2013 Draft RB's

[Chadman]

Ok, we need one. Maybe 2. Who do you like, not like & why?

Chadman will try posting some video of numerous options to help the discussion..


First up- Boise St RB DJ Harper-


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcYbMg6v3fQ

[Chadman]

Clemson RB Andre Ellington-


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsB92KHYGFg

[Chadman]

Stanford RB Stephon Taylor-


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_00ziPxn0Os

[Chadman]

Alabama RB Eddie Lacy-


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHq1-5FiAZM

[Chadman]

Taxas A&M Christine Michael-


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCVqxFeWFoU

[Chadman]

Nebraska RB Rex Burkhead-


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klWMlw6WVqs

[Chadman]

Oregon's Kenjon Barner-


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zt2ZdI5Ah4U

[Chadman]

North Carolina's Giovanni Bernard-


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SL-b69V7aVk

[Chadman]

Michigan St's LeVeon Bell-


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUABlvazgrM

[Chadman]

Florida RB Mike Gillislee-


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46F1Yt3jF10

[Chadman]

UCLA RB Johnathan Franklin-


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sSTVm86GBc

[Chadman]

Arkansas RB Knile Davis-


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tV6hW2ggiO4

[Chadman]

Rutgers RB Jawan Jamison-


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82ChWgdz6ls

[Chadman]

Wisconsin RB Montee Ball-


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtzFN4hbCds

[Chadman]

Oklahoma St's Joseph Randle-


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wkezITd1u8

[Chadman]

South Carolina's Marcus Lattimore-


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iova6SfF0V0

[Chadman]

Utah St's Kerwynn Williams-


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1p12_k9Etw

[Chadman]

Vanderbilt's Zac Stacy-


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLOBrUQQNzo

[Chadman]

Notre Dame's Cierre Wood-


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRHEG5I3X20

[Chadman]

Miami RB Mike James-


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7FDZmGvXzQ

[Oviedo]

Great list. What are the odds on which ones we take? Do we go for a "big power back" or a "verstaile, pass catching RB." IMO Haley prefers the latter which would eliminate some of those you have listed.

[Jooser]

If healthy, Lattimore would be the guy. He reminds me a lot of Eddie George in his running style. The one that surprises me is Christine Michael. He seems to possess the right sum of equal parts speed, balance, and power. He breaks a lot of tackles and appears to be a threat to take it to the house on any carry. Eddy Lacy has the most power of any back in the draft from that highlight reel. That dude absolutely runs through people. A couple of those break away runs would seem to dispute the reports of him running only a 4.58 40. He showed some speed there.

Chadman, here's a guy you forgot though. I think he's not an every down back of course, but he brings exceptional value because he can catch out of the backfield, run out of the backfield and even line up in the slot. This is one game that he was forced into the starting role of RB because of injuries and ineffectiveness of other RBs....


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxzPryPMB74

[calmkiller]

If healthy, Lattimore would be the guy. He reminds me a lot of Eddie George in his running style. The one that surprises me is Christine Michael. He seems to possess the right sum of equal parts speed, balance, and power. He breaks a lot of tackles and appears to be a threat to take it to the house on any carry. Eddy Lacy has the most power of any back in the draft from that highlight reel. That dude absolutely runs through people. A couple of those break away runs would seem to dispute the reports of him running only a 4.58 40. He showed some speed there.

Chadman, here's a guy you forgot though. I think he's not an every down back of course, but he brings exceptional value because he can catch out of the backfield, run out of the backfield and even line up in the slot. This is one game that he was forced into the starting role of RB because of injuries and ineffectiveness of other RBs....


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxzPryPMB74

Beat me to it. Tavon was a Running back in High school and was then turned into a Slot WR in college by the staff. After the OU game coach Holgerson said, we have probably been playing him at the wrong position these last two years. He is not an every down back, and he should add a little weight to be a back in the NFL, but he is capable I think. He will go to high though for us to take him, and I don't think he is the all around back you want.

[Chadman]

Chadman could have added Tavon Austin, but figured that if Austin is being selected in the 1st round, it'll be as a WR, not a project RB.

