RUNNING BACKS


TAILBACKS

1 William Green Boston College
 Green has good size (6-1, 215), speed (4.48-40), and can run between the tackles or outside them. He has the moves to avoid tacklers and can run them over if he needs to. He can catch the ball out of the backfield as well. All of that makes him the top running back in the draft. He will be an early 1st round selection.
1708 yards, 16 td, 5.7 avg
2 TJ Duckett Michigan State
 Duckett is a big (6-1, 250) bruising back in the mold of Jerome Bettis. He has good speed for his size (4.55-40) and if he stays healthy, he should be a solid back in the NFL. Duckett could vault ahead of Green and be the first running back take in the draft. Cleveland has its eye on Duckett in the middle of the first round.
1420 yards, 12 td, 5.4 avg
3 Clinton Portis Miami (Florida)
 Portis is an explosive back who often makes defenders look silly. He has great change of direction speed and knows how to win. Portis follows two very good recent Miami backs into the NFL (Edgerrin James & James Jackson).
1304 yards, 11 td, 5.4 avg
4 DeShaun Foster UCLA
 Foster has decent speed, good size, and is a great receiver out of the backfield. Fumbling has been an issue, but his talent is just too much to pass up. Foster will be hurt by Green, Portis, Duckett, and Staley's decisions to enter the draft a year early.
1099 yards, 12 td, 5.1 avg
5 Luke Staley Brigham Young
 Staley dominated the competition this season and racked up a ton of yards in a pass first offense. Staley is one of four juniors who will come out early and make this draft loaded with top halfbacks.
1582 yards, 24 td, 8.1 avg
6 Adrian Peterson Georgia Southern
 Peterson is a fundamentally sound runner. Though he competed at the IAA level in college, he has the ability to be a solid running back in the NFL.
1795 yards, 21 td, 5.6 avg
7 Jonathan Wells Ohio State
 Wells is solid between the tackles, but lacks the speed to turn a corner and run away from tacklers.
1294 yards, 16 td, 5.2 avg
8 Brian Westbrook Villanova
 Westbrook has good speed (4.47-40), and can catch the ball out of the backfield, but a major knee injury and the competition he faced in college are two question marks, on an otherwise good player. Might only turn out to become a third down specialist in the NFL.
1603 yards, 22 td, 6.4 avg
9 Lamar Gordon North Dakota State
 He is fast (4.46-40) and has good size (6-1, 220), and has break away speed, but the lack of competition will hurt his draft status. Had he played IA, he could have potentially been a second round pick.
780 yards, 10 td, 6.0 avg
10 Travis Stephens Tennessee
 At only 5-8, Stephens size is a big question mark. His ability to elud tacklers and his heart are not. He will have to prove he can stay healthy at the next level.
1502 yards, 11 td, 4.9 avg
11 Damien Anderson Northwestern
 Anderson has good speed (4.45-40) and is a finesse runner. He is elusive, but when he is hit, he goes down fast. He won't get many yards after contact.
757 yards, 8 td, 4.4 avg
12 Ladell Betts Iowa
 He is a consistent back, but he isn't very fast (4.7-40). He won't run away from the pack, but won't make many mistakes when he has the ball.
1060 yards, 10 td, 4.8 avg
13 Chester Taylor Toledo
 Taylor was a very good running back in college, but he doesn't have much speed, which makes him a mediocre prospect.
1620 yards, 21 td, 5.4 avg
14 Maurice Morris Oregon
 Morris has decent skills, but slows greatly as a game wears on, bringing durability into question.
1049 yards, 9 td, 5.8 avg
15 Levron Williams Indiana
 Williams is a converted wide receiver, so his receiving skills are solid out of the backfield, but he will need time to develop his rushing skills.
1401 yards, 17 td, 6.6 avg
16 Ennis Haywood Iowa State
 He is strong, but doesn't have NFL caliber speed.
1294 yards, 14 td, 4.7 avg
17 Ken Simonton Oregon State
 Simonton is small at only 5-8, but was productive in college. He need to add strength if he wants to play on Sundays next year.
971 yards, 8 td, 4.1 avg
18 Woodrow Dantzler Clemson
 Dantzler will make the switch from quarterback to running back. He is such a great athlete that the transition shouldn't take that long. He will play running back in the Senior Bowl, and a strong performance will greatly help his draft status. He might be a project his first couple of years, but with his athleticism, he is too good not to get a chance in the NFL.
1061 yards, 10 td, 4.8 avg
19 Eric McCoo Pennsylvania State
 Can break away from would be tacklers, but struggled his senior season along with the rest of his team.
265 yards, 6 td, 3.2 avg
20 Ricky Williams Texas Tech
 Another Ricky Williams from Texas, this one lost a step due to a serious knee injury in 1999. He hasn't been the same since. He dominated his sophomore year, but hasn't shown he can overcome the knee injury. He might be just because he has produced at an extraordinary level in the past (1582 yards in 1999).
756 yards, 14 td, 5.0 avg
21 Antwoine Womack Virginia
 Womack was a great runner, but a knee injury leaves a question as to whether he can produce at the next level. Like Williams, he might be worth a look to see if he can return to his old form.
263 yards, 0 td, 4.2 avg
22 Dave Minnich Washington State
  Minnich has average size, average speed, and average skills. He won't impress anyone, but he won't make too many mistakes either.
764 yards, 6 td, 4.4 avg
23 Tony Fisher Notre Dame
 Fisher has good hands, which could land him a role as a third down back somehwere. His running won't impress anyone. He is best running between the tackles.
384 yards, 4 td, 4.9 avg
24 Ray Jackson Cincinnati
 Jackson can run inside, but not outside. He like many others lacks the speed to take his game to the next level.
601 yards, 7 td, 4.0 avg
25 Jonathan Adams Arkansas State
 Adams can run guys over, but doesn't have the speed to run away from them.
1004 yards, 5 td, 4. avg
26 Omar Easy Pennsylvania State
 He could be a halfback or fullback. Has limited skills at both positions, but with some coaching could be adequate at one or the other. He is a long term project.
196 yards, 1 td, 4.4 avg




