NFL Comparisons for Top Running Back Prospects

Josh Jacobs, Alabama – Sony Michel

Zierlein’s Scouting Report: Prototypical combination of size and skill-set as an every-down runner with the ability to slash or impose his will on any given snap. Jacobs runs with good bend, vision and burst, and he proved to be an effective pass-catcher out of the backfield or from the slot. He will probe and burst, but he could become more elusive with better tempo as a runner. Jacobs is a decisive runner with outstanding one-cut talent to become a bellcow lead back.

David Montgomery, Iowa State – Kareem Hunt

Zierlein’s Scouting Report: One of the safest runners in this draft with a desirable combination of size, vision, toughness and creativity. He runs with impressive calm and instincts in the midst of interior mayhem, weaving and battering his way through traffic. Smart teams will recognize his ability to create yardage for himself with his eyes, footwork, contact balance and power. Should alleviate concerns about his lack of explosiveness. Montgomery has a pro-ready game and Day 2 (Rounds 2-3) value as a good NFL starter.

Miles Sanders, Penn State – T.J. Yeldon

Zierlein’s Scouting Report: Well-built glider with the instincts, footwork and agility to shake tacklers but the frame and pad level to finish with some authority. He can clearly create yardage for himself, but he has average acceleration and might need to expedite his downhill process as a pro. Sanders is more skilled than explosive, but he has the size and talent to develop into a future starter with every-down potential.

Damien Harris, Alabama – Cedric Benson

Zierlein’s Scouting Report: Disciplined and rugged with a very strong sense of who he is as a running back. He operates with a good feel for blocking schemes and finds the designed yards while adding extra with his power and some elusiveness. He lacks game-breaking juice as a runner and will need to keep his weight down or he'll end up in the "grinder" category of runners. Harris is more likely to be good than great as a pro, but his size, every-down game and ball security give him a chance to have fruitful career as a solid starter.

Darrell Henderson, Memphis – Tevin Coleman

Zierlein’s Scouting Report: He checks in slightly undersized, doesn't have great vision and runs with a narrow base that makes him easier to tackle, but so far, those concerns haven't slowed him one bit. Big-play production is impossible to ignore, but his running style makes him best-suited to a complementary slasher role in a spread-based attack. In basketball, Henderson would be the explosive sixth man with the ability to swing certain games in your favor if he catches fire. On the ground or out of the backfield, Henderson can catch fire.

Rodney Anderson, Oklahoma – Stevan Ridley

Zierlein’s Scouting Report: Volume runner plagued by a history of injuries that could make teams wary of him until after completion of his combine medicals. Anderson has good size and instincts as an interior runner, but he lacks the juice to be a dynamic runner and might be forced to earn his living as a downhill hammer with the ability to leak out on swing passes. His lack of elusiveness and history of season-ending injuries could force him to earn his stripes early on from the lower rung of a running back depth chart.

Ryquell Armstead, Temple – Alex Collins

Zierlein’s Scouting Report: Face-first runner who doesn't appear to care that brakes come standard with the vehicle. Armstead's feet fire like pistons from the beginning of the snap all the way through his physical finishes. While he's not classically elusive, he does find his own yards by slithering through tight quarters or stacking yards after contact. His size, decisiveness and effort in pass protection should land him work as a backup, but his play traits could help him find more carries than expected as a pro.

Trayveon Williams, Texas A&M – Elijah McGuire

Zierlein’s Scouting Report: Productive runner who added weight and stepped into an every-down role and became one of the big SEC surprises in his first season in Jimbo Fisher's offense. Williams isn't overly dynamic by NFL standards, but he's a calm runner who stacks moves and eludes defenders to post his fair share of chunk runs. He's tough but undersized and might get pigeon-holed as a committee back with above-average third-down value thanks to his tenacity as a pass-blocker.

Devin Singletary, Florida Atlantic – Charlie Garner

Zierlein’s Scouting Report: Undersized, three-down back with rare improvisational skill and toughness through contact to squeeze every yard he can from each carry. Singletary was asked to catch it less in 2018, but he's a tough cover out of the backfield and has the dog in him to step up and deliver a lick in blitz pickup. He ran poorly and did not test well in short-area quickness events at the combine, which could hurt his draft standing, but might not deter him from NFL success as a complementary runner.

Bryce Love, Stanford – Dion Lewis

Zierlein’s Scouting Report: Frenetic runner with explosive engine that was grounded in 2018 due to lingering injury and substandard run-blocking. Love lacks the desired size of a volume runner, but his sudden burst and top-end speed offer home-run potential that is unlikely to be ignored by teams looking to add a big-play option into their offense. Love could find his calling in a time-share situation, but his ceiling as a pro might rest on his ability to run with decisiveness and threaten as a pass-catcher.

Justice Hill, Oklahoma State – Phillip Lindsay

Zierlein’s Scouting Report: Hill is an undersized but excitable runner with a go-go tempo that can work for and against him on any given series. He runs tough along the interior and has the vision and agility to slip tackles, but his lack of size and explosive top-end play speed could work against him. Hill might not have the skills needed to handle third-down duties, so he could be pigeon-holed as a try-hard backup with average upside.