More 2020 Hype: "If You Need A RB or WR, this is the draft for you."

[stoneghost28]

Interesting to hear Mosher talk about the RB class and reveal that he thinks CEH will be at least as high as the fourth RB off the board, getting comps from NFL people to Brian Westbrook. As someone who has an over-abundance of 1.05's and 1.06's and wanted to get RB help before Etienne and Hubbard went back to school. Hearing that Akers may be getting "committee back" tag from people is also alarming, and bizarre to me. I do not understand that. Will be super fascinating to see how the ranking evolves based upon the combine, and then the draft itself, a huge one-two punch that does tend to resort positional rankings a bit if unusual things happen and/or there is no consensus on who should go where (reminds me a little of '17, where there was a generally, Davis and Fournette jousting for 1.01, but also a huge amount of supporters split amongst how McCaffrey, Mixon, and Cook should be ranked in that grouping (while Hunt, Juju and Kamara sat behind that big five, as the potential biggest values of all considering where they were going).

Kinda feels like the top 7 or 8 this year is very similar, there will be a massive resort in a few years when we realize which WR's really were best in show, and which RB's were best in class. I don't think we really have a clue. We have preferences, but come 2022, I suspect there will be lots and lots of surprises over how it would be reranked.

[kmbryant09]

I really think the top5 RB's are all talented enough to excel in a lead-role in the NFL, potentially as early as their Rookie seasons. They each offer unique playing styles with unique strengths and a few minor weaknesses. But I would feel confident in drafting any of those top5 guys that land in above-average situations with an early 1st.

Running Backs - Taylor / Dobbins / Swift / CEH / Akers
Landing Spots - Atlanta, Tampa Bay, Houston, Kansas City, Miami, San Francisco are all phenomenal landing spots.

2nd Tier Landing Spots (that require some patience or face some level of competition) - Seattle, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, New York Jets, Buffalo

I'm just hoping those 5 backs end up in any combination of the above landing spots. Things would get really messy in the mid-1st if those guys get drafted to places like Cincinnati, Jacksonville, Green Bay, etc. and the RB desperate teams end up with tier 3 guys like Moss, Eno, etc.

[Packerland]

For what it's worth this mock has Swift going to the Titans with them not keeping Henry, and Dobbins to the Chiefs.

Sign me up for this scenario!

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/new ... ning-back/

[bjd5211]

For what it's worth this mock has Swift going to the Titans with them not keeping Henry, and Dobbins to the Chiefs.

Sign me up for this scenario!

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/new ... ning-back/

Personally I would prefer Taylor to Tennessee in a scenario where they let Henry walk. Taylor can step right in to a similar role and carry that load like he's been doing in Wisconsin.

[Packerland]

For what it's worth this mock has Swift going to the Titans with them not keeping Henry, and Dobbins to the Chiefs.

Sign me up for this scenario!

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/new ... ning-back/

Personally I would prefer Taylor to Tennessee in a scenario where they let Henry walk. Taylor can step right in to a similar role and carry that load like he's been doing in Wisconsin.

For what it's worth this mock has Swift going to the Titans with them not keeping Henry, and Dobbins to the Chiefs.

Sign me up for this scenario!

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/new ... ning-back/

Personally I would prefer Taylor to Tennessee in a scenario where they let Henry walk. Taylor can step right in to a similar role and carry that load like he's been doing in Wisconsin.

Yea, I would be ok with any of the top RB's going to the Titans or Chiefs (Dobbins, Swift, Taylor). Taylor is my top overall RB FWIW.

[Zacsby]

Hearing that Akers may be getting "committee back" tag from people is also alarming, and bizarre to me. I do not understand that.

I'm not surprised, they did the same thing with Drake. Similar prospects, although I like Akers build and contact balance a bit more. Now we've seen what Drake can do with a lead role. Kinda sad years of his prime were wasted as a "committee back", in Miami no less. Oh well, hopefully it will provide a nice buy low window or something. Lol

[lanemitchell96]

Well between Dobbins and Swift, Dobbins looks like he’s going to destroy the combine and Swift at the least should run between 4.45-sub 4.5 depending on how much he weighs in. Checks for me. Can’t find anything on Taylor tho so interested. For me if he runs a 4.5 and provides 50th percentile in everything else I’m still taking 1.01. Super interested to see how CEH tests because his draft stock is hinging on a solid combine

Akers another top SPARQ performer. I hope Juedy and Lamb perform well and are drafted high so he falls to me at 6!

JT is a former track star and I've seen rumors of his 40 being in the 4.3's. He should safely run in the 4.4's at least.