Chadman personally thinks RB is one of the toughest positions to evaluate for a transition from college to NFL. Simply- most of these schemes & systems won't be used in the NFL like they are in college- and alot of the 'big plays' seem to come about with barely a hand laid on the player, or the RB running through holes you could fit the Death Star into. That won't happen, at least, not on a regular basis, in the NFL. Same with some of the RB catches- plenty of catches where a RB is standing around on his own, scratching his bum & waiting for a pass to come his way- that won't happen in the NFL much either. So a lot of these 'flashy' plays probably have little significance in terms of how the player translates to the NFL.

Chadman tends to look for a few specific things- how does a player react after being arm tackled, do they make players miss in short areas, can they catch on the run, do they pick the right hole to run through in traffic, are they fast enough to go from behind the LOS to 5 yards past the LOS once a break occurs... these sort of things. Even then, these are only highlights, so we see a small sample of their positive plays to work with.

There's a few 'types' of RB to choose from in this draft. You have your:

Big Bruisers:
Eddie Lacy
LeVeon Bell
Marcus Lattimore
Knile Davis

Well Rounded:
Christine Michael
Stephon Taylor
Montee Ball
Mike Gillislee
Rex Burkhead
Zac Stacy
Cierre Wood
Mike James

Jamaal Charles Types:
Joseph Randle
Giovanni Bernard
Andre Ellington
Kerwynn Williams
DJ Harper
Kenjon Barner
Jawan Jamison
Johnathan Franklin


The Steelers could use any of these types of RB. Many posters want to label Todd Haley as an OC that wants the Jamaal Charles type RB because of his time in KC, but he also used Thomas Jones (Bruiser) & Tim Hightower (Complete type) & Edgerran James (Complete Back) very effectively in his time at KC & Arizona as well.

In other words- the Steelers could use any 'type' of RB. That said, the Steelers have Jonathan Dwyer (Bruiser) on the books, and will likely have Isaac Redman (Bruiser) as well. And they'll be hoping to have Ahmad Bradshaw on board (Complete type) by draft day.

[Jooser]

Honestly, I really like Christine Michael in the 3rd. He was very impressive in the highlight reel you posted Chadman. If we lose Sanders, and get an extra 3rd round pick, I like Michael and Bailey, that'd be pretty sweet right there.

[steelblood]

I'm a huge fan of Bernard who will likely go early in the second. He has that rare burst to go along with good vision, pass receiving skills, lateral agility, and surprising power for his size. He is in the Ray Rice mold (a little less physical, but faster).

Chadman, I actually think you can put Bernard in the more well-rounded group.

[Chadman]

Now, in Chadman's opinion, here's a few things about the RB's on display:DJ Harper Boise St- Jamaal Charles type- First things first- looks to be in the game around the End Zone a bit. Not afraid to run through the muck- doesn't kick all his runs outside. Not afraid to run into tacklers, mixed results. Plenty of runs from an I-Formation, which he will see in the NFL. Sends a lot of his runs to outside the OT, doesn't appear to be 'fast' so much as quick. Doesn't lose speed much when cutting off either feet. Good acceleration, but seems his deeper speed is marginal. Doesn't appear to be hit near the LOS very often- might mean a lot of these big plays are more a result of the OL.Andre Ellington Clemson- Jamaal Charles type- Runs from Shotgun or Singleback formation prominantly. Nice catch on the first clip, but the next few plays are not really NFL plays. Next couple of run plays after that show him weaving through traffic at the LOS. Unlike Harper, Ellington needs to avoid defenders, and does it well with agility. Lots of sweeps & cuts to outside the OT, using his speed/acceleration more than his ability to work through defenders. Doesn't look like he has long speed. When he does play between the tackles, does a good job of avoiding direct hits & keeps moving at speed. Looks like he catches very naturally. Seems able to break arm tackles.Stephon Taylor Stanford- Complete RB type- Runs hard & naturally. Difficult to put down with one tackle. Very stuttery when changing direction- might be better served being taught to cut once & go. Plenty of hits around the LOS for him to work through. Doesn't seem to lose speed deep (although he timed slow at Pro Day & Combine- doesn't LOOK slow), Seems to find his blocks in traffic well. Plenty of End Zone runs from I-Formation. Follows blocks well. Looks like he runs strong & with aggression. Eddie Lacy Alabama- Big bruiser- Obviously benefits from a great OL- doesn't look to be hit with any type of force before the LOS. Does a good job of finding the hole. Runs with power & looks hard to stop 1-on-1. His change of direction looks slow. Even when running downfield, it's amazing how many good blocks he gets. Might be he knows how to follow his blockers very well. When he stutter-steps before changing direction, he just about stops.

