Draft Spotlight: Running Back

Who Are the Potential Feature Backs?

“Donald Brown (Connecticut), what can you say about that guy? LeSean McCoy (Pittsburgh), holy cow! You talk about great backs, I mean, they are great backs,” West Virginia head coach Bill Stewart said of the two Big East backs in a College Football Insiders radio interview. Joining the UConn and Pitt products as potential feature backs are Beanie Wells (Ohio St.) and Knowshon Moreno (Georgia), who are pretty much the consensus top two.

Before we get to Beanie the Buckeye, the NFL Draft Bible’s top two backs are a pair of Jersey Boys in Moreno and Brown. Moreno was a star for the Dawgs the past two seasons running the football, and no one in college football played with as much fire or energy. He has excellent vision and knows how to make people miss. Moreno lacks prototypical size and speed, but is such an instinctive runner. In addition, he had the second best 3-Cone time at the NFL Scouting Combine, displaying his ability to change directions and accelerate. Similarly, Brown may not possess eye-popping measurables, but the kid can play, as evidenced by his 2,000 yards in 2008 for the Huskies. Brown is a strong runner, who sees the field well with the necessary patience to allow holes to develop.

Wells is bigger and faster, but has question marks regarding his durability and desire. Does he have a passion the game? Is he willing to play hurt? Very few NFL running backs are 100 percent by the time crunch time rolls around. He has the most upside of any back and comes with great potential value, but is not as safe a pick as Moreno or Brown—Beanie could boom or bust.

Finally, we come to McCoy, who not everyone views as potential feature back. Don’t count former teammate linebacker Scott McKillop among the doubters.

“He helped me become a better linebacker this year,” McKillop said of McCoy. “I thought I was pretty fortunate to go out and practice against one of the top running backs in college football. I think he helped me become a better tackler this year than I was last. He’s a great kid, I’m pulling for him.”

McCoy, a red-shirt sophomore like Moreno, had only two years of college experience; he lacks ideal size and did not get the opportunity to strut his stuff at the Combine due to an injury. Nevertheless, one cannot ignore what he can do on the field. McCoy has good vision, great balance and even better elusiveness—he’ll make ya miss.

Who Are the Next Tier of Runners?

More than any other back at the Combine, Andre Brown (North Carolina St.) displayed his potential with 4.4-speed and an NFL frame at over 220 pounds.

“His potential is unlimited,” his former head coach Tom O’Brien said in a CFI interview. “We’ve only been here two years and actually he missed the last six games of our first year with an injury. He’s certainly made tremendous strides this year. He can play whether it’s first, second or third down—he can be that back. He has size and he has speed to take that pounding at the next level. So I think he would be a great addition to someone’s team.”

What will likely keep Brown from becoming a feature back is his lack of durability. Brown has struggled to stay on the field, which limited his production as a collegian. He possesses good vision, patience and can be a factor in the passing game.

Glenn Coffee also must overcome durability concerns. He doesn’t have standout skills, but is tough, physical runner who always seems to find a way to fall forward and pick up an extra yard or two. He possesses the ability to cut, change direction and not lose speed.

Who is the Best Between the Tackles?

Shonn Greene (Iowa) doesn’t offer much in terms of breakaway speed, elusiveness or explosiveness, but he is a downhill runner who maximizes the available yards in traffic—he pushes the pile. One has to love his consistency as well; no other back ran for 100 yards in each and every game this past season.

Another north-south runner is Gartrell Johnson (Colorado St.), who had a dominant bowl game and was very impressive at the East-West Shrine game. Originally viewed by some as fullback, it appears Johnson has solidified himself as a runner. However, he may very well be the slowest running back in this class and doesn’t have the type of elusiveness to make defenders miss in the open field, but he does possess very quick feet.

The best big back may very well be small school product Rashad Jennings (Liberty) who packs a punch at 231 pounds. In both the All-Star game process and the Combine Jennings proved he belonged among the Bowl Subdivision backs. He has good vision and can change directions very well for a big back. He surprised quite a few observers with his 3-Cone time of 6.86 (fourth at the Combine).

