Rookie Runners

a little bit closer. Last week we did quarterbacks. We encourage people to go back and listen to that one if you missed it. As we break down players at a at a position leading up to the draft, and then a couple of three weeks from now, we'll we'll be talking about the first round as a record on Fridays. That'll be fun. Would you call this a shallow running back class? Yeah, I don't know. We're gonna talk about ten guys who I think all have a chance to make an impact. I mean all ten of these I

think have pro level abilities to some degree. My temph know the tenth guy, I've got guy number ten. Yeah, yeah, that's crazy about him. But I think I think the other nine I could could have an impact in the right situations, taking a lot of hate overall, Yeah, I think that. I think there's you know why, it's because there isn't a There isn't a a or in Ezekiel Elliott at the top of the first round to make

people who um. But there's still some really good running backs in this class, and we're gonna break them down. I want to start with this though. The I think there's still four ideal landing spots where any of these rookies could just walk in and become a workhorse back Miami. You know, not like Miles Gaskin, but I think I think if you know, the right guy falls there, you know,

I think he gets pushed to the background. I'm holding my breath as a guy who's rostering Miles gascon in hopes of leading me to the second year in a row in our Empire League. So you can dig down the whole pot. So I've survived free agency, right breath, don't draft a running back Miami. But yes, that's a great spot, like said the Jets, Well, Michael per Ryan is not is not going to be a starter. I

don't believe somebody could walk in and take that job. Pittsburgh, you know, Benny Snell is the only guy basically, and Anthony McFarland roster, and unless they really show something different than they had last year, that's a that's a spot. And then you know, Atlanta did sign Mike Davis, but I just think Mike Davis ideally is not the lead back. Probably not. So those are the four that I feel like somebody could just walk in and be a workhorse.

Then there's a bunch of spots where somebody could walk in and be like a change of pace back, a regularly used number two back. Cincinnati they cut Giovanni Bernard, so I think that somebody could walk into that spot. Jacksonville needs somebody behind James Robinson. Denver signed Mike Boone, but they need somebody behind Melvin Gordon. I think Mike Boon can be a number two back. Kansas City, I think Darryl Williams is totally ordinary, so I think that's

a candidate. Uh. The Giants cut Wayne Gallman, so they need to they need somebody behind. Yeah, Philadelphia behind Miles Sanders. I don't think Boston Scott is big enough to carry that even as like a change of paceload bringing back Jordan Howard. You hear about that though, whatever Carolina behind Christian McCaffrey, uh, in part because Mike Davis gone. And then you know, Arizona has really just got Chase Edmonds

right now, so some needs to walk into that. And then San Francisco with they're always rotate, it always rotation of backs, and they always need somebody healthy. And I think they they've got to be frustrated with all the injuries to reheem most Art and you know Wilson and all. You know, that's been a frustrating situation. So I think those are all all all teams that are in play here, all right, So let's let's start with this from a purely fantasy perspective. The guy that is going first in

rookie drafts that are being held now is Naji Harris. Yeah, tell us, tell us about him and what makes him as a prime candidate for a strong fantasy season. Yeah, most likely the first running back to go on the NFL draft night to or maybe maybe Day two for

all we know. But Nagi Harris at Alabama right now in best ball leagues, he's going around in the ninth round, mid to late ninth round, which seems like no kidding, we don't know where he's playing as it right now, of course, but great size six to two thirty, absolute bruiser. But that's not his only that's not the only ace up his sleeve, only tricking up bag. He's had a whole bag of tricks. Uh. He's not just in good hands, yeah,

great hands as a receiver. Did you hear how he told Todd McShay recently to kiss his ass, not indirectly, but he's getting interviewed and someone told him how Todd McShay, He said he improved as a receiver, kiss my ass like he's got but like mcshaven said he was. He said, he's really good and he got even better. But he's got a chip on his shoulder already, which I really like.

But um, the most rushing touchdowns in college football last year twenty six rushing touchdowns in thirteen games and not. Don't you think that's the thing that fantasy owners are really highlighting with Harris is he is a goal line back for sure, he is, but like you said, though he can catch the ball. He was third in target share among running backs in this year's draft class last year, so he's got bell cow potential written all over him.

