NFL Combine 2017 Notebook: Top Running Backs Show the Game Tape Doesn't Lie
Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn rose through the ranks as one of the best running back coaches in the business. So when Lynn talks running backs, people listen.
"They're pretty good," Lynn said of a rookie class led by Florida State's Dalvin Cook, LSU's Leonard Fournette and Stanford's Christian McCaffrey (pictured).
Pretty good? Sounds like classic coaching understatement.
"They're big. They're strong. They all play fast enough. And they all create when they have to. I think it's a deep group that way."
That's more like it, coach. And what about workout results?
"I'm looking for play speed," Lynn said on Thursday, before Friday's running-back track meet. "The 40 time? I don't care about all that. I just care how fast you play and how quick you are in your lateral movement."
Fair enough. But Friday was all about the 40 times, plus the cone drills that teach us a little more about each rusher's lateral movement.
And up and down this deep draft class, Friday's results were pretty good.
Or maybe a little better than pretty good.
Comparing Cook, Fournette and McCaffrey
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If you are looking for separation among the top running-back prospects, you won't find it in Friday's workout results.
Florida State's Dalvin Cook (above left) ran a 4.49 second 40-yard dash. LSU's Leonard Fournette (No. 9) clocked in at 4.51 seconds. Stanford's Christian McCaffrey clocked in at 4.48 seconds.
You can obsess over hundredths of a second if you like, but that's a neck-and-neck-and-neck race.
Looking for evidence beyond the 40 times? Cook and Fournette posted unimpressive high-jump numbers of 30.5 and 28.5 inches, respectively. McCaffrey leapt 37.5 inches. The high jump is a proxy measurement for overall athleticism and lower-body explosiveness. McCaffrey then tore up the lateral-agility drills, which many scouts find more informative than the dash results.
On the other hand, McCaffrey bench-pressed just 10 reps at 225 pounds. Cook put up an impressive 22 reps, while Fournette did not lift. The bench press is a minor drill for running backs. But for McCaffrey, the poor result reinforces the lack of tackle-breaking physicality evident on tape.
McCaffrey caught passes like a sure-handed wide receiver. Cook was OK. Fournette was the weakest receiver of the three. But Fournette weighed in at a massive 240 pounds, 30 pounds heavier than Cook and 38 pounds heavier than McCaffrey.
So he's the power-speed marvel, McCaffrey the all-purpose back and Cook the balanced slasher. Anyone who watches football on Saturdays could have told you that before Friday.
Look beyond the Big Three, and the workout numbers were as expected. The fastest runners were tiny guys from small programs or committee backfields. The burly big-name big backs ran in the 4.6-range, missing an opportunity to make the kind of impact Derrick Henry made last season.
A headline-making 4.3-second result or 4.7-second catastrophe for one of the big names would have been fun. But sometimes combine results that tell us little actually tell us everything we need to know.
Scouts, coaches and executives at the combine look to confirm what they saw on film and to discover what they overlooked. By running in the 4.5 range and performing (mostly) as expected in other areas, Cook, Fournette and McCaffrey essentially stood on their film, which is excellent.
The difference between Cook, Fournette and McCaffrey comes down to each team's need and scheme, plus things we cannot learn from watching workouts: Cook's character and ball security, Fournette and McCaffrey's ability to stay healthy.
There was no clear, hands-down winner on Friday.
Friday Spotlight: Donnel Pumphrey, San Diego State
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The Numbers
Pumphrey ran a 4.49-second 40 on Friday, with competitive numbers on other quickness-related drills. Pumphrey bench-pressed just five reps, but raw power isn't what he's about.
The most important number for Pumphrey is his weight. Pumphrey has bulked up to 176 pounds, just shy of the 180-pound minimum many teams use as a draftable-running-back threshold.
"I was 169 pounds in Alabama (at the Senior Bowl)," Pumphrey said. "I got up to 179 last week, but I tried to drop down a couple pounds just so I could run faster."
Pumphrey also said that eliminating junk food as helped him gain weight. Don't you just hate people like that?
Pumphrey on Pumphrey
"I'm kind of like a Darren Sproles. Maybe not size-wise, but that's how my game is, how I'd fit in at the next level. A Danny Woodhead. Or just a guy that gets in space, like Tyreek Hill."
Overall Impression
Even at 176 pounds, Pumphrey is still built like the MVP of the seventh-grade basketball team.
