2012 NFL Draft: Is Virginia Tech's David Wilson Second-Best Running Back?

There is no debating that Trent Richardson is this year's best running back to come out for the draft. But after him, there are a lot of quality runners, including Lamar Miller of Miami, Chris Polk from Washington and Virginia Tech's David Wilson. 

Of that crop of runners, to me, David Wilson is the best back of the bunch. 

David Wilson started his career at Virginia Tech running behind the likes of Ryan Williams and Darren Evans, leaving him mostly third down and return responsibilities with blazing 4.3-type speed. In his junior year, however, Wilson flourished into an all-purpose back with a game that will transition nicely at the next level. 

His legs are extremely thick for a man that is listed as just over 200 lbs, and his added size has shown on the field. He runs with great pad level and rarely goes down on first contact.

He has great lateral movement in tight spaces, which is a key attribute for success at the next level. David shows great balance and can make cuts few backs can make, which is combined with a great forward lean that helps him pick up extra yards. 

For his size, he is a very physical runner that is unafraid to lower his head into contact, which is an important attribute for "foundation" backs. 

While his inside game is his biggest area of improvement, his ability in space has hardly diminished. He still posses top-end speed and is capable of running with defensive backs. He has good hands and has lined up as a receiver before. 

The negatives on Wilson are mostly mental. His vision is relatively average, and he will often outthink himself into negative plays. He shows good patience in setting up his blocks, but is slow to decipher information and read what is happening in front of him. He could also use some work in blitz pickup, which is very common for rookie runners. 

He also needs a steady amount of carries to get into a rhythm, as evidenced in the ACC Championship game. His limited carries reduced his effectiveness, and he became more frustrated and forced more runs as the game went on. 

Given his attributes, to me, Wilson has the ability to become one of the best backs in football. However, he will need to get better at reading his holes and pass protection to get himself to the next level.

He reminds me of a young Ray Rice: a thick base with great vision, combined with later agility and top-end speed. He has the ability to break open a game at any point. 

David Wilson is just a few coaching points and tweaks to his game from being a star, which puts him ahead as the second-best back in this year's draft.