Why T.J. Yeldon Can Run Through Traffic at RB Position to Start in the NFL

The 2015 NFL draft features one of the deepest classes of running backs in recent memory. With a half dozen or more to choose from, there is no certainty which running back will go off the board after Georgia star Todd Gurley. Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon is the popular choice, but it really depends on the team.

Alabama running back T.J. Yeldon has been running through traffic in the SEC his entire college career, so the logjam at the position is the least likely to affect him. Yeldon’s path to a starting job as a rookie may actually be smoother than that of any other running back in the class.

The last two running backs to come out of Alabama were rookie starters. Trent Richardson racked up 1,317 yards from scrimmage and 12 touchdowns before his career went off the rails. Eddie Lacy earned Offensive Rookie of the Year honors after 1,435 yards from scrimmage and 11 touchdowns in 2013.

Central to their rookie success has been their ability to run, catch the ball and pass protect. Unlike many college backs, Alabama products are not only talented but also well-rounded. Yeldon is no exception.

Of course, if Yeldon can’t gain positive yards on the ground, his ability as a receiver and pass protector may not matter. The fact that Yeldon played at Alabama where his offensive line was dominant actually hurts his case, but he’s still one of the most talented running backs between the tackles in this class.

Running Through Traffic

One of the things that separates Yeldon from many running backs is his ability to run through traffic. Many running backs are too eager and end up running into a defender because they don’t trust their blocking. At that point, they either must run over the defenders or make them miss.

Yeldon demonstrates patience to allow blocks to develop, the agility to shift through traffic to find the running lane, the strength to run through arm tackles and enough moves in the open field to make defenders miss. The combination of traits is what has helped Yeldon amass 5.8 yards per carry, 3,816 yards from scrimmage and 39 total touchdowns in his college career.

NFL Films’ Greg Cosell said last month, via The Midday 180 in Tennessee (audio link), that Yeldon could be a foundation back at the NFL level largely due to his ability to run between the tackles:

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I really like T.J. Yeldon out of Alabama. I think his running style and his mentality is well suited to the NFL. He has a very intuitive feel to attack downhill with conviction, and he has great ability to work effectively between the tackles. He's very compact in his movement and he gets through small cracks. That is so critical in the NFL for backs, to be able to get through small cracks at the point of attack.

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Alabama’s offensive line being dominant was only partially its own doing. If not for a talented back such as Yeldon, many carries would have been much shorter gains. Alabama doesn’t just put average running backs behind a great offensive line; it puts great running backs behind a great offensive line.

Here are two good examples of how the offensive line and Yeldon worked in conjunction to create big gains. The offensive line opened up the initial hole on this play, but Yeldon also has to chop his feet, plant and burst through the opening.

Yeldon is very comfortable running inside. He doesn’t panic when the hole isn’t there or when he bumps into objects. He continues to seek daylight despite contact and, in this case, is able to get a big chunk of yards after doing so.

This is another well-blocked play in front of Yeldon, but his movements in traffic and vision turn a solid gain into a much bigger one. When Yeldon gets to the second level, he sees a defender coming from his left, but instead of running to contact, he finds the crease between two blockers and picks up additional yardage.

It’s these types of moves in traffic that will help Yeldon at the next level. The blocking in front of him may not always be as great as it was at Alabama, but that’s a universal truth from college to the NFL. Yeldon will still be able to create yards between the tackles with his vision and agility in tight quarters.

When Yeldon does get into the open field, his sharp cuts induce plenty of missed tackles and extra yards. On this play, Yeldon picks up around 10 extra yards with a sharp juke to the outside and another move back to the inside, and he does it without losing speed.

Yeldon isn’t going to dazzle anyone with his raw speed, but his ability to change directions without losing speed in traffic and in the open field will serve him well in the NFL. He also seems to understand when to run laterally and when he just needs to run up the gut.

Fighting for Extra Yards

The other thing that will endear Yeldon to coaches, teammates and fans alike is how he fights for extra yardage. Yeldon rarely lets a defender get a square hit on him in the open field, but when one does get his arms on him, he fights for extra yardage.

Yeldon hates going out of bounds. He is usually trying to gain extra yards by making defensive backs miss on sideline tackle attempts. He’s able to turn it up the field on this play and then drag a defender a couple of yards.

One of the great things about Yeldon is that he doesn’t leave many yards on the field. The blocking was often good at Alabama, but he didn’t waste it. Here’s another example of Yeldon trying to gain extra yards on the sideline by exploiting poor tackling fundamentals by defensive backs in that area.

Teams will love his mentality almost as much as his ability. He plays fast, he’s surprisingly agile for a big running back, he fights for every yard, and he knows how to create yardage for himself even without Alabama’s great offensive line.

Yeldon can run power and gain a couple of yards or wait for the outside zone play to develop, which makes him extremely scheme versatile. Teams will love that he can do so many different things in the running game, but they will also love that he is not limited to only running the ball.

Receiving

Yeldon is a very natural receiver with soft hands. Alabama actually underutilized him in the passing game because he was so good on the ground and in pass protection. Pass-heavy teams in the NFL could put this skill to good use on third downs.

On this swing pass against Auburn, Yeldon catches the ball effortlessly and then turns it up the field for a big gain. He actually looks like a wide receiver on this play due to his size and the way he plucks the ball out of the air away from his body.

This pass to Yeldon didn’t fool West Virginia on 3rd-and-12, but again Yeldon demonstrated good hands. In the right offense, Yeldon will produce in the passing game more than he did at Alabama.

Pass Protection

Where Yeldon really separates himself from the other backs in the class is his ability to pass block. Although his technique still needs work in some areas, Yeldon has an aggressive blocking mentality and willingness to sacrifice himself to give his quarterback time to complete the pass.

Yeldon seems to enjoy destroying inside blitzers, but he can be too aggressive at times. He often focuses on knocking blockers off their feet, which can lead to him whiffing on blocks. For example, he aggressively steps up on this play and then can’t get back outside to protect the edge.

It’s a coachable issue. When he’s patient and sets a good base, he’s very good about buying his quarterback time. Here’s an example of him doing that outside.

The sack was obviously not Yeldon’s fault in this case. He got the block on his defender and stayed with him. The play was doomed from the start, but Yeldon set a good base and did his job.

Here’s an example of Yeldon helping inside without being too aggressive. These little things get rookie running backs on the field.

Perhaps the best example of Yeldon in pass protection came off play action near his own goal line against West Virginia. Yeldon steps up, sets a good base and takes on the blocker.

Yeldon’s blitz pickup enables quarterback Blake Sims to hit wide receiver Amari Cooper for a first down on 3rd-and-11. That’s the kind of ability in pass protection that gets rookie running backs significant playing time.

He might not be the fastest running back, but he’s big and has the right mentality to be a starting running back at the next level. Yeldon has good vision, runs hard, is agile in traffic and is very capable in the passing game both as a receiver and as a pass protector.

In a very good class of running backs, Yeldon is one of the best. While other running backs have stolen the spotlight this offseason by running faster in shorts, Yeldon is the player teams should look at after Gurley as a foundational running back.