Devonta Freeman NFL Draft 2014: Highlights, Scouting Report for Falcons RB

Devonta Freeman, RB, Florida State (HT: 5’8¼”, WT: 206 lbs)

Atlanta Falcons

Fourth Round: 103rd Pick

Height	Weight	Arm	Hand
5082	206	29 3/8"	9 5/8"

40-Yd dash	10-Yd split	Vert	Broad	3-Cone	Shuttle
4.58	1.59	31.5"	9'10"	7.11	4.26

Positives

• Elusive and slippery; makes defenders miss in the hole and in space; dodges direct tackles, reducing impact and staying on his feet
• Decisive runner; is capable of creating his own yards and minimizes losses with a north-south style; does not waste much movement
• Shows some burst; explodes through the hole and can turn the corner; is capable of creating early separation as a receiver
• Displays vision and instincts, finding small creases in traffic
• Good balance; has a very low center of gravity and is a resilient runner
• Runs with good pad level; can make himself skinny in the hole and lowers his shoulder pads to help him gain additional yards after contact
• Shifty with good lateral agility and light feet
• Excels between the tackles; lack of height can actually be spun as a positive as it is difficult to find him in traffic
• Decent receiver out of the backfield; average receiving production at Florida State, but it fell in line with his usage rate
• Good ball security, changes the ball to his outside hand and rarely fumbles
• Had some pass protection responsibility in college, and while his technique leaves much to be desired, he appears to be a willing blocker unafraid of contact that is capable of catching defenders
• Durable, never missed a game because of injury in three years

Negatives

• Lacks power; does not have the prototypical bulk or lower-body strength; is not a punishing runner and is unable to run through tackles; must continue to add muscle
• Average top-end speed; is not much of a breakaway threat and tends to play to his timed speed
• Inconsistent blocker; lacks functional strength and sometimes appears to have trouble locating blocks in space; too often leaves his arms down by his side; pass protection technique requires work
• Lacks dynamic qualities; does not make explosive cuts, nor does he change gears to rip off huge chunks of yardage
• Not an ideal short-yardage or goal-line back
• Never had to fully carry the load at Florida State; exceeded 20 carries only twice during his college career; may be limited to a committee role at the next level; production had been largely average until a junior season in which he had much more talent around him
• Small for NFL feature back; while lack of height and considerable bulk is not necessarily a knock, it reinforces the complementary back image
• Had the luxury of playing on one of the nation’s best offenses; ran behind a big, talented line, and opponents had to be constantly concerned about play-action due to a prolific passing attack

Year	Team	Car	Yards	Avg	TD
2011	Florida State	120	579	4.8	8
2012	Florida State	111	660	5.9	8
2013	Florida State	173	1016	5.9	14

Year	Team	Rec	Yards	Avg	TD
2011	Florida State	22	278	12.6	1
2012	Florida State	10	86	8.6	0
2013	Florida State	15	111	7.4	0

Personal Notes

• First team All-ACC 2013
• Earned one of six freshman academic awards 2011

Ratings Chart

nces.ed.gov

Overall

A key member of Florida State’s national championship team, Devonta Freeman experienced a breakout season with an increased role in the offense and a Heisman trophy winner at the helm. With an impressive blend of burst, vision, and balance, he fits into either a zone or man-blocking scheme. Lacking ideal bulk or speed, however, could limit him to a complementary role at the next level. If he is able to improve his pass protection technique he could contribute in an NFL backfield as a rookie.

Draft Projection: Third-Fourth Round