The Big Board
| Ranking | Name | College | Height | Weight | Core Skills and Athleticism | Higher Level Skills | Passing Game Contribution | Biggest Concern | Summary | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Damien Harris | Alabama | 5'11 | 216 | Excellent vision and balance with good agility and decent burst and deep speed. | Keeps his legs driving through contact to add extra yards and balance allows him to bounce off tacklers with some ability to make defenders miss in space. | Wasn't really asked to pass protect but is a solid receiver. | Can he develop into more than just a decent receiver? | Excels at finding the open running lane and consistently adds extra yards after contact. | High 2nd Round |
| 2 | Josh Jacobs | Alabama | 5'10 | 216 | Decent vision and balance with ok burst and deep speed. | Very good at breaking tackles when able to line-up defenders with the ability to keep legs working through contact to add extra yards, plus some ability to make defenders miss in space. | Good route runner with natural hands plus is a solid pass protector. | Is his quickness going to be restrictive at the next level? | Running back for the modern NFL with the ability to be a significant contributor in both passing and rushing games. | Mid 2nd Round |
| 3 | James Williams | Washington State | 5'11 | 195 | Good balance, burst and agility with decent deep speed, but vision hard to judge in simplistic rushing scheme. | Makes defenders miss in space and can bounce off tackles at times but isn't going to add consistent yardage after contact. | Good receivers with flashes of high level route running but blocking is poor. | Does he have the size and power to be a threat running the ball inside the tackles. | Flashes a lot of valuable skills but value will depend a lot on scheme. | High 3rd Round |
| 4 | Bryce Love | Stanford | 5'10 | 191 | Good vision, burst and deep speed with decent balance. | Can make the man miss with regularity but doesn't add much yardage after contact. | Decent receiver but doesn't add much as a pass protector. | Can he develop as a route runner? | Rushing game is very reminiscent of CMC, but lacks the receiving skills at present to be seen as a franchise back. | High 3rd Round |
| 5 | Benny Snell | Kentucky | 5'11 | 222 | Good vision and balance with decent burst but deep speed isn't great. | Keeps feet moving well through contact and balance allows him to break tackles with decent ability to make defenders miss in space. | Decent receiver but blocking isn't great. | Can he offer enough in the run game to be more than a check-down option? | Does a lot of things well, but nothing exceptionally. | Mid 3rd Round |
| 6 | Ryquell Armstead | Temple | 5'11 | 205 | Decent vision and balance with good burst and deep speed. | Can make the man miss in space and balance allows him to bounce off some tackler but rarely adds yardage after initial contact. | Decent blocker and receiver with flashes of higher level receiving traits. | Can he develop the route running skills to go with his athleticism in space? | Not the most powerful ball-carrier but is dangerous in space. | Late 3rd Round |
| 7 | Elijah Holyfield | Georgia | 5'11 | 215 | Good vision with decent balance and burst though deep speed isn't great. | Keeps legs churning to add yards after contact but doesn't make many tacklers miss in space. | Decent receiver and solid pass protector. | Can he consistently add yardage beyond what is blocked for him? | Consistently finds the right rushing lane but needs to be able to make tacklers miss more often. | High 4th Round |
| 8 | Wes Hills | Stony Rock | 6'2 | 218 | Good vision and balance with decent burst and good deep speed but long strides do limit his agility at times. | Breaks tackles with some consistency and can make the man miss in space. | Wasn't asked to do much as a receiver and blocking isn't great. | Can he stay on the field on passing downs? | Good downhill runner who is best suited to power run scheme, but needs to show more as a receiver. | High 4th Round |
| 9 | Rodney Anderson | Oklahoma | 6'1 | 220 | Decent vision with good balance and deep speed but burst isn't anything special. | Keeps feet going through contact but doesn't break many tackles or make defenders miss with any frequency. | Decent receiver but wasn't asked to pass protect very often. | Will his burst and lack of distinct power limit him behind mediocre blocking? | Has the ability to be an effective downhill rusher behind a good line, but burst creates issues when rushing out of the shotgun. | Mid 4th Round |
| 10 | Mike Weber | Ohio State | 5'10 | 214 | Decent all-around athlete in terms of vision, balance, burst and deep speed. | Keeps legs churning through contact but doesn't add many yards in terms of tackles avoided. | Decent receiver and pretty good pass protector. | Does he offer enough additional yardage to be more than just decent? | Doesn't do many things wrong but upside is limited. | Mid 4th Round |
| 11 | Jalin Moore | Appalachian State | 5'11 | 205 | Decent balance and deep speed with good burst but vision was only ok. | Ability to make tacklers miss in space but when hit tends to go down. | Decent receiver but pass protection in need of development. | Does he have the vision needed to function in a more pro-style running game? | Exciting ball carrier and made the most of bad blocking but needs to work through traffic better. | Mid 4th Round |
