NFL Draft 2014 Preview (7 page)

RB TIMOTHY FLANDERS, #20

SAM HOUSTON STATE
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Grade: 4.85

Ht: 5-8 5/8 | Wt: 207 | Sp: 4.74 | Arm: 30 1/4 | Hand: 9 1/4

History:
His younger brother, James, is a running back for Tulsa. His older brother, John, was a defensive back and four-year letterman for Tulsa. Oklahoma prep who rushed for 2,134 yards and 34 touchdowns as a senior. Initially went to Kansas State in 2009, but transferred after one redshirt year in order to see more playing time. Walked on at Sam Houston State during the summer of 2010 and soon became the team’s starter. Went on to lead the Southland Conference in rushing as a freshman, starting 10 games and rushing 172 times for 948 yards (5.5-yard average) and 13 touchdowns with 11 receptions for 24 yards (2.2) and zero touchdowns. Missed one game with an undisclosed injury. Broke out in ’11, racking up 298-1,644-22 (5.5) on the ground and 34-414-2 (12.2) receiving in 15 starts. Had 2,058 all-purpose yards in earning conference Player of the Year honors. Rushed for 287 yards against Montana in the FCS semifinal game. Repeated as Southland Player of the Year in ’12, piling up 288-1,642-17 (5.7) rushing and 13-128-1 (9.8) receiving in 15 starts. Despite battling a nagging foot injury in ’13, he played in 14 games (13 starts) and ran for 241-1,430-14 (5.9) while catching 6-63-1 (10.5). Had a 280-yard performance against Eastern Washington and a 170-yard/two-touchdown game against Texas A&M. The three-time Walter Payton Award finalist became the first Sam Houston player to earn first-team all-league honors four times. Was the first Southland Conference running back to gain more than 5,000 yards and score more than 400 points, concluding his college career as his school’s recordholder in rushing yards (5,664), carries (999), all-purpose yards (6,293), touchdowns (70) and 100-yard games (30). Finished his career in the FCS all-time Top 10 in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns and scoring.

Strengths:
Thickly built with a low center of gravity. Good run vision and patience allowing holes to develop. Drives his legs on contact. Rose to the occasion vs. better competition (see Texas A&M). Very durable. Dedicated gym rat. Very gregarious, well-respected personality.

Weaknesses:
Has very small hands. Had 999 college carries and took a lot of hits. Average creativity — not dynamic and does not string moves together. Lacks top-end speed to pull away from the pack. Not a powerful tackle-breaker and often goes down on initial contact (average yards after contact). Does not create his own hole. Will need work in pass protection.

Future:
Tough, competitive, hard-nosed runner with the eyes, instincts and intangibles to earn a role. Has make-it qualities that could endear him to a coaching staff and add life to a locker room.

Draft projection:
Priority free agent.

RB DAVID FLUELLEN, #22

TOLEDO
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Grade: 5.22

Ht: 5-11 1/8 | Wt: 224 | Sp: 4.67 | Arm: 33 3/8 | Hand: 9 1/8

History:
His last name is pronounced “flu-ELL-in.” His brother, Jhamal, played running back at Syracuse and Maine and went to training camp with the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats. The New York prep originally committed to Buffalo before opting to sign with Toledo. Was a finalist for New York State High School Player of the Year honors after rushing for 1,638 yards and 19 touchdowns as a senior. Appeared in nine games as a true freshman for Toledo in 2010 and rushed 38 times for 224 yards (5.9-yard average) and one touchdown with five receptions for 39 yards (7.8) and zero touchdowns. Missed four games with a sprained MCL in his left knee. Spent much of ’11 as a backup before starting three late-season contests. In 13 games, he carried 97-493-4 (5.1) and caught 16-155-2 (9.7). Had his best collegiate season in ’12, playing in 12 games (11 starts) and recording 259-1,498-13 (5.8) rushing and 32-246-0 (7.7) receiving. Surpassed the 100-yards mark in six straight games — including a trio of 200-plus affairs. Missed one game with a right ankle injury and parts of two games with a head injury. In ’13, despite playing in only nine games, he amassed 167-1,121-10 (6.7) on the ground and 27-222-0 (8.2) receiving. Became the first Toledo running back to record 100 yards both rushing and receiving in one game, accomplishing the feat against Missouri (17 rushes for 111 yards, 10 catches for 100 yards). Had six consecutive 100-yard games before injuring his left ankle October 26. Missed three of Toledo’s final four games with the ankle injury, which turned out to be a small fracture that wasn’t discovered until a late November MRI. Over his final two college seasons, he missed a full contest or significant time in a game nine times due to injury. Concluded his Toledo career with 3,336 rushing yards and 4,082 all-purpose yards.

