RB Donnel Pumphrey, San Diego State
5-foot-8, 169 pounds; Projected round = fourth-fifth
Pumphrey became the all-time leading FBS rusher with 6,405 yards over his four-year career. That broke the record set by former Wisconsin running back Ron Dayne in 1999, although it’s a bit contested because bowl game statistics were not recognized in such records until 2002. Dayne and Pumphrey are drastically different running backs. Only one player on Pumphrey’s Senior Bowl team weighed less, and that was the kicker – by three pounds. He struggled with pass protection at the Senior Bowl and that’s always going to be a problem, but he showed he could add a different wrinkle to the Ravens’ backfield.
RB Kareem Hunt, Toledo
5-foot-10, 208 pounds; Projected round = third-fourth
Hunt is a physical, powerful runner who put up big stats. He was the all-time leading rusher at Toledo and third in MAC history with 4,945 rushing yards. He averaged an eye-popping 6.32 yards per carry, and fumbled only once in his career. Scouts knew Hunt could run, but he proved he can also be a weapon catching the ball at the Senior Bowl. It was a good week for him.
RB Jamaal Williams, BYU
6-foot-0, 211 pounds; Projected round = fifth-sixth
Williams missed a year due to personal reasons, and his love of the game was visible when he returned. Williams has an outgoing personality and showed up at the Senior Bowl sporting a stylish throwback fannie pack. Williams has a muscular build up top but still shows impressive balance and power in his legs. He inherited his acceleration from his mother, who was a standout sprinter at UCLA, and Williams also ran for the BYU track team.
RB De’Veon Smith, Michigan
5-foot-10, 220 pounds; Projected round = sixth
Smith has had a long, winding path and is still fighting to find his way. After being used as mostly a special teams player early in his career, he finally broke into a four-back rotation at Michigan this year. Smith ran for a team-high 846 yards and 10 touchdowns as he emerged from the pack. He was the biggest running back at the Senior Bowl and flashed some of his power in drills. He’s a hard-nosed back who earned the respect of Michigan Head Coach Jim Harbaugh.
RB Corey Clement, Wisconsin
5-foot-10, 221 pounds; Projected round = fourth-fifth
Clement is built in the mold of previous Wisconsin standout, and Los Angeles Chargers first-round pick, Melvin Gordon. Clement doesn’t have quite the same twitchiness, but like Gordon, Clement sees the field well and follows his blocks. After three years in obscurity, Clement broke out when he got his chance as a senior, running for 1,375 yards and 15 touchdowns.
