plenty of finesse and agility.

[kmbryant09]

Talk about timing - I just saw Hyde's official measurements at the combine:

5-foot-11 7/8 and 230 pounds

[Vendetta]

Great job as usual! I'm intrigued by Hyde but not sure if I'd be able to take him top 5 in any of my drafts - would much rather get Watkins, Evans, Lee, Robinson or Matthews. A lot will depend on where he goes in the draft though.

[schiewerma21]

Great article/job.

I too like Hyde a lot and he is being very undervalued at this time.

I think by the time the nfl draft is over he will be a Unaminious top 5 selection as rbs tend to
Move up at that point.

I also agree he is a top 2 rb in the class. (My first is Kadeem Carey though not sankey)


I would only take the big 3 Wrs at this point over Hyde. And that is Watkins, Evans and lee.

[DJB]

Great writeup and have to agree on Hyde, by far my most favorite RB in the draft. The kid can not only grind out yards with ground and pound, but he can be elusive as well.

If he puts up a solid 40 time, his stock is going to soar.

[Risky bidness]

I dont watch much college football, but did he score a touchdown against any ranked opponents this year? From what I saw he did not. Seems like that's not good.

[Vendetta]

I dont watch much college football, but did he score a touchdown against any ranked opponents this year? From what I saw he did not. Seems like that's not good.

He scored two in the Orange Bowl.

[Matticus]

I dont watch much college football, but did he score a touchdown against any ranked opponents this year? From what I saw he did not. Seems like that's not good.

Scored 3 TDs vs #16 Northwestern and 2 TDs vs #12 Clemson. Did not score against Wisconsin or Mich St. Those were the only ranked teams they played.

Also, I don't think it's that big of a deal. He played with Braxton in a read option offense.

[cgcthem]

Hi and thanks for these Tale of the Tape features! Anymore coming?Look forward to more!

DRDOOM

[DJB]

With all the RB's seemingly all over the board with most analysts, It does seem like Hyde is the only one that seems to be consistantly in that top 2 or 3.