FULLBACKS

1 Najeh Davenport Miami (Florida)
 Davenport is the best fullback in the draft hands down. He can run the ball well, and he has great hands. He will be a serious threat out of the backfield. He needs to improve his blocking some, but his offensive skills are above and beyond anyone else's at the position in the draft.
244 total yards, 5 td
2 Jamar Martin Ohio State
 Martin is a true blocking fullback. His offensive skills are limited, but he is a great blocking back.
187 total yards, 1 td
3 Charles Stackhouse Mississippi
 Stackhouse is in the same mold as Martin; limited offensive skills, great blocker. As far as offense, he can carry the ball once in a while as a change of pace.
502 total yards, 7 td
4 Jarrod Baxter New Mexico
 Baxter is a solid runner who uses his size well (6-1, 250). He is not much of a threat as a receiver.
979 total yards, 11 td
5 Jarret Ferguson Virginia Tech
 Ferguson is very small (5-8, 220), but has good hands and could become a third down option in the NFL.
412 total yards, 8 td
6 Josh Rue Duquesne
 Rue has good skills, but lack of competition and previous injuries are a concern.
1051 total yards, 9 td
7 Chad Kuhns Wisconsin
 Kuhns is a solid blocker, but has very limited offensive skills.
31 total yards, 0 td
8 Kyle Johnson Syracuse
 Johnson has decent hands and is a decent blocker, but has had serious leg injuries in the past, which will cost him on draft day.
285 total yards, 4 td
9 Gregg Kellet Marshall
 Kellet lacks offensive skills, but is a decent blocking back who could be a situational player.
351 total yards, 3 td
10 Tom Lopienski Notre Dame
 Lopienksi is a good lead blocker, but has limited offensive skills like many others in this draft. He also isn't much of a pass blocker.
80 total yards, 0 td



Running Back Notes
With William Green, TJ Duckett, Clinton Portis and Luke Staley leaving a year early this has become a draft loaded with very good running backs. All four of those players, along with DeShaun Foster have the potential to start at running back their rookie seasons. Expect all five to go by the end of the third round. There are also a few Division IAA and Division II players (Adrian Peterson, Brian Westbrook, and Lamar Gordon) who have great skills, but will have to prove they can compete and make an impact at the highest level.

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