Are There Any Home Run Threats?

With only four backs running sub-4.5s at the Combine, there are not as many breakaway threats as NFL scouts would like. One reason for the poor Combine numbers was that the NFL did not see fit to invite little man Devin Moore (Wyoming) to Indianapolis. Moore shined at his own private workout in his hometown and teams looking for a breakaway threat should not underestimate this Wyoming product. He is elusive, possesses long speed, and is stronger than you might think.

Mike Goodson (Texas A&M) wasn’t as productive as expected when he arrived at College Station, but he could end being the big play back the Aggies expected at the NFL level. He is explosive, has good balance in the open field and the long speed to hit the home run.

Two backs that surprised a few people at the Combine with their straight-line speed were Cedric Peerman (Virginia) and Kory Sheets (Purdue). Peerman ran a 4.5 in Indianapolis and he possesses good vision, but isn’t necessarily at his best in the open field. Sheets ran a 4.47 and excels outside the tackles, with the wiggle to make people miss. The former Boilermaker is also quite willing to get physical with defensive backs and when he wins those confrontations, he is more than able to break free for a big run.

“I think he could help a team in a lot of ways,” says Purdue head coach Danny Hope. “He’s a good kick return man, he has legitimate speed, and good size, not great. But I’m not surprised he ran as fast as he did. I think he ran somewhere in the mid, low 4.4’s. He was an excellent sprinter in high school. He was a track man in high school and had documented track times. He was fortunate this season to get the bulk of the work at the running back spot. We had an injury to one of our top running backs, Jason Taylor. We relied a lot on Kory Sheets and he rose to the occasion and really did a great job. He rushed for over 1,200 yards and was a good receiver out of the backfield, but I think the fact that he played in the spread offense and knows how to catch the football will separate him from some other guys at his position. If he can prove himself to be a physical player, I think he can do very well in National Football League. He is very talented and I think he has the desire to do well.”

Rounding out this group is Marcus Thigpen (Indiana), who may or may not get drafted, but leaves little doubt in terms of his pure speed. The man with sub-4.4 speed also has the potential to be a special return man.

Who Are the Best of the Rest?

There are still some talented backs remaining, led by the 5’9 duo of Jeremiah Johnson (Oregon) and Jevon Ringer (Michigan St.). What hurts this pair is that in addition to lacking ideal size, neither brings top end speed to the table. Ringer is very quick though, with the ability to change direction. He has good vision, is very tough, and better between the tackles than one might assume. Johnson is a little more explosive and more elusive in the open field, a very dangerous runner once he can get outside the tackles. The former Duck also seems to be able to break off long runs, he’s rarely caught from behind.

We also can’t forget Ian Johnson (Boise St.), Bernard Scott (Abilene-Christian), Arian Foster (Tennessee), James Davis (Clemson) and Aaron Brown (TCU). Johnson really proved the doubters wrong with his speed, quickness and strength at the Combine. He improved his draft stock by a round or two. Scott will get drafted beneath his talent level because of character question marks, but the kid can play ball.

The two senior sinkers since the start of the season are Davis and Foster. The former Vol has superb hands, prototypical size, and he is very smooth runner. However, he has serious questions when it comes to his ability to stay on the field. Davis has enough size and speed to play at the next level, but has tight hips, durability issues and he was not much of factor in the Tigers’ passing attack when it came to blocking or receiving.

Brown never put up big numbers as a Horned Frog and also had trouble staying healthy, but he has very good vision and burst, with the hands and ability to run after the catch. He could certainly be a solid third-down back.

Who Are the Potential PFA Gems?

A pair of backs who are not physically imposing or going to make you double check your stop-watch, but possess the quick feet and ability to change direction are Tyrell Sutton (Northwestern) and Kahlil Bell (UCLA). Brad Lester (Auburn) did not receive an invitation to the Combine because he barely contributed as a senior and struggled his entire career at Auburn to stay on the field. If healthy, Lester could be a real find.

Which Fullbacks Could Get Draft?

