Montee Ball: 5 Things You Need to Know About the Wisconsin RB

Entering the draft, Wisconsin running back Montee Ball is commonly considered a top-five running back prospect.

A touchdown machine, Ball put up impressive numbers in college, but his size (5'11") and speed (4.59) are question marks for teams considering the 214-pound bruiser (measurements via CBSSports.com).

Let's take a closer look at the former Badgers running back.  

Ball's Statistics

2009: 98 rushes, 391 yards, 4.0 AVG, 4 rushing TDs.

2010: 163 rushes, 996 yards, 6.1 AVG, 18 TDs.

2011: 307 rushes, 1,923 yards, 6.3 AVG, 33 TDs.

2012: 356 rushes, 1,830 yards, 5.1 AVG, 22 TDs.

Ball's numbers have steadily improved (with the exception of his senior year) each season.  His lower average can be accredited to more rushing attempts (making it harder to post a good average), but 5.1 yards per carry is still nothing to scoff at.

Ball's Path to the Draft

Measurables:

Height: 5'10"

Weight: 214 pounds

Arm Length: 32 5/8"

Hand Size: 9"

Combine Results:

40-yard dash: 4.66 seconds

Bench Press: 15 reps (225 pounds)

Vertical jump:  32 inches 

Pro Day results:

40-yard dash: 4.46 seconds

Shuttle 4.11 seconds 

Combine numbers provided courtesy of NFL.com.  Pro day numbers proved courtesy of SBNation.com.

Notable Facts on Ball

At Wisconsin, Ball burst onto the scene by putting up unheard-of numbers.

During his four-year collegiate career, Ball rushed 924 times for 5,140 yards (5.6 average) and 77 rushing touchdowns, and added six more receiving scores.

Ball holds the NCAA record for the most career touchdowns (83) and the Big Ten/NCAA record for most touchdowns in a single season (39).  Since high school, he has totaled 13,362 rushing yards and 190 touchdowns.

That's 190 touchdowns in an eight-year period.  Incredible.

Observations on Ball's Draft Status

On CBSSports.com, Ball is listed as a second-round prospect, which seems to be the consensus.

There are not many teams desperate enough to select a running back in the first round, but few will be willing to watch Ball slip into the third.  Expect him to go off the board by Day 2.