[Packerland]

Well between Dobbins and Swift, Dobbins looks like he’s going to destroy the combine and Swift at the least should run between 4.45-sub 4.5 depending on how much he weighs in. Checks for me. Can’t find anything on Taylor tho so interested. For me if he runs a 4.5 and provides 50th percentile in everything else I’m still taking 1.01. Super interested to see how CEH tests because his draft stock is hinging on a solid combine

Akers another top SPARQ performer. I hope Juedy and Lamb perform well and are drafted high so he falls to me at 6!

JT is a former track star and I've seen rumors of his 40 being in the 4.3's. He should safely run in the 4.4's at least.

He should test very well:

"He can run a 4.3 40 all day long."

At 219 pounds, Taylor squats 605 pounds. He can broad-jump 10'9", which would have put him one inch behind the top running back performances at the NFL combine this past spring. His vertical leap of 38 inches would've landed him fourth at the position. And he can do a power clean of 350 pounds.

"We have a couple of offensive and defensive linemen that are around 355, 365, but Taylor is in the top five on the team," Kolodziej adds. "It's freakish."

[cantguardjake]

I still don’t get the Akers love. He runs stiff and doesn’t sink his hips at all. IMO he doesn’t look like he really has a feel for the position, people calling him a top 3 sleeper is as strange as Moss for me.

CEH is an infinitely better running back. Only question mark I have is his pass protection which I haven’t seen much of, but he’s the whole package. I think he’ll be drafted well before Akers.

[Lord_Varys]

I think Akers has the physical tools to be the top back in this class. He just is missing the intangibles since he is a high-school Wildcat QB converted to rb

Agreed.

What does this mean? Intangibles? Matt Waldman's RSP made a comment that Akers feet aren't quite up to speed with his eyes yet, which could limit him in zone scheme running. Is this an example, perhaps of vision and processing?

[nathanq42]

I think Akers has the physical tools to be the top back in this class. He just is missing the intangibles since he is a high-school Wildcat QB converted to rb

Agreed.

What does this mean? Intangibles? Matt Waldman's RSP made a comment that Akers feet aren't quite up to speed with his eyes yet, which could limit him in zone scheme running. Is this an example, perhaps of vision and processing?

Yeah, vision and the other nuances of skill required to play the position he isn't quite there. But he is a physical specimen, at least to my eyes.

[Lord_Varys]

I still don’t get the Akers love. He runs stiff and doesn’t sink his hips at all. IMO he doesn’t look like he really has a feel for the position, people calling him a top 3 sleeper is as strange as Moss for me.

CEH is an infinitely better running back. Only question mark I have is his pass protection which I haven’t seen much of, but he’s the whole package. I think he’ll be drafted well before Akers.

Akers can cut and explode very well. He might be a little late to process the right read at times I think, but he moves very well. And he's a great receiver.

CEH "infinitely better"? He's half the athlete.

[AussieMate]

I still don’t get the Akers love. He runs stiff and doesn’t sink his hips at all. IMO he doesn’t look like he really has a feel for the position, people calling him a top 3 sleeper is as strange as Moss for me.

CEH is an infinitely better running back. Only question mark I have is his pass protection which I haven’t seen much of, but he’s the whole package. I think he’ll be drafted well before Akers.

Akers can cut and explode very well. He might be a little late to process the right read at times I think, but he moves very well. And he's a great receiver.

CEH "infinitely better"? He's half the athlete.

I don't quite get this take, CEH looks like he has a better feel for the game, Akers can be the greatest athlete ever but if his vision is suspect than he'll do bugger all in the league.
Also it's going to be great when Dobbins and Taylor out perform the "Athletic Freak" Akers at the combine.

[alewilliam789]

Ooh if that’s the case that makes Taylor 1.01 a very nice and easy choice for me. Boys I’m starting to fall off the Swift bandwagon. Good player, but I think he’s smaller than I thought he was and takes a lot of big hits. Great receiver, above average vision, but nothing close to Taylor. My top backs are like this:

Tier 1:
Jonathan Taylor
J.K. Dobbins

Tier 2:
D’Andre Swift

Tier 3:
Akers
CEH

Tier 4:
Eno Benjamin
A bunch of nobodies

[Hottoddies]

Agreed.

What does this mean? Intangibles? Matt Waldman's RSP made a comment that Akers feet aren't quite up to speed with his eyes yet, which could limit him in zone scheme running. Is this an example, perhaps of vision and processing?

Yeah, vision and the other nuances of skill required to play the position he isn't quite there. But he is a physical specimen, at least to my eyes.

To be fair, his offensive line was pitiful. It's hard to judge vision when there was absolutely nothing to see. But his offensive line did provide ample opportunity to judge his pass protection which he totally failed.