Strengths:
Excellent size. Runs hard downhill and can pick and slide and find creases. Good vision, leg churn and contact balance to finish runs. Tough and physical — squares his shoulders to the line and will seek to deliver punishment. Nice balance and agility. Can power through arm tackles. Good production. Has a strong support structure and strong character.

Weaknesses:
Average speed. Tends to run a bit upright. Can do a better job of securing the ball tightly — will flag it. Limited make-you-miss. Lacks home-run speed to pull away from the pack. Is not a nuanced pass protector — developing eyes and awareness. Could improve sustain. Inconsistent catcher. Has missed games in three of the last four seasons with knee, ankle and back injuries and will struggle to make it through a season healthy.

Future:
A competitive, inside power runner with a hard, upright running style that could lend itself to injuries in the pros. Could carve a role as a solid backup and function well between the tackles in a rotation.

Draft projection:
Fifth- to sixth-round pick.

Scout’s take:
“He had a strong showing at the Senior Bowl. I like his eyes and patience. He’s a chunk runner. You’re not going to see him break away, but he is what plays in the league. He has make-it qualities.”

RB DEVONTA FREEMAN, #8 (JUNIOR)

FLORIDA STATE
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Grade: 5.57

Ht: 5-8 1/4 | Wt: 206 | Sp: 4.58 | Arm: 29 3/8 | Hand: 9 5/8

History:
Miami-area prep who rushed for 308 yards in the 2010 Class 6A state championship game in his only year as a starter. Rushed for 2,208 yards and 26 touchdowns as a senior before enrolling early at Florida State in January 2011. Began his freshman year fourth on the Seminoles’ depth chart, but rose to the starting tailback role in the second half of the season due to injuries. Played in 12 games (seven starts) and rushed 120 times for 579 yards (4.8-yard average) and eight touchdowns with 15 receptions for 111 yards (7.4) and zero touchdowns. Recorded the fifth-most rushing yards for a true freshman in FSU history. Was hampered late in the year after aggravating a previous back injury. Began ’12 as the backup tailback and took over the starting job down the stretch, appearing in 14 games (five starts) and tallying 111-660-8 (5.9) on the ground and 10-86-0 (8.6) receiving. Broke out in ’13, earning All-ACC honors after becoming the first FSU player to reach the 1,000-yards mark since Warrick Dunn in 1996. Started all 14 games for the national champions, amassing 173-1,016-14 (5.9) rushing and 22-278-1 (12.6) receiving. Scored at least one touchdown in each of his last 10 games, including a three-yard score against Auburn in the BCS National Championship.

Strengths:
Well-built with a compact frame. Very good eyes and lateral agility in the hole — shimmies through small spaces and can create yardage where there is none. Squares his shoulders to the line and runs efficiently. Good lower-body strength, surprising power and superb balance. Tough and runs hard. Catches outside his frame and can make the difficult catch. Strong and nifty after the catch. Reliable in pass protection. Terrific competitor. Extremely durable and never missed a game. Works at his craft and is a student of the game.

Weaknesses:
Lacks ideal size and power for a bellcow back and does not run heavily between the tackles. Does not possess home-run speed. Ran behind one of the most talented offensive lines in college football in an offense stacked with talent. Has been nagged by back injuries.

Future:
Compactly built, downhill slasher with the agility and balanced skill set to emerge as a workhorse back. Earned the top assignment in a very talented backfield and carries a similar build, running style and all-around utility as San Francisco 49ers 2005 third-round pick Frank Gore. Has innate run skills and a nose for finding the end zone. Could prove to be a better pro than college player.

Draft projection:
Second- to third-round pick.

Scout’s take:
“No. 8 is short, but he is really talented. He’s too small to be a bellcow. He played around 205, but he can be at least 215. He has a nice bubble (butt) on him and his lower body is solid. There’s no dancing with him — he just hits it hard. I like his running style. It will play well at our level.”

