For 50 straight years, a running back heard his name called in the first round of the NFL Draft. That streak which stretch all the way back to 1963 was snapped in the 2013 NFL Draft, with Giovani Bernard not being drafted until the Bengals selected him with the 37th Overall pick. While it appears we may be on the verge of consecutive years without a running back being selected in the first round, there are a few running backs that could make a push into the first round.
Lache Seastrunk RB, Baylor Bears
Seastrunk was a former five-star recruit with the Oregon before he transferred to Baylor in 2011 for a better opportunity. After sitting out the 2011 season, Seastrunk took over at running back for the Bears in the second half of last season and dominated.
Seastrunk didn’t receive more than 10 carries in a game until November against Kansas, when he carried the ball 17 times for 103 yards and added five receptions for 91 yards and a touchdown. He would go on a six game stretch of 15+ carries and finished with 831 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns during that stretch.
What coaches will love about Seastrunk is his mix of power and speed. While he may stand at just 5’ 10”, Seastrunk does an excellent job of breaking tackles and fighting for extra yards. He also has grown and added muscle to improve in pass protection, where he actually does a nice job for a player of his size. He has very good speed and once he has the ball in his hands and finds a hole, can turn it into a big play. He also has shown toughness in big moments, shown by him continuing to run on a 76-yard touchdown where he injured his leg halfway through.
He needs to prove his skills as a receiving threat, but he also needs to become a smarter runner. He is still young, and needs to learn to run the stop trying to bounce it outside, that would go a long way in improving his stock. If he can improve in those areas and keep up his production from last season, Seastrunk could emerge as a first-round pick in 2014.
Bishop Sankey RB, Washington Huskies
The Huskies have a lot of talent on their roster this year on both sides of the ball, but Sankey is the guy to keep an eye on. He took control of the Huskies’ running attack last year and now is prepared to improve and make a push to be the best running back in 2014.
Sankey was the workhorse back for Washington last year, as he finished the season with 289 carries and had 10 games of 20 carries or more. He was worth every carry, as he finished the season with 1,439 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns. When his team needed him the most he delivered, finishing the year with seven games of 100+ rushing yards, including a 200-yard performance against Boise State in the MAACO Bowl.
When you watch Sankey play the first thing that stands out to you is how smooth and polished he is as a runner. Sankey shows the vision to read the holes and is patient enough to wait behind his blockers until the right play is there. Once he gets past the line of scrimmage, Sankey has the ability to make a quick cut to avoid the defender, but he doesn’t dance around like other running backs. He has very good speed and when a lane opens up he can burst through it for the big play. Sankey also shows nice hands and the ability to run clean routes and get open when his quarterback needs help. The clean, fluid motion in the way he runs is nice to see from a young running back and one of the big positive takeaways from Sankey’s game.
One of the biggest things Sankey will need to work on this season is his strength and blocking. Too often, he will get tripped up on a tackle and miss out on a chance for a big play. He needs to spend some time in the weight room so he can run through tackle and pick up yards. Sankey is also a liability in pass protection where his lack of strength shows up again. He can throw a small chip to the rush, but can be pushed aside or just miss the block entirely.
If Sankey can really commit himself to the weight room and improve his pass blocking, his draft stock would benefit in a big way. Size will be an issue for him, but if he can stay healthy and have another strong season he could emerge as a first-round selection.
James Wilder Jr. RB, Florida State Seminoles
Another former five-start recruit, Wilder Jr. has all of the physical gifts scouts look for in a top running back. Now the star recruit will have a chance to be the star running back for the Seminoles this season.
If you were to build the prototypical running back, you would come very close to Wilder Jr. At 6’ 2” and 226 lbs., Wilder uses his size very well. When he is coming through the hole, defenders do not want to be in his way, with his ability to drop a shoulder and run someone over. A lone defensive back can’t bring him down, as Wilder Jr. just runs through them like a bowling ball. He matches that incredible strength with nice speed, which allows him to get to the outside and create some big plays. He shows good balance and runs well, allowing him to stay on his feet with defenders on his back, and keep his feet moving for extra yards. He is a decent receiving option out of the backfield with nice hands, but still needs to show more improvement there.
There are a few questions facing Wilder this season, including what he can do as the featured back for the Seminoles and if he can stay healthy. He finished last season with just 110 carries and will have to prove himself as the workhorse for this team. He also will need to show that he can stay healthy with the heavy workload. The biggest question for him will be his off-the-field issues. He has been arrested three times in the past 11 months, including his most recent arrest for failing to appear in court for a suspended license. As executives and coaches start to focus in more on off-the-field issues, it could be one of the big things that holds Wilder back. If he can continue to make small improvements and avoid trouble the rest of the year, he could emerge as a first-round pick in 2014.