2015 Atlanta Falcons Potential Draft Pick Profile: RB Jay Ajayi

While Devonta Freeman looks to be the starter as of now, the Atlanta Falcons could always surprise and take someone like Jay Ajayi at the top of the third round to be their franchise back. The Boise State product is an ideal fit for the Falcons' new scheme under Kyle Shanahan.

He's a true one-cut-and-go back and will draw comparisons to Clinton Portis as an overall talent. If the Falcons can get a Portis clone into their offense to combine with Freeman, the offense is going to be at its absolute best, and quarterback Matt Ryan won't have as much pressure on him.

Jay Ajayi

Running Back

Boise State University

Combine/Pro Day Measurements

Height: 5'11-3/4" Weight: 221 pounds

Arm length: 32" Hand measurement: 10"

40-yard dash: 4.57 sec. 10-yard split: 1.60 sec.

20-yard shuttle: 4.10 sec. Three-cone drill: 7.10 sec. Bench reps: 19 reps

Vertical jump: 39.0" Broad jump: 10'1"

Stats

2014: 14 Games Played, 347 Carries, 1,823 Yards, 28 Touchdowns, 50 Catches, 535 Yards, 4 Touchdowns, 2 Tackles, 1.0 Tackle for Loss

2013: 13 Games Played, 249 Carries, 1,425 Yards, 18 Touchdowns, 22 Catches, 222 Yards, 1 Touchdown

2012: 11 Games Played, 82 Carries, 548 Yards, 4 Touchdowns, 1 Catch, 14 Yards, 1 Kick Return, 16 Yards

2011: Redshirted

Scouting Report

Strengths

Ajayi has great vision and knows how to find the holes within a defense. He reads his blockers well and can turn a short gain into a big play at any point. He also does an exceptional job of gaining that tough yard on 3rd-and-1 or 3rd-and-2 or at the goal line. 

He does that well because he has good power, but he also has good balance. And balance is way more important because it helps him break the needed tackles. He's also a good receiver out of the backfield and could be a back who rarely leaves the field unless he needs a breather.

Weaknesses

An ACL injury during his redshirt season looked to restrict him a bit as a freshman, but he does seem 100 percent at this point. The biggest weakness in his game comes as a pass-blocker. He doesn't seem to understand the angles and technique needed to be an effective blocker there.

Outside of that, there aren't many weaknesses aside from maybe a lack of the ridiculous speed that some guys have. But when it comes to Ajayi, he's one of the most complete running backs in the 2015 draft and should be a great fit for the Falcons.

How does he fit the Comrade Filter?

Back in 2011, Ajayi was arrested and convicted of petit theft—a misdemeanor—for stealing sweatpants from a Walmart and wound up serving five days in jail. He did face consequences for it, including this being part of the reason why he redshirted in 2011.

Ajayi was a captain for the Boise State team in 2014 and looks to have matured since his one stupid decision. An interesting note about Ajayi is that his parents are both of Nigerian descent, but he was born in England and is an English citizen.

Overview

Ajayi compares very favorably to Clinton Portis, but he also could be compared to a couple of other talented backs, including Terrell Davis. He's a big, quick, one-cut-style back who will thrive when he gets into the NFL because he focuses on getting downhill as soon as possible.

Ajayi could be the best running back from this class, production-wise, when all is said and done. The Boise State product fits either scheme and should do well in both, but if he gets into a zone-style scheme, he could be a top-three running back within two to three years.

How he would fit into the Falcons' plans

The ideal spot for the Falcons to select Ajayi would be at the top of the third round. That's where his perfect value is, and his selection would signify that he would be the starter. With Ajayi playing the main tailback and Freeman as the change of pace, the Falcons could have a scary good running game.

Ajayi is an ideal zone tailback and could be a long-term solution to a problem that has existed since Michael Turner got way too big and his production fell off the table in the 2012 season. Atlanta fans would love to see him in the offense, and Ajayi jerseys would be common after his rookie season.

All stats used are from Pro Football Focus' Premium Stats (subscription required), ESPN.com, CFBStats or NFL.com. All combine and pro day info is courtesy of NFLDraftScout.com. All contract information is courtesy of Spotrac.

Scott Carasik is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. He covers the Atlanta Falcons, college football, the NFL and the NFL draft. He's also a Draft Analyst for Pro Football Spot.

Follow @ScottCarasik