His film pops, and his quickness and competitiveness stood out during Senior Bowl week. But when he squares to block a linebacker it often looks like a hamster trying to stop a school bus.
Pumphrey could have used a forty in the 4.42-range to solidify his status as a change-up playmaker. His film and competitiveness will still get him drafted, but T.J. Logan (4.37) is going to steal much of the post-draft buzz that was Pumphrey's to lose.
Friday Spotlight: Samaje Perine, Oklahoma
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The Numbers
Perine generated some Thursday buzz with 30 reps on the bench press. The second-highest rep total for a running back this year was 24 (Florida State's Freddie Stevenson), and only four offensive linemen hoisted more weight than Perine.
Perine's 4.6-second dash was less impressive than his lifting results, but it was well within draftable range for a 233-pound power back.
Perine on Perine
"My greatest asset is definitely my power," he said on Thursday. Well, yeah.
Perine has also cut a little weight to get faster. "I couldn't get away from everyone. But now that I've slimmed down a little, I don't think that will be a problem anymore."
And what happens when Perine meets a linebacker in the hole?
"I'm runnin' him over."
Overall Impression
Perine went from a bell cow back in 2014 to a jack-of-all-trades role with the emergence of Joe Mixon. The reduced workload and diversified role may work to his benefit in the NFL. Perine gained experience as a blocking back and even took snaps as a Wildcat quaterback.
He's an unpolished receiver, but Perine can step into a backfield rotation and contribute in a variety of ways. His measurables compare to Jeremy Hill of the Bengals, and Perine could fill a similar role at the NFL level.
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Friday Spotlight: James Conner, Pittsburgh
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The Numbers
Conner had a perfectly solid day of workouts: a 4.65-second forty at 233 pounds, 20 bench press reps, with jumps and agility drills that check the boxes without leaping off the spreadsheet.
Of course, the most important questions surrounding Conner involve his recovery from Hodgkin's lymphoma. All of the news on that front is excellent. "I had a clean scan last Thursday," Conner said. "So I'm up to date. They all got a copy of that. So there's really no more questions about it. I'm healthy."
Conner on Conner
“I believe I’m a traditional running back: inside, between the tackles. I think my ability to break tackles and make yards after contact is what will make me successful in any system. I’m just asking for the opportunity.”
As for how teams are approaching his health status:
“I’m getting a lot of congrats, which I didn’t really expect. Well, I expected it, but this is a business. But a lot of the teams and scouts are saying congrats, what I went through, it was awesome how I defeated it.“
"People want to be a part of that. It’s a great story to tell, and teams want to be a part of it. So I’m just looking forward to draft day.”
Overall Impressions
Conner has a reputation as a straight-ahead pile driver. But he came on as a receiver in 2016, and he has enough open-field burst and cutback ability to add other dimensions to his game. He'll never be a Le'Veon Bell, juking and creating his open openings, but he's more than a goal line battering ram. And yes, teams do value the courage and maturity it takes to beat cancer.
Conner is probably a Day Three talent in a draft class with several rushers who can do everything he does a little better. You better believe he'll make the most of any chance he gets.
Friday Spotlight: Alvin Kamara, Tennessee
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The Numbers
Kamara was the jumping champion of Friday's workouts, with a 39.5 inch high jump and a 131-inch broad jump. Remember, draft lovers: the jumps are measurements for power and lower-body explosiveness, so they can often tell you as much about a prospect as the 40.
In fact, Kamara's jump results offset any fears about his 4.56 40, a step slow for a running back selling himself as a playmaker on the exterior. Kamara also ran some slot-receiver routes during pass-catching skills to demonstrate his versatility.
Kamara on Kamara
Kamara on what sets him apart from the other top backs: "I think my versatility and what I bring to the special-teams game. What I bring catching the ball out of the backfield. There's a lot of things I can do that can help an organization."
Overall Impression
Kamara is the "sleeper" that everyone knows about and many are projecting into the first round. He heard the chatter late in the NCAA season. "I've noticed the buzz," he said. "I do my best just to try to stay focused."
While thought of as a small scatback, Kamara is a solid 214 pounds and, as his 40 indicates, isn't the pure burner some teams might prefer at that positon. But Kamara's play speed is impressive, as are his hands and route-running chops.
Kamara reminds me of Brian Westbrook on tape, and nothing I saw or heard this week at the Combine has made me want to change that comparison.
Get to Know the Speedsters
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Three relatively unknown mighty mites won the sprint competition.