| 12 | David Montgomery | Iowa State | 5'11 | 216 | Decent burst, balance and deep speed but vision is a concern. | Ability to make defenders miss in space and balance allows him to bounce but didn't consistently add yardage after contact. | Decent receiver but wasn't really asked to contribute in pass protection. | Is his vision good enough to prevent frustrating missed opportunities? | Makes the special plays but not the most reliable ball carrier. | Late 4th Round |
| 13 | Bruce Anderson | North Dakota State | 6'1 | 226 | Good burst with decent balance, vision and deep speed but agility is a little concerning. | Keeps legs churning through contact and does break some tackles but doesn't really make defenders miss in space. | Good receiver but blocking isn't great. | Is he still going to be able to charge downhill and bounce off tacklers at the NFL level? | Small school downhill rusher with receiving upside but probably not a good fit for a zone scheme. | High 5th Round |
| 14 | Myles Gaskin | Washington | 5'10 | 191 | Good vision, decent burst and deep speed with solid balance. | Can make the man miss but doesn't add yardage after contact. | Decent receiver but doesn't add value as a blocker. | Does he add enough as a receiver to be more than a scat back? | Undersized running back with value in space but hard to see him being more than a rotation piece, albeit a good one. | High 5th Round |
| 15 | Jacques Patrick | Florida State | 6'2 | 231 | Decent vision with good balance and ok burst though deep speed isn't good. | Balance allows him to break tackles and keeps feet going through contact but doesn't make many defenders miss. | Good pass protector but wasn't really asked to contribute as a receiver. | Can he actually catch the ball or is he a non-receiver at the NFL level? | Good ball carrier but doesn't generate many big plays and receiving is a concern. | Mid 5th Round |
| 16 | Devin Singletary | Florida Atlantic | 5'9 | 200 | Decent burst with good balance and at least ok deep speed but vision isn't great. | Balance allows him to bounce off tacklers and can make the man miss in space but doesn't add yardage through contact. | Decent receiver but doesn't add value as a blocker. | Does he do anything well enough to add value as a specialist? | Exciting to watch but it's not clear how he gets snaps in the NFL. | Mid 5th Round |
| 17 | Justice Hill | Oklahoma State | 5'10 | 190 | Decent all around athlete in terms of vision, burst, balance and deep speed but hesitancy behind the line is a concern as game will only get faster. | Can make a man miss and keeps legs going well but doesn't break many tackles. | Decent receiver but doesn't add value as a blocker. | Can he offer enough value as a receiver to earn him a rotational role? | Does some nice things but lacks specialist value as of right now. | Late 5th Round |
| 18 | Darrell Henderson | Memphis | 5'9 | 200 | Good vision and deep speed but takes some time to get up to speed and balance isn't anything special. | Some ability to make defenders miss but doesn't add many yards after contact. | Decent receiver but wasn't asked to do much as a blocker. | Can he generate consistent yardage without relying on long runs? | Home run hitter with good long speed and vision but has a lot of ordinary carries. | Late 5th Round |
| 19 | LJ Scott | Michigan State | 6'0 | 225 | Decent vision but burst and deep speed aren't great and balance isn't anything special. | Some ability to make the man miss and keeps legs going through contact but doesn't break many tackles. | Decent receivers but doesn't add value as a blocker. | Is his athleticism going to limit him at the next level? | Solid ball carrier but lack of high-level traits likely limit him to depth. | High 6th Round |
| 20 | Darwin Thompson | Utah State | 5'8 | 200 | Decent all-around athlete in terms of vision, balance burst and deep speed. | Doesn't make many defenders miss and struggles to add yards after contact. | Good receiver but blocking isn't a plus trait. | Is he a good enough receiver to be a plus scat back? | Decent athlete with potential to be a good receiver but doesn't add enough as a ball carrier to get by on that alone. | High 6th Round |
| 21 | Ty Johnson | Maryland | 5'10 | 213 | Good balance but deep speed and burst aren't great and vision hard to judge due to scheme. | Doesn't make many defenders miss but bounces off tackler with regularity and keeps legs churning through contact. | Good receiver but blocking is nothing special. | Is his quickness going to make it hard to gain consistent yardage? | Does some nice things but NFL game speed is likely to be an issue. | High 6th Round |
| 22 | Jordan Scarlett | Florida | 5'10 | 206 | Vision is a concern and burst, balance and deep speed are nothing special. | Doesn't really make tacklers miss but breaks some tackles and keeps his legs going through contact. | Some ability as a receiver but does nothing as a blocker. | Can he find a role as a short yardage guy? | Not built like a thumper but hard to see him getting carries as anything else. | Mid 6th Round |
| 23 | Dexter Williams | Notre Dame | 5'11 | 215 | Good deep speed and burst, balance and vision are all decent. | Doesn't make defenders miss and doesn't add yardage after initial contact. | Wasn't asked to do much in the passing game. | Can he stay on the field on passing downs? | Good athlete but everything else is a concern. | Mid 6th Round |
| 24 | Trayveon Williams | Texas A&M | 5'9 | 200 | Decent vision and burst with good deep speed but balance is only ok. | Doesn't really make many defenders miss and doesn't add value after contact. | Some ability as a receiver but blocking isn't great. | Can he develop as a receiver to the point of being a scat back? | Good athlete with scat back potential but needs development. | Late 6th Round |