Now when it comes to dynasty, he sort of old in March, but he's the most complete back in this class. And uh yeah, right now, if I'm doing the best ball draft or even a redraft league, I'm getting in the ninth round. I don't care if he goes to the Jets, which is probably the least ideal landing spot. But yeah, nausea, Harris going to be the first running back taken in most fantasy drafts and most likely in uh in the reality draft, depending on where lands, which

is a huge X factor for all these guys. If you go into the wrong spot and you're gonna be, you know, in a workhorse situation like a J. Dillon last week, that really would change the last year. That would change things a lot. Now, the guy I think can out potentially I'll perform. Harris from a fantasy standpoint. Is one of the two University of North Carolina runners, and the first is Javonte Williams, who set up much

more like Harris. Javonte Williams is a brutally hard running, violent attacking back who welcomes contact and leaves defenders battered for having insulted him by trying to tackle Javonte Williams. He's got remarkable balance. So you have these big contact moments where Williams lowers his shoulder, but he just powers through. I mean, he's just the balance, is unfazed by the hits that he takes and and doles out, and then he just keeps going. He's got remarkable burst in acceleration

for a full bodied runner. And he is a he is a bigger back. It's not gigantic. He's not a bowling ball um. He led all of college football in broken tackles last year per Pro Football Focus, seventy five broken tackles last year. You know he only played seven games. I mean, you know, he's breaking ten tackles a game. It's crazy, and just ideal size for a power running back. He isn't He's just he's well built and he's strong, and he's but he's not overly huge, which is I

just think perfect. And there's so much to like about Javonti Williams. Now. The only knacks on him he only performed at this level last year. And he can catch, but he's not a natural you know, ball catching back um, and I think his top end speed is just okay.

He's better with the short the short burst and acceleration. UM. When he gets into the open field, he's not necessarily just going to run away from a cornerback or a safety and still uh, Javonte Williams will get goal line carries and Brian I think ideally suited for fantasy play and if he falls into the right spot, he could

be the first overall running back taken in fantasy drafts. Yeah, talk about a discount right now in bestball, he's uh RB right now, we want a couple rounds after Nase Harris, after Melvin Gordon right now, who would you rather have right now? I know if you're a draft of Melvin Gordon or vant William Williams all day, I agree with that. Let's go to our Let's go to our next running back, Travis E. T N And for Travis, it's he was a highly publicized, well known commodity coming out of Clemson,

and boy the speed yeah remarkable. He's uh, probably not the fastest running back when it comes to Peter speed in the draft, but at four or four in the forty he's very pretty close and he most people thought he was going to turn pro last year, but he he came back for his senior season at Clemson UM where he set the it was over the course of his career. But he's the n C double as all time leader now in total games with a touchdown for skilled players. And uh, he's got pretty good size to

five ten to fifteen. He's not a he's not a house, but he's not undersized. And then like you said, great speed, um career seven point two yards per carry, an excellent receiver, pretty much the whole package. There are some concerns around his past protection, but we hear that about plenty of most even he's even seasoned vets. So uh E t N with Nagy Harris and Javonte Williams, they're kind in that top three, the top three tire and uh Javonte Williams or you really could pick any one of these

guys first overall among rookies. E ten is actually going a little earlier than Williams and right after Nagy Harris. But like we said, they're they're lumped uh right there together, and uh they can all immediately produce this here in the right spot, and they're their future outlooking dynasty is very very break e t N is just the the acceleration and the burst. It's track star level stuff, Brian. And you know you where I think where he's not as great as moving laterally, is not as strong suit.

He's more of a track star, you know, straightforward runner, north south runner. But he's gonna be good everywhere. And just he's got some special traits that suggests he's going to he's going to break a lot of big plays in the NFL. Meant to throw in most yards after contact over the last two seasons in college football. Et N was second. That's amazing, and I won't mention who was first. I'm gonna he's gonna be a bonus guy

at the very end you're not going to expect. I'm very intrigued by this guy, by the way, but anyway, we'll get to him later now. I just uh, I was just earlier talking about Javonte Williams from University of North Carolina. They have another running back who's fascinating in this is not a case where North Carolina had like the big, bruising back that Javonte Williams is. And then the scat back though they had. They had two pretty well put together, solidly built backs, Michael Carter being the

second of those. Now he's short, he's five ft eight, he's two hundred pounds um. But at five two hundred that two isn't spread across like a guy who's five ft eleven, So he's still actually pretty well built despite being on the shorter side. Michael Carter is um still a tad lightweight for the position, but he is so shifty and the amazing footwork that he's got. He's got a hip swivel that unlocks just this crazy elusiveness and he's very hard to get a clean shot on. Michael Carter.

