March 12, 2008

1. Darren McFadden - Arkansas 6-2/215

McFadden may not be the best pure running back in the class, in fact I don't believe that he is, but he is without question a serious threat and a real playmaker. There is of course going to be a question of character after his numerous run-ins with the law but his incredible ability and speed will have him taken in the top 10 of this years draft.

2. Rashard Mendenhall - Illinois 5-11/210

Rashard was the one true constant for the Illini and that's because he runs with great vision and has the ability to create when the blocking fails. He is perhaps the beset runner in this class because he finishes every run.

3. Jonathan Stewart - Oregon 5-11/234

Jonathan has some real "next level" talent and can be a feature back on any team in the NFL. The only problem is that Dennis Dixon was used as the Ducks feature back so we have yet to see what he has as a twenty touch guy.

4. Felix Jones - Arkansas 6-0/207

Felix will be a steal unless he goes in the top 20, he has the ability to hit for the big run from anywhere and if not for McFadden, he would have some sick numbers to back his point. The opposite argument can be made that he benefited from Darren's presence but I don't buy that argument, Felix is for real. Durability is a question though.

5. Chris Johnson - East Carolina 