Tony Fiammetta (Syracuse) is the odds-on favorite to be the first fullback off the board. He has good size and speed, is an above average blocker and can catch the ball out of the backfield. Other fullbacks who could hear their name called are Quinn Johnson (LSU), Brannan Southerland (Georgia), Conredge Collins (Pittsburgh) and Jason Cook (Mississippi St.). Cook has prototypical size, Johnson is an excellent lead blocker, injury issues hurt Southerland, while Collins is athletic, but undersized.

Who Are the Stars of Tomorrow?

The top senior back for 2009 will be C.J. Spiller (Clemson), who possesses breakaway speed and is a true weapon coming out of the backfield. Even though Davis is gone, Spiller figures to share some carries. LeGarrette Blount (Oregon) and Charles Scott (LSU) are bruising backs that tip the scales at over 230 pounds. Stafon Johnson (USC) is an intriguing talent, but has never had the opportunity to get consistent carries as a Trojan.

Junior Jonathan Dwyer (Georgia Tech) is a powerful runner, with Jahvid Best (California) and Noel Devine (West Virginia) true game-breakers for the Class of 2011. The players with the most potential remain DeMarco Murray (Oklahoma) and Joe McKnight (USC), with the red-shirt junior out of Norman the more proven talent. Also out of the Big XII, Kendall Hunter (Oklahoma St.) is a sleeper who has been very productive.

Photo Credit: College Press Box (Michigan St., Pittsburgh, NC State), SEC Sports Media, University of Wyoming Photo Service

On The Clock: Philadelphia Eagles

Record: 9-6-1, 2nd In the NFC East
General Manager: Tom Heckert, Head Coach: Andy Reid (11th Year), Offensive Coordinator: Marty Mornhinweg (6th Year/7th With The Eagles), Defensive Coordinator: Jim Johnson (11th Year)

Offense Rankings: No. 9 Overall, No. 6 Scoring, No. 6 Passing, No. 22 Rushing
Defense Rankings: No. 3 Overall, No. 4 Scoring, No. 3 Passing, No. 4 Rushing

Last Five Years: 46-33-1; Last Playoff Appearance: 2008; Last Playoff Victory: 2008 (23-11 Over the New York Giants)

2008 Draft: (2-47) DT Trevor Laws, (2-49) WR DeSean Jackson, (3-80) LB Bryan Smith, (4-109) OT Mike McGlynn, (4-117) S Quintin Demps, (4-131) CB Jack Ikegwuonu, (6-184) OT Mike Green, (6-200) LB Joe Mays, (6-203) LB Any Studebaker, (7-230) King Dunlap

Top Picks Last Five Years:
2008 – (2-47) DT Trevor Laws, Notre Dame
2007 – (2-36) QB Kevin Kolb, Houston
2006 – (1-14) DT Brodrick Bunkley, Florida St.
2005 – (1-31) DT Mike Patterson, USC
2004 – (1-16) OG Shawn Andrews, Arkansas

Booms: OG Shawn Andrew (1 Round 2004), DT Mike Patterson (1st Round 2005), S Sean Considine (4th Round 2005), OT Todd Herremans (4th Round 2005), DE Trent Cole (5th Round 2005), DT Brodrick Bunkley (1st Round 2006), LB Chris Gocong (3rd Round 2006), LB Stewart Bradley (3rd Round 2007), TE Brent Celek (5th Round 2007), WR DeSean Jackson (2nd Round 2008), S Quintin Demps (4th Round 2008)

Busts: S Matt Ware (3rd Round 2004), WR Reggie Brown (2nd Round 2005), LB Matt McCoy (2nd Round 2005), RB Ryan Moats (3rd Round 2005), OT Winston Justice (2nd Round 2006), WR Jeremy Bloom (5th Round 2006), RB Tony Hunt (3rd Round 2007)

Additions:
WR Danny Amendola (Free Agent)
OT Stacy Andrews (Free Agent)
DB Rashad Baker (Free Agent)
RB Eldra Buckley (Free Agent)
DE Amon Gordon (Waivers)
SS Sean Jones (Free Agent)
FB Leonard Weaver (Free Agent)