Here's the skinny on who they are:
T.J. Logan, North Carolina (4.37 at 5'9", 196 pounds)
Elijah Hood's change-up back for the Tar Heels, Logan (pictured) is an excellent return man and space player who is about what you would expect as a runner of his size: a screen-sweep-draw specialist who didn't get many 3rd-and-1 carries.
Logan had an impressive practice week at the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, which is the college all-star equivalent of starring in an off-off Broadway play. Strong overall workouts (including a 33.5-inch vertical) should put him in the Day Three conversation as a return man.
Joe Williams, Utah (4.41 seconds at 5'11", 211 pounds)
Williams rushed for 1,407 yards in 2016 despite missing several games because he was grieving the death of his sister. Utah guard Isaac Asiata spoke glowingly of his running back: "He does a great job of making things happen, especially yards after contact," Asiata said.
"Me and Joe had a good chemistry. If I pulled around, or I was the point of attack on a run play, I could feel how Joe was setting me up on my block. He would set me up in a perfect position for me to take over, then he would cut off of it."
Williams has rudimentary receiving chops, but his size-speed-athleticism-tape combination should push him into the middle rounds.
Tarik Cohen, North Carolina A&T (4.42 seconds at 5'6", 179 pounds)
The Human Joystick falls below most teams' height-weight thresholds and dominated FCS competition just by out-running and out-juking low-level defenders. His 40 time should lead to some individual meetings and workouts, which could lead to a late-round selection as a return man.
The First-Round Running-Back Gamble
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Just about every major prospect and half the coaches and general managers who spoke this week were asked a burning question: "Does it make sense to draft a running back in the first round?"
Wait, that's not a burning question at all. Ezekiel Elliott (pictured) dumped a bathtub full of water on it. The 2014 combine wants its burning question back.
I wrote at length about this subject last April. To summarize: Before 2011, first-round running backs received huge contracts that made them extremely risky selections at a position where effective second-tier talent is widely available. Since then, rookie contracts have become cheaper and college backs more versatile, so a team that drafts a first-round runner is likely to get the four best years of his career at affordable prices.
Still, the debate rages on, both around the combine podiums and in analytics circles. Elliott was amazing, but the Patriots and Falcons did alright without first-round talent at running back, and the Packers converted a wide receiver to the position. Meanwhile, Todd Gurley hit a brick wall in his second season. His own franchise was the wall, but still.
Also, if this draft class is as deep as it looks, and if the Big Three prospects (plus Joe Mixon) all come with legitimate questions, why take the risk?
That's a question different teams will answer in different ways. Here's Cardinals GM Steve Keim's take on the subject: "When it comes to backs, people talk about backs being devalued. I don't see that being the case... if you think a guy is going to be special, you take him in the top 10 if that's the player he is.”
There are between three and five special guys at running back in this year's draft class. Quite a few of them will be taken in the first round. They'll probably prove they are worth the risk.
Chatter About the Rest of the NFL
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Jets release Brandon Marshall (pictured) as part of their veteran purge.
Welcome to the third verse of the country song, Jets fans—the part where the pickup truck breaks down and the ol’ hound dog runs off.
Ryan Leaf attends the combine as a cautionary tale for young quarterbacks.
"Chad Kelly! I’m your future self! I traveled back in time to bring you a dire warning!"
Rumors that Jimmy Garoppolo won't be traded and Mitch Trubisky could go No. 1.
Translation: "John Lynch is a rookie GM who needs a quarterback. Let’s &^%% with him!"
Chip Kelly auditions for the FOX broadcast booth.
Just what he always wanted: three hours per week to explain to the rest of the NFL that they’re doing it all wrong.
Eagles, Titans looking to trade for Saints WR Brandin Cooks.
Speaking of Chip, he could really build a Marcus Mariota/DeMarco Murray blockbuster out of this one.
Eagles win coin toss with Colts for 14th overall pick.
The NFL used a novelty coin instead of a quarter so Eagles fans wouldn't boo George Washington. It became a moot point, however, when Chuck Pagano called "headails."
Steelers sign James Harrison, begin talks with Le'Veon Bell about a long-term deal.
The Steelers are like the father-in-law who gets a big tax refund and blows it all on attic insulation.
Ian Rapoport reports possible three-way 49ers-Cowboys-Redskins trade involving Kirk Cousins and Tony Romo.
We're all gonna need a cigarette and a shower after that happens.
Colin Kaepernick will now stand for the National Anthem.
America’s problems have all been solved, folks. Hooray.
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