[SteelerOfDeVille]

Admittedly, I haven't watched all these vids. in fact, I didn't watch a single one just now (likely will later). Having said that, I've seen footage on about 1/3 to 1/2 of the list, just doing Armchair Scouting.
Here are a few I've seen mentioned with the Steelers and my own take from video watching... These are in order

Marcus Lattimore - IMO, a healthy Lattimore is a top 15 pick. If it meant spending a 3rd round pick, I'd take that guy without hesitation, even if it meant him starting the season on the PUP list... We sometimes forget how solid the backs on this team were. They were good enough that Tomlin felt comfortable benching Mendy - and they actually did fine. Redman and Dwyer are sufficient for the short-term.

Eddie Lacy - This guy is a good fit for the Steelers team. Good power, good vision, reasonable speed (no, he's not a 4.4 guy, but, truth be told, neither was Bettis and he is one of our favorite backs of all time). I wouldn't be upset if the team took him. HOWEVER, I don't see that he's significantly better than the next 2 below, that you could probably get in the 3rd round, instead of the irst round. Think fantasy football and Value Based Drafting. That's why there are questions on whether he's a day1 RB. While he's possibly the top RB in this draft class, it's not by much...

Montee Ball - There's a reason this guy had ridiculous stats with "adequate, but, not great" speed. Best vision/patience combination I've seen by any RB in this class. I'd be good with him as the pick. In fact, I'd think the team pulled a coup deville... err, d'etat. I don't need a guy who will take it 80 yards to the house, as long as I have a guy who will take it 5 yards for the first down, when needed.

LeVeon Bell - looks to be solid and a good for for the Steelers. Good power, good vision and a jump cut, which I've said before, is crazy for a guy his size... My worry with him is he appears to be the type of back that 5 years in may be 250 and we're looking for another RB

Christine Michael - Decent speed, decent power, but, i wasn't a fan of his vision/patience. Seemed to be a guy who runs exactly where the play is designed, even if there was a hole one quick cut over. Not quite as fast, but, reminded me of watching a young Willie Parker.

Stephon Taylor - perhaps the most underrated RB in this class. I happened to watch one of their games (against Wisconsin) and thought, "hmm, he may be better than this Ball kid". He's not, but, dang close. Very "complete" skill set, not great at anything, but, not bad at anything either.

Knile Davis - one-cut back with great speed. Probably best for a zone blocking scheme. Not much "wiggle" - often, he will "stop... redirect... start" rather than "juke"... I know you have him listed with the power backs, but iirc, isn't he "average size" (like 210-215)?

Of the rest, maybe i was in a bad mood when i watched Randle's video... it was among the first i watched this offseason... Anyway, i came away thinking, "sure he's got decent speed, but, why is he among the top 5 RB's this offseason?" With that, I also plan to go back and re-watch his, along with Bernard, Ellington and had been planning on watching Barner & Franklin.

[Oviedo]

Chadman could have added Tavon Austin, but figured that if Austin is being selected in the 1st round, it'll be as a WR, not a project RB.

Chadman personally thinks RB is one of the toughest positions to evaluate for a transition from college to NFL. Simply- most of these schemes & systems won't be used in the NFL like they are in college- and alot of the 'big plays' seem to come about with barely a hand laid on the player, or the RB running through holes you could fit the Death Star into. That won't happen, at least, not on a regular basis, in the NFL. Same with some of the RB catches- plenty of catches where a RB is standing around on his own, scratching his bum & waiting for a pass to come his way- that won't happen in the NFL much either. So a lot of these 'flashy' plays probably have little significance in terms of how the player translates to the NFL.

Chadman tends to look for a few specific things- how does a player react after being arm tackled, do they make players miss in short areas, can they catch on the run, do they pick the right hole to run through in traffic, are they fast enough to go from behind the LOS to 5 yards past the LOS once a break occurs... these sort of things. Even then, these are only highlights, so we see a small sample of their positive plays to work with.