| 25 | Darrin Hall | Pittsburgh | 5'11 | 220 | Decent vision and burst with good deep speed and ok balance. | Doesn't really make many defenders miss and struggles to add yards after contact. | Doesn't do much as either a receiver or a pass protector. | Can he see the field on passing downs? | Good athlete but struggles to add yardage and lacks ability on passing downs. | High 7th Round |
| 26 | Miles Sanders | Penn State | 5'11 | 215 | Vision and balance aren't anything special but burst and deep speed are good. | Doesn't really make defenders miss or add yardage after contact. | Blocking and receiving are both ok but nothing special. | Does he actually add value as a ball carrier? | Good athlete but it's hard to see how he'll add value. | Mid 7th Round |
| 27 | Karan Higdon | Michigan | 5'9 | 190 | Good burst and deep speed but vision and balance aren't great. | Some ability to make defenders miss but doesn't add many yards after contact. | Doesn't add value as either a receiver or a blocker. | Can he see the field on passing downs? | Makes some big plays but probably a depth piece at the NFL level. | Late 7th Round |
| 28 | Qadree Ollison | Pittsburgh | 6'2 | 230 | Decent burst but deep speed is only ok and vision and balance aren't great. | Doesn't really make defenders miss or add yards after contact. | Good blocker but wasn't asked to do much as a receiver. | Can he find a role as a FB? | Depth piece at best with some potential to move to FB. | Undrafted |
| 29 | Alex Barnes | Kansas State | 6'1 | 227 | Decent vision but struggles for balance, burst and deep speed. | Keeps feet going through contact but doesn't actually break or avoid many tackles. | Some ability as a receiver but doesn't do much as a blocker. | Is there a way he gets on the field as a specialist? | Depth piece. | Undrafted |
| 30 | Travon McMillan | Colorado | 6'0 | 200 | Decent vision but doesn't add value in terms of balance, burst or deep speed. | Doesn't really make defenders miss and doesn't add yardage after contact. | Some ability as a blocker but doesn't add value as a receiver. | Can he find a role as a specialist? | Depth piece. | Undrafted |
| 31 | Travis Homer | Miami | 5'11 | 195 | Limited athlete in terms of vision, balance, burst and deep speed. | Doesn't really make defenders miss or add yardage after contact. | Decent receiver and blocker. | Does he do enough to be a third down specialist? | Depth piece. | Undrafted |
For me, there is a big gap between the top two players and the rest, with both Harris and Jacobs showing the potential to be high level starters at the NFL level, albeit in very different ways. Harris is probably the better ballcarrier, with excellent vision, balance and agility allowing him to consistently hit the hole with speed – that balance, agility and power allow him to add further yardage. He’s not an elite receiving prospect, but he catches the ball well and can do more than just catch screens.
On the flip side, Jacobs isn’t as consistent a ball carrier but is able to break big plays with a reasonable frequency, but where his real value lies is as a receiver. He is one of the most well-developed route runners in the 2019 class and while his timed speed isn’t going to stand out, he is probably the only player in this class with a chance of being a 1,000-1,000 player at any point.
Beyond that, there is something of split between styles of players. The likes of James Williams, Ryquell Armstead and Jalin Moore all offer the potential to be elite receiving options out of the backfield with enough of a running game to be in the contention for a day two picks, while the likes of Bryce Love, Benny Snell and Elijah Holyfield offer solid rushing options even if they need some development as a receivers to been seen as more than checkdown options in that regard. For the Panthers, this represents something of a divergence of options for a backup to CMC, as they could either look to find a complementary interior rusher or a more like-for-like comparison.
Behind that, there are some intriguing small school prospects in Wes Hills and Bruce Anderson, who both flash some nice skills but neither of whom are without question marks. The four players who are likely graded lower here than other mocks you might have seen are Rodney Anderson, David Montgomery, Devin Singletary and Darrell Henderson; all of whom do some nice things but none of whom are without their flaws.
Montgomery and Singletary make a number of impressive plays in space and do some nice things as receivers, but their vision is somewhat suspect – this makes it hard to predict how they will fare in an NFL running scheme where they are asked to read interior rushing lanes. By contrast, Henderson and Anderson actually have pretty good vision, and their abilities to break off long runs are impressive, but when you take away those big plays, it’s hard to be enthusiastic about their tape. There is definite upside with each of them, but none appear to be hugely well-rounded players.
The Panthers are not without other needs in the draft, and it is hard to know how early they would be happy targeting a running back, but there is a lot of talent in this class to like, especially when you start to get into the back end of the second day and beyond. Unless they are able to get one of the top two prospects on this list, they are likely going to be looking for more of a specialist than a complete player – but given that they already have an elite running back in McCaffrey, that is probably more suited to their needs than last year’s top-heavy class.
Fan of zone coverage, knee bend and running backs running routes. Twitter: @vrichardson444
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