He's got a compact running style with short strides and a remarkable jump cut that I think gets released by that compact running style. Great in traffic and when things are really hairy, he's got this great He picks his spots, he changes his direction, he makes his jump cut, and he comes out of this pack of defenders. You know, how did that even happen? Great top end speed, he will run away from other players and he catches really well. North Carolina would throw down field to Michael Carter and

I don't mean like five yards in the flat. I mean twenty five yards down field they're throwing to Michael Carter. And um, worst case, worst case to me about Michael Carter's he is a Tarikohen And I think that's a I think that's a fair NFL comparison. But his best case is that he gets a lot more running work than Cohen has ever gotten and ends up being a better And I think he's just a better pure runner

than Cohen is. Yeah, Now, Carter's only really produced at a high level one year last year, and same with Javonte Williams from U n c UM. But and he's a senior here, But I still think he's got some really special traits and I love what he could do for PPR leagues. And Michael Carter is a guy that's going really late in drafts and I think as the potential again to be a PPR stalwart. Nice Michael Carter. Let's go to the poorly named Cuba Hubbard. Now he

should have been Chubba Hubbard. How do you not name if you if you've got to the point where you've got c h U b A, how do you not go see it? You b B A and let him be Chubba Hubbard. That'd be the coolest name ever. You know why they fail because he's Canadian. They don't do it exactly right when it comes to Noman cleature up in Kanada. But Canadian born Cuba Hubbard out of Oklahoma State six ft two pounds. Now, this is the track star, literally a former track star. Ran a four three six

forty on his pro day. Uh, lightning fast. The fastest time clocked by a running back, probably by any player, I would imagine um most yards after contact of the last two seasons I just mentioned, Travis et N was second, Tuba Hubbard was third. Uh, so great player. There are some concerns with him, not only in his past protection but also his past catching abilities. He's not an elite receiver, maybe average at best, so there's some concerns, uh with

his bell cow potential there. And right now in fantasy he's going off the board around RB five and re draft in the mid fifteenth round. But I don't like to put a whole lot of stock into mock drafts for the NFL. But I've been seeing him sliding recently in favor of some other guys, so there are some concerns, like I said, with the past protection the past catching little undersized. Six ft is tall and the two ten is a little light for running it is, which is

a little concerning. But he's blazing fast and uh he he probably is not a guy who's gonna total ball eight percent of the time for a team, but he can be a factor in a one two punch and if given significant touches, he he has the potential to be a He's got breakaway he's got breakaway speed. What I worries me about Chuba Hubbard is that he runs upright like a track star, because he is a track star.

And when you're six foot and you're running upright, you're giving defenders a lot of body to hit you with and and two and I think, and he's not that physical of a guy, so I think he's going to I think he's going to absorb a lot of hits. And I don't know that. I don't know that he's a tackle breaking type of player. A comp I've heard a lot and you're you're gonna hate this, but it'll it'll be a blast. In the past is a tap dancing Nancy Chris Johnson Chris Johnson had a pretty solid career.

He did, but he was a tap dancing Nancy. He peeked and he certainly fell off a cliff pretty quick, peaking at that two thousand yard rushing season. But uh, that's one of my favorite ff W nicknames of all time is the tap dancing Nancy Chris Johnson. We'll take a break when we come back. The other five running backs you need to know fantasy relevant running back, so

you need to know heading into the draft. It's Fantasy Football Weekly, Welcome back, Paul Charge and Brian Johnson with you talking through the rookie running backs fantasy owners need to know, get familiar with. And the next one up is a guy I'm fascinated by Kenneth gaine Well from Memphis. He was an opt out from last year. Where he's really interesting is that he's going to be a jack of all trades type guy. And a lot of times

these guys don't end up handing out into anything. If you don't have a position you're great at, sometimes you just don't get on the field. Lynn Bowden from last year right was a guy that was hey, is he running back or is he receiver? Really don't know for sure, and that's that worries me a little bit about Kenneth Gainwell, that he could fall into that. But he's got some really special traits and he's such a good receiver that I think he gets on the field and can be

a PPR helper in the right spot. So he looks and runs like a track star, but he doesn't quite have track star top end speed. But he's another upright runner like Chewba Hubbard. Uh. He's got the burst of a track star, and he's got really good footwork and lateral movement, which you don't always get out of tracks star rutting runners who oftentimes are really very north south oriented. Ganewell can go move laterally very well. He's got a nice one cut move. But the big thing here is

that he catches so well. And they lined him up at wide receiver in Memphis. He has tons of game breaking plays against you know, suspect defenses that Memphis played. But um, a lot of people think he's just gonna play the slot. He might end up being a slot receiver in the NFL. Well, that's where Antonio Gibson went. If I'm not mistaken, to Memphis and there was the same concerns with him just fine. Well, so far, so far,