There's a few 'types' of RB to choose from in this draft. You have your:

Big Bruisers:
Eddie Lacy
LeVeon Bell
Marcus Lattimore
Knile Davis

Well Rounded:
Christine Michael
Stephon Taylor
Montee Ball
Mike Gillislee
Rex Burkhead
Zac Stacy
Cierre Wood
Mike James

Jamaal Charles Types:
Joseph Randle
Giovanni Bernard
Andre Ellington
Kerwynn Williams
DJ Harper
Kenjon Barner
Jawan Jamison
Johnathan Franklin


The Steelers could use any of these types of RB. Many posters want to label Todd Haley as an OC that wants the Jamaal Charles type RB because of his time in KC, but he also used Thomas Jones (Bruiser) & Tim Hightower (Complete type) & Edgerran James (Complete Back) very effectively in his time at KC & Arizona as well.

In other words- the Steelers could use any 'type' of RB. That said, the Steelers have Jonathan Dwyer (Bruiser) on the books, and will likely have Isaac Redman (Bruiser) as well. And they'll be hoping to have Ahmad Bradshaw on board (Complete type) by draft day.


Jawan Jamison and Christine Michael are the ones who intrique me the most. Seem like the multi-purpose backs Haley could use.

[steelblood]

LeVeon Bell has really surprising agility and speed. I think he is STILL underrated. I think he will go in the late 2nd round. He is not the typical Big Ten Plodder. He is an NFL sized back with the athleticism to be a mid-level feature guy.

[steelblood]

My late round gem is Michael Ford of LSU. Ford has a fantastic burst, sturdy build, and runs angry. He is probably a complimentary guy in the NFL, but I've always been impressed with him as a runner. He is the kind of guy who can be a featured back because he has decent size, strength, speed, hands. If he lasts until the 5th or later, he would represent an excellent value.

[focosteeler]

I would like a late round guy and a UDFA, I think Ray Graham and D.J. Harper would be great.

[thor75]

I didn't watch much UCLA, but just from the highlight video posted it seems he runs very upright. I had to check the draft profile to see how tall he was and he's listed at 5'10.
He seemed fast and quick, which is a nice change from who we have now. Anyone watch his games in more depth?

[Mister Pittsburgh]

I like Christine Michael, Le'veon Bell, Zac Stacy, Ray Graham

[NW Steeler]

Honestly, I really like Christine Michael in the 3rd. He was very impressive in the highlight reel you posted Chadman. If we lose Sanders, and get an extra 3rd round pick, I like Michael and Bailey, that'd be pretty sweet right there.

Bingo. Michael looks legit. Plus we can tease the Ravens LB's that get run over by "Christine".

[Chadman]

Like Ovi, Chadman really likes the Jawan Jamison video. And like DeVille, Stephon Taylor looks good. Both these guys timed really poorly in the 40, but both do not look.. slow.

Still really like the Mike James stuff too. Steelers might be well served getting 2 RB's if they don't sign Bradshaw.

But if they do, if they go into the draft with Bradshaw, Dwyer & Redman on the roster- what rookie RB is the best fit, or offers the best return?

[Rara]

Not in any order...but I would like one these running backs: Le'Veon Bell, Mike Gillisee, Stepfan Taylor, Eddie Lacy, Christine Michael.

[thor75]

.

Still really like the Mike James stuff too. Steelers might be well served getting 2 RB's if they don't sign Bradshaw.

But if they do, if they go into the draft with Bradshaw, Dwyer & Redman on the roster- what rookie RB is the best fit, or offers the best return?

I would think they would have to go with a quicker back.

Franklin - UCLA may be some fumbling concerns
Michael - Texas A&M some character concerns
Gillislee - Florida needs to be more decisive at hitting holes

Depends what Kirby thinks he can correct with coaching on some of these .

[8467thekraken]

Let Emmanuel Sanders walk.

Then draft Austin at #17.

Take a SAFETY or Corner in round 2.

Then I would like either Taylor or Michael with one of the 3rd round picks.

Take the best defensive player available with the other 3rd round pick.

Instead of signing Bradshaw, get Starks back on board.

The offensive line of Starks-Foster-Pouncey-DDC-Adams combined with a couple more weapons around them complimented by A. Brown, Cotchery and Plax sounds good. Real good.

Take a TE in the 4th.

BPA from there on out.

But, yeah. I really like Taylor with his semi-violent, legs churning running style and Michael with his first 30 yrds. burst. Austin would make Ben forget about Wallace and Sanders real quick.