RB TYLER GAFFNEY, #25

STANFORD
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Grade: 5.23

Ht: 5-11 1/2 | Wt: 220 | Sp: 4.49 | Arm: 30 1/4 | Hand: 9

History:
His father, Gene, was a pitcher for the University of San Diego in the early 1980s. Was a four-sport athlete as a prep in San Diego, participating in football, baseball, basketball and track. On the gridiron, he had 5,547 rushing yards and 99 touchdowns during his high school career. Moved on to Stanford, where he double-majored in sociology and psychology while playing both football and baseball. Saw action in 12 games as a true freshman for the Cardinal in 2009 and rushed 22 times for 87 yards (4.0-yard average) and one touchdown with two receptions for 39 yards (19.5) and no touchdowns. Backed up current Arizona Cardinals RB Stepfan Taylor in ’10 and played in 10 games, carrying 60-255-4 (4.3) and catching 3-60-2 (20.0). Missed three games due to an ankle injury. Again backed up Taylor in ’11 and tallied 74-449-7 (6.1) on the ground and 12-79-1 (6.6) receiving. Meanwhile, he was a three-year starting outfielder for Stanford’s nationally ranked baseball team, batting .301 with a .406 on-base percentage. Was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 24th round of the ’12 draft and elected to pursue a professional baseball career. Spent that summer with the Class-A State College Spikes in the New York-Penn League and hit .297 in 38 games. After the one-year hiatus from football, he returned in ’13 for both his senior season and to complete his degree — and was a starting running back for the first time. Amassed 330-1,709-21 (5.2) on the ground and 15-86-1 (5.7) receiving in 14 starts. Rushed a school-record 45 times vs. Oregon.

Strengths:
Excellent size. Effective inside runner. Nice vision and patience. Runs behind his pads — churns his legs through contact and fights for extra yards. Good hands as a receiver out of the backfield. Highly competitive. Tough and durable. Well-conditioned athlete — showed he could handle a heavy workload after a year away from the gridiron (averaged 24 carries per game). Very solid in pass protection. Recorded a 6.78-second 3-cone time at the Combine, finishing second among backs.

Weaknesses:
Tight-hipped and straight-linish. Limited twitch and wiggle. Gears down to cut. Average quickness to and through the hole. Runs duck-footed and lacks breakaway speed — tracked down from behind. Has split his time and training between two sports.

Future:
Gaffney, who doubles as a baseball player, rejoined the Cardinal football team after a one-year stint in Class A. Did not skip a beat, shouldering the load as a feature back and putting himself back on the NFL radar by showing inside running skills as a big, athletic, downhill back willing to grind out the tough yards. Has the determination and competitiveness to earn a backup role for a power-running team.

Draft projection:
Fourth- to fifth-round pick.

RB MARION GRICE, #1

ARIZONA STATE
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Grade: 5.14

Ht: 6-0 | Wt: 208 | Sp: 4.60e | Arm: 32 | Hand: 9 1/4

History:
The Houston-area prep wanted to go to Texas A&M, but an unfulfilled academic requirement left him without a four-year option. Accepted an offer to play from Blinn Junior College (Texas). While in high school in 2008, he picked up misdemeanor assault and criminal mischief charges when he was part of a group that fired paintball guns at bystanders from a moving truck. Appeared in 10 games for Blinn in 2010 and ran 160 times for 1,169 yards (7.3-yard average) and 17 touchdowns with eight receptions for 90 yards (11.3) and zero touchdowns. Was a second-team NJCAA All-America selection in ’11 after carrying 174-1,052-16 (6.0) and catching 14-171-2 (12.2) — earning him an invitation from Arizona State. Despite not starting any games for ASU in ’12, he crossed the goal line 19 times (11 rushing, eight receiving) — leading FBS running backs in receiving touchdowns. Rushed 103-679-11 (6.6) and caught 41-425-8 (10.4). In late December, his close friend, Joshua Woods, was murdered over a new pair of Air Jordans; eight days later, he returned to the Sun Devils for their Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl appearance against Navy and was named the game’s MVP, rushing 14-159-2. Was a Hornung Award Finalist in ’13, amassing 191-996-14 (5.2) on the ground, 50-438-6 (8.8) receiving and 21-507-0 (24.1) returning kickoffs. Was the only player in the country to surpass the 400-yards mark in each of those categories. Averaged 176.5 all-purpose yards per game, ranking third in FBS. Missed the final three games with a left leg injury. Had 39 touchdowns in his 24-game ASU career and did not lose a fumble in 406 touches.