so good for him. Um only three drops on sixty targets last year, which is a pretty good rate for a running back, and so he's got the hands to be a requisite of it. Just not sure where he's going to fit in that way again, I think he needs the right spot and then he needs to get utilize. So Kenneth Gainwells got upside in the right in the right place, but he's got the downside of lin Bowden

from last year. Let's go to our next runner, which is Jermar Jefferson and Jamar Jefferson out of Oregon State. UH declared for the draft a year early, will forego his senior season. One of the youngest running backs in this class. Turns twenty one next week, so that's great from a Dinosty perspective. Like most he only played in six games last year, but started out hot four straight

games over one rushing yards. Finished with more rushing yards than he had his entire sophomore season, which was a full season. So he really produced last year in those six games for really bad Oregon State team. By the way, UM Jefferson's no gain slash loss run percentage. This is a stat that depicts the percentage of runs that are stopped at the loss was fourth best among draft elegial running back So it's pretty good. He's great among the

leaders and positive runs on his UH attempts. Some worry about his size five ten pounds a little like a little put on like five more pounds hopefully, But he's a pretty sound all around back. Good vision, good lateral speed, can get to the edge quick, he has good bursts. But some are concerned with his long speed in terms of someone's gonna catch him from behind on a long run. But he's a very able receiver as well. He does

have bell cow potential. I don't think he has the talent to go in and like usurp a starting NFL running back, but if given the opportunity, I think he can be a fine producer. And uh again, you hear this a lot. Some concerns about his past protection. Per Pro Football Focus, Jefferson ranked seven in past protection efficiency for running backs like in Oregon States a really bad team. I don't care how good your past protection is a

running back. If you're the rest of the offensive line, you know, but everyone everyone else get free run at your quarterback. So Jefferson is a guy that little polarizing in the sense he's way down on some people's list, maybe like RB twelve, they're teend right now. He's going off RB eight in Bestball League. So a guy I'm

keeping eye on eye on more than most Jumarin Jefferson. Okay, My next running back is Kylin Hill from Mississippi State, currently projected to go in probably uh, he'll be a Day three guy, maybe the back end of day three. But that doesn't mean that he can't that Kylan Hill can't play a role in the NFL. Now. He's a slimmer back, and he's a and and and for a slimmer back, he's got remarkable tackle breaking and even physical playabilities, and he has the explosiveness to be a factor in

the NFL. When I looked at his game, I'm like, you know, you're looking for these guys that are gonna go round six, round seven. I'm trying to find is there any one thing in their game that can keep them on the field. And it's the explosiveness for Kylin Hill,

because he's got he's got a lot of that. He's super creative when he gets to the second level, and you'll see these runs when you look when you look through Kylan Hill's tape where when he gets past the line of scrimmage and he's in that linebacker level, he's so fast and he's making people miss and it's creating all kinds of chaos and confusion. Is he's as he's changing and cutting and players are running around just trying to find him, and it's he was really good at

the next level. Now, he only played three games last year with Mississippi State, but he caught twenty three passes in the three games. You know, for it eight catches a game. That's another special trait that tells me that Kylan Hill can get on the field. He's got a very good stiff arm move as well. Um, there are parts of games that that are that are not great. Um, he gets moved laterally, he runs high, he gives defenders a big target. There things that I don't love about

his game. But he's got some trades. Kylan Hill has trades that can get him on the field. And again I think he's got some PPR upside to him as well. Let's go to our next running back and that is Khalil Herbert. Not to be confused with justin air bear. This is no bears, a ground bear, not necessarily built like a bear, not huge amount to ten, but he is fast randy four or four six forty on his pro day out of Virginia Tech. By the way, I failed to mention that, uh Herbert, I was tempted to

say air bear. There. Herbert led the A C C in combo yards last year and per Pro Football foot Focus, UM, he was second only behind Nag Harris in yards after contact on rushes among draft eligible running backs. So that's very impressive. That's being said. Virginia Tech had a very dominant offensive line, and uh there's some concern that contributed to a good portion of Herbert's success. But he looks really good on tape, great vision, great footwork. Only had

thirty four receptions in five years in college. I believe he was at Kansas for four years and then he was eligible to play Virginia Tech last year. Fifth year. He was never the guide Kansas, so kind of a late bloomer, which how I'd be worried. How old is it is? Turning twenty four soon? So his his breakout age is pretty late if you want to call it

a breakout running behind a very good offensive line. But um, he again not under size, but he doesn't have the size and durability to be a bell cow probably, but if given the opportunity, touches a game in a good, good scheme. He's a very good schematic runner basically great vision, great footwork, so in a good spot he can thrive like he did in Virginia Tech. Of course, the NFL is a whole another level, but Khalil Herbert, keep your

ry on them, all right. For a final guy, I'm actually gonna make it two guys, both in the Big ten who I don't like that I don't think are going to help that It will get drafted, but I don't think are gonna help fantasy players. That is Ohio State's Tray Sermon and then Michigan's Chris Evans. I don't like either one of these at the NFL level, and I'll tell you why. First. For Tray Sermon, um, I don't think I did not see any special traits, particularly

special traits for him. He's not fast, he's a bit tall for the running back position and gives the defenders a big target to hit, and he ran behind you know, these amazing offensive lines first at Oklahoma and then he transferred to Ohio State, and these offensive lines opened up big holes for him. I think his athleticism is just average. He was rarely used in the passing game. I to me,

