How Darren Sproles Has Become an Early-Season Eagles MVP
Last season, only six rookie fifth-round picks had a catch or a carry. The nine offensive skill position players drafted in that round had a total of 18 touchdowns (an average of two each) in 35 total starts (an average of four each).
Saints wide receiver Kenny Stills and Rams running back Zac Stacy had some nice performances, but no fifth-rounder from that draft class made a major impact.
In fact, here's a look at the best numbers we've seen from rookie fifth-round pick skill players since the turn of the century:
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| Zac Stacy | 2013 | 1114 |
| Vick Ballard | 2012 | 966 |
| Denarius Moore | 2011 | 679 |
| Kenny Stills | 2013 | 651 |
| Tim Hightower | 2008 | 636 |
| Sammy Morris | 2000 | 609 |
| Kolby Smith | 2007 | 555 |
| Johnny Knox | 2009 | 527 |
| D.J. Hackett | 2005 | 400 |
| Jacquizz Rodgers | 2011 | 393 |
| Darren Sproles' current pace | 2014 | 2104 |
The fifth round has produced just a single Hall of Famer in the modern era (Mike Webster, Pittsburgh, 1974), and not a single fifth-round rookie has been to the Pro Bowl this century.
There's a point, I swear. And it's that a fifth-round selection was all the Philadelphia Eagles gave the New Orleans Saints in an offseason trade for running back Darren Sproles, who has almost single-handedly carried Philadelphia's offense on back-to-back occasions to start the 2014 season.
If we were to view the 31-year-old as a first-year fifth-round pick (which he essentially is, for all intents and purposes), he'd be a lock to become the most successful and valuable player under those circumstances this century.
Despite the fact he's only been on the field for about 37 percent of his team's snaps—57 out of 156, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required)—Sproles ranks sixth in the NFL with 263 yards from scrimmage.
So on a per-snap basis, he's been the league's most productive player by a wide margin.
| 1. Darren Sproles | 263 | 57 | 4.61 |
| 2. Le'Veon Bell | 304 | 109 | 2.79 |
| 3. Giovani Bernard | 279 | 104 | 2.68 |
| 4. Marshawn Lynch | 187 | 70 | 2.67 |
| 5. Bobby Rainey | 194 | 74 | 2.62 |
| 6. Demarco Murray | 316 | 122 | 2.59 |
| 7. Arian Foster | 270 | 111 | 2.43 |
| 8. Percy Harvin | 150 | 65 | 2.31 |
| 9. Terrance West | 190 | 85 | 2.24 |
| 10. Jordy Nelson | 292 | 131 | 2.23 |
In Week 1 against the Jaguars, he averaged 6.5 yards per carry, totaling 71 rushing yards on only 11 attempts. And in Week 2 against the Colts, he flashed his versatility by catching seven passes for 152 yards, 148 of which came after the catch.
Five of his 26 touches have gone for 17 yards or more, and three have gone for 49-plus. Essentially, he's made a big play on nine percent of his offensive snaps.
Quarterback Nick Foles has struggled, fellow back LeSean McCoy is averaging just 3.7 yards per carry, wide receiver Riley Cooper has been MIA and they're missing three of their top six offensive linemen, but the Eagles are somehow 2-0.
Without Sproles, they'd very likely be 0-2.
With respect to McCoy, the Eagles haven't had an offensive player as dynamic as this since Brian Westbrook was in his prime.
But Sproles has always been a playmaker. Between 2011 and 2013, he had more catches, yards and receiving touchdowns than any other back in football by wide margins. In fact, only 14 wide receivers had more grabs than he did during that stretch. And only 27 receivers had more touchdowns despite the fact he was only a part-time player.
But it does appear he has taken his game to a whole new level in Philly, as evidenced by eye-popping touchdowns like these:
"He’s just a special player," Eagles head coach Chip Kelly said, per CSN Philly's Reuben Frank. "We knew the first day we had him it was, 'How many different ways can we find to get him the football?'"
That's the difference. Sproles wasn't necessarily misused in New Orleans, but Kelly acquired him for a reason. And based on the efforts he's gone through to get Sproles the ball thus far, it's clear he felt the veteran would be able to play a major role in replacing departed Pro Bowl receiver DeSean Jackson.
The majority of the time, we've seen him flanking Foles in the backfield. Early on against Jacksonville, he lined up there for inside handoffs and even some read-option runs.
But he's also become a screen game hero from that spot, which gives the Eagles a chance to get him out into open space.
"Through the course of his career, he’s always been a good screen runner, even going back to his days at the Chargers," offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur said, according to Frank. "Norv Turner and I talked about that. Their screen game kind of fell off when Darren left. He’s got a feel for it, he’s quick, I think he sort of gets lost in there a little bit and all of a sudden he pops out and he’s in position."
And nobody is more dangerous than he is in space.
"Yeah, especially in this offense, where you get him in space on one-on-one matchups,” safety Malcolm Jenkins said, per Frank. "No matter who you put on him, it’s going to be a mismatch."
It helps when you have an incredibly well-conditioned and athletic offensive line. Offensive coordinators dream about having a player like Sproles with this kind of space on a screen, but look at the blocking he has:
Another example on a 51-yard run Monday night:
And again on a 17-yard run to set up the game-winning field goal:
Those guys spring into the second level faster than anyone else in football, which combined with Sproles' shiftiness is dangerous.
Of course, Kelly is also using Sproles on his beloved wheel routes, but they're giving the veteran back extra freedom with option routes against mismatched linebackers, as we saw when he was being covered by in-over-his-head Colts linebacker Josh McNary Monday night:
That resulted in a 57-yard gain.
And they aren't afraid to line him up as a receiver. He made a catch on a dig route after lining up in the slot here against Jacksonville:
And he was split out with McCoy in the backfield and three tight ends as part of a very unique red-zone look against the Colts:
The guy can simply do it all from any spot, usually creating space to pick up extra yardage.
Kelly has probably only scratched the surface here, and despite what New Orleans might have believed, Sproles is showing no signs of slowing down.
He's on the wrong side of 30, but he's been gently used for much of his career. As a result, he might be just another Eagle to experience a career year in Kelly's system, joining guys like Foles, Jason Kelce, Cooper, Jackson and McCoy.
And if that's enough to give the Eagles an extra step on the Saints and the rest of their NFC opponents, that trade could soon be viewed throughout the league as a season-changing move.
Brad Gagnon has covered the NFC East for Bleacher Report since 2012.
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