Subtractions:
Correll Buckhalter (FA-Denver)
SS Sean Considine (FA-Jacksonville)
FS Brian Dawkins (FA-Denver)
TE L.J. Smith (FA-Baltimore)
OT Tra Thomas (FA-Jacksonville)
WR Terrell Owens (Released)
SS Roy Williams (Released)

Keepers:
OG Nick Cole
LB Torrance Daniels
DB Joselio Hanson

2009 Picks:
Round 1, Selection 21
Round 1, Selection 28 (From Carolina)
Round 2, Selection 21
Round 3, Selection 21
Round 4, Selection 21
Round 4, Selection 17
Round 5, Selection 5 (From Cleveland)
Round 5, Selection 17 (From New York/AFC)
Round 5, Selection 21
Round 5, Selection 23 (From New England)
Round 6, Selection 21
Round 6, Selection 22 (From Minnesota)
Round 7, Selection 21

Team Needs – Players of Interest (Day One):
1. Offensive Tackle: Andrew Smith, Alabama; Eben Britton, Arizona; William Beatty, UConn; Jamon Meredith, South Carolina
2. Running Back: Donald Brown, UConn; LeSean McCoy, Pittsburgh; Glenn Coffee, Alabama; Andre Brown, NC State; Shonn Greene, Iowa; Rashad Jennings, Liberty
3. Tight End: Brandon Pettigrew, Oklahoma St.; Jared Cook, South Carolina; Shawn Nelson, Southern Miss; Cornelius Ingram, Florida; James Casey, Rice; Travis Beckum, Wisconsin; Chase Coffman, Missouri
4. Safety: Louis Delmas, Western Michigan
5. Outside Linebacker: Brian Cushing, USC; Clay Matthews Jr.; Clint Sintim, Virginia; Marcus Freeman, Ohio St.

Photo Credit: College Press Box (North Carolina St.), Collegiate Images

Q&A: Tom O'Brien, HC, NC State

North Carolina State headman Tom O'Brien, who is entering his third season as the head coach of the Wolfpack, joined College Football Insiders Founder Daniel Mogollon in this Coaches Corner on CFI Radio.

With us today is headman Tom O'Brien of the North Carolina St. Wolfpack. How are you today?

O'Brien: I'm doing great Daniel. How are you?

I'm doing great. Spring is upon us and teams are starting to hit the field and put the pads on. But before we get to the college season, let's talk a little draft and some of the guys leaving the program. Lets start with running back Andre Brown, a player who has really impressed while going through this draft process with his size and speed combination. What’s his potential at the next level? Could he be a full time back?

O’Brien: I think he certainly could. His potential is unlimited. We’ve only been here two years and actually he missed the last six games of our first year with an injury. He’s certainly made tremendous strides this year. He can play whether it’s first, second or third down—he can be that back. He has size and he has speed to take that pounding at the next level. So I think he would be a great addition to someone’s team.

Let me ask you—why he hasn’t been able to breakout at the college level? Last season he had a career-high with 766 yards while a lot of the other backs that are compared to him had about 1,500 yards. Is it a matter of durability?

O’Brien: Like I said last year, he only played six games and then he came into a new system. One thing about our backs is we rotate backs. We had two kids, him and Jamelle Eugene. Both of them split time and if you look at the number of plays he played and take into account the yards and production he had it will probably be as good as in the country.

Fair enough, coach. How about tight end Anthony Hill who has dealt with injuries. He was out your entire first season as a head coach—how healthy was he this past season?

O’Brien: Well, he got hurt the first game of the year.

Right.

O’Brien: Then missed the next four or five, but once he came back he steadily made a lot progress. He got much better as the year went on for us. Certainly I think he carried that forward when he had the opportunity to go down and play in the Senior Bowl. I think for both kids the future is ahead of them and they're going to be good players, and good players for a long time.

How about a pair of your former players from Boston College. When you recruited defensive tackles B.J. Raji and Ron Brace did you envision them both being day one picks, possibly first rounders, with Raji possibly going as high as the top five?

O’Brien: I don’t think you envision them like that signing them out of high school. But certainly when he (Raji) got to campus and we saw the ability he had, we knew that if he worked extremely hard and did his due-diligence and got himself in shape and ready to play, that certainly he had the potential to do it. So it’s very gratifying for us to see. You know he spent four or five years at BC because he had to sit out a year. He worked extremely hard to get to that position. Ron Brace was a big kid and same thing coming out high school. He always had the quickness and is very light on his feet for a guy that came in at around 378 pounds. So he’s cut his weight down to get where he is and also worked extremely hard. Those are two pretty good prospects at the defensive tackle position.

I’m sure you will happy you won’t have to face them in the ACC? Is that right?

O’Brien: You're not kidding. (Laughs)

Another duo that I think you will be pretty happy not to face is that pair out of Wake Forest, Aaron Curry and Alfonso Smith. Were they as good as any two defenders that you faced?

O’Brien: They certainly were this year, and Alfonso caused us a lot of problems, even when I was with Boston College. He has a tremendous knack for reading plays and anticipating where the ball's going to be. Curry certainly got better. He’s a guy that got better by leaps and bounds each year. He’s played his way into certainly being a first day guy and he’s a great player also.

How about some of the wide receivers you've faced? You played against a lot of the top guys. Kenny McKinley, Taurus Johnson, Greg Carr, (Darius) Heyward-Bey, Hakeem Nicks and (Brooks) Foster at North Carolina, and then in the Bowl game Kenny Britt and Tiquan Underwood. Who is the toughest receiver you faced?

O’Brien: I think Heyward-Bey. We were very lucky to get him on a rainy day. He and Kenny Britt against us probably going into the game because they are big guys and I mean, they are big receivers and they can run. And they can out muscle you to the ball, let alone out run you and run by you. I think those are the two kids that stood out the most for me.

It’s kind of funny, coach, to me that supposedly the ACC was down this past season. It seems like there was a decent amount of talent coming out of the ACC wasn't there?

O’Brien: I think there was. I think as the year went on, you get that label from the first week of the year. But I think that people should wait until the end of the year to see how things shake out. I think we proved ourselves as the year went on.

Coach O’Brien has a record of 86-59 which included a impressive eight-game winning streak in bowl games while at Boston College. Coach, last year's team made a bowl game after you went 5-7 (in 2007). I think a lot of time the assumption is, “OK, they are going in the right direction”. But you just don’t show up on the field and get better. What do you do in the spring, right now, to make sure that you continue that progression come fall?

O’Brien: Well, I think we are getting better and certainly we improved as the year went on. Getting that bowl was a big thing in our second season and having a opportunity to go to a bowl. We have had our best strength and conditioning in the three years that we have been here. Kids have made big strides, not only numbers wise but certainly in playing explosive football. Those are things that we measure, and we start spring practice today so we have to get better football players. We lost some really good players, which we talked about, like Andre Brown and Anthony Hill, but now it’s time for some of these young guys recruited the last couple of years to step up and this is there time to grab a job and be players for us as we go forward.

I don't want to bring up bad memories, but how disappointing was that Bowl loss to Rutgers? It appeared that if your quarterback Russell Wilson didn't go down, you guys were in control of that game...

O’Brien: Well, injuries are part of the game. Certainly we had more than our fair share last year, but you know we'll have less than our fair share this coming season. It certainly wasn’t the ending we wanted, but losing our quarterback in the first half with a minute to in the game, we had the football with a chance to score a touchdown and win the game. So it’s the best we could of hoped for.

Lets shift to the 2009 Wolfpack…has quarterback Russell Wilson been cleared for spring duties yet?

O’Brien: Well he’ll be cleared this weekend cause we're in helmets. But he hasn’t been cleared for any full contact. Twelve weeks from the injury will be next Monday (Mar. 23) and I think the doctors are going to look at him through the two practices this weekend and if he feels comfortable, then we’ll get him back for full status on Monday.

Wilson is a two-sport standout and will also be getting on the baseball diamond. How much of spring practice will he miss?

O’Brien: Yeah, he’s going to miss some practices. He’s going to miss one day a week. He’s going to practice football twice a week then he’s going to miss one of our three practices a week to go play baseball.

Is there any concern from a coach's perspective? Some coaches don’t like their players to play another sport…

O’Brien: No. That was the agreement between Russell and the school before he came in. Last year he did football first, then played baseball. We're working in a little bit more baseball this year and we will address the issue each and every year to see what’s best and certainly with his injury, we're going to take care of him this spring and we're going to make sure we don’t do anything to get him hurt. In baseball, they promised him he’s going to start but if he’s going to sit on the bench then he can come back and practice some more football. But if he’s out there starting like they promised, then he will be the starting center fielder or third baseman. But if he can help out baseball team, I am not adverse to that.

Will you go and check out any baseball games this spring?

O’Brien: Yeah, I go to all sports on campus when I get the opportunity...mens, womens...I support everybody here at State.

Does any of his baseball training translate to his football game? Any benefits to his playing baseball?

O’Brien: I don’t know if it translates to football. But certainly his future may be in baseball someday so with that in mind we have to do what’s best for Russell and our football program. So we have our agreement worked out and I’m sure we will sit down and discuss his status next season.

How about Mike Glennon? He was a highly touted kid coming in.

O’Brien: Well I love competition, not only at the quarterback spot, but at any position. So, as I told the team yesterday, we don’t do a depth chart until we get ready to play South Carolina. We will have a organizational chart and if you're listed two or three on the chart, then your job everyday is to tell the guy ahead of you that you're going to take his job away from him. I expect Michael to compete for the quarterback job and he’s very talented individual. It will be a very interesting spring and fall camp.

So we won’t use the C word, “controversy”, but we can use the C word, “competition”, at the quarterback position this off season.

O’Brien: Absolutely. That way we have better quarterbacks this fall.

Makes sense to me for sure. Sometimes it can be a touchy situation—guys like that didn’t come to Raleigh to hold a clipboard. Are you worried about keeping them both happy, or do you say, “It’s my job to win games”?

O’Brien: Their job is prove to me who the starter is.

OK.

O’Brien: They make the decision for me and if they're not the quarterback they have no one to blame but themselves. That's the way I look at it and we'll go from there.

Your losing Andre Brown, Jamelle Eugene isn't healthy, while Tony Baker looks like he's 100 percent. Is this the time for him to show you what he can do?

O’Brien: Well, I think it’s a big spring for Tony Baker. He got hurt the first game two years ago, my first year here, and hasn’t played since. Certainly it’s been a long rehab, it’s been a severe injury. And had surgery (again) in September (of 2008) when he tried to come back and play. He hasn’t been in pads since August of 2007. So this is a big spring for him. If he’s back to 100 percent, which he has been, and has done the strength and conditioning area of it since we’ve come back to school on January 8th till now, then he'll be a contributor. But If he can get back to form—because he was our starter in the first game when we came here two years ago—so this is a big spring for him and out football team. So if he can get back to form he'll get slotted with Jamelle Eugene and if those guys can do the rotation, that would be great for us. Brandon Barnes, a red-shirt freshman, is a very talented individual and he’ll get more work this spring. James Washington signed with us and came in early, he's a kid out of Florida who has really impressed everyone with his athleticism and has his numbers—doing all the runs and jumps and lifts. Then we have Curtis Underwood who's been around the program for two years backing up and (has) played. It's a lot of work for those four kids and we'll shuffle the deck and once again—your C word competition comes out and we'll see who's best.

Thanks for giving us some time on this busy morning with spring about to begin and I know you also are going to be the grand marshal of the St. Patrick's Day parade (delayed because of rain).

O'Brien: I will do that tomorrow...double-duty tomorrow.

Photo Credit: Brian Utesch, Gene Galin & Peyton Williams (NC State)