Tray Sermon feels like an NFL backup he is. To me, he's a third or fourth back in the NFL, and I just didn't see any special traits watching him that makes me feel like he's going to contribute. And then Michigan's Chris Evans, who a lot of people think it could be drafted as early as like round four or five. I didn't see a lot here that I loved either. Um, he is a three down back with solid hands, and I think that's why he'll get drafted and why he'll

end up being in the NFL. He's got a little wiggle um, but just I just didn't see any remarkable traits with him. Lackluster speed, ran behind a very good offensive line. Again, a lot like Tray Sermon. He got suspended due to academic reasons for the twenty nineteen season, recorded only sixteen carries over the past two years. That's also a big red like he's gonna be twenty four

years old as a rookie. And there's some there's some running backs they're already on the downside of their career twenty four and never really improved after his very good rookie year. Chris Evans did, and you were, you know, your your hope is a rookie. Your kid's gonna get better sophomore junior. We really didn't see that. I just to me, I I see what looks to me like a backup who's in the NFL for a couple of years from Chris Evans. Let me throw one more guy

out there really quick. You know there's a guy who I don't know who you're gonna throw out right now. I hope it is Ramandre Stevenson. No, it's not him, and uh and him and Elijah Elijah Mitchell. Another guy, a bubble guy, we can call him. We're not gonna I want to talk about Jared Patterson now, I referencing about Jared referenced the most yards after contact over the last two seasons. Stat a couple of times where the play Patterson out of Buffalo, Okay lead this category ahead

of Travis et en Chew Hud and Bruce Hall. Jared Patterson though, is five ft seven hundred nine pounds. He's like Darren Sprowlsey and but in just six games last year he had over a thousand yards and nineteen touchdowns. He had eight touchdowns and four hundred yards in one game. I don't know. He's small, right, but he's an intriguing name that I'm just keeping eye on Jared Patterson. People are concerned about the size, but put on a little

more weight. At five seven, that's a a tough guy to tackle at times if he's got moves and the most yards after contact in college football of the last two seasons. And I know he played at Buffalo was Toledo, you know, So there's there's a lot of there are. There are a lot of runners who have come out of mid tier schools that end up end up being

pretty pretty darn good. Now, now our our own Matt Harrison and for those who don't know, it's Matt with one T. He should be a big fan of Jared Patterson with one R and one T. J a r et right to the point. So Remandi's Stevenson from Oklahoma. Dude is just big built for goal line use and absolute tank. He cuts hard, he breaks tackles, he's a violent runner, and a lot of people think he's not

even gonna get drafted in the NFL. And I'm looking at going that guy has he's got again, He's got some of the special traits that I'm trying to look for that guys that could translate to the NFL and just the power running alone should put him on rosters. And I'm I'm really intrigued by him. Um, he's a name I've seen some guys pretty high on, you know, around running back seven eight and others. He's running back. He's a polarizing prospect for sure, but I'm I'm leaning

on your side, Remandre Stevenson. I'm I'm very interested to see what where he lands and what role he could have. All Right, thank you for listening to Fantasy Football Weekly. Next week, Wide Receivers will break down receivers and the rookie receivers in particular, and it's wow. I mean Chase and Waddle and Smith and Rashod Bateman and rond More. I mean it's a ton. There could be six receivers taken in the first round. Again, you know, last year was so deep at receiver, and here we are a

year later and it's almost as deep. Do you think one will go before Kyle Pitts. No, No, I don't and they shouldn't, and then Kyle Pitts will be in two weeks. I'll talk about the tight end position. I'd have to look it up, but this wouldn't be the first time a tight end was selected before any wide receiver. I don't think Vernon Davis went very early on when

he was very shocky went early. Yep um. Yeah, we'd have to next week, probably not very often, but that would be interesting, or at least two weeks from now when we do the tight the rookie tight ends. Thanks for listening, everybody, Bye bye. Fantasy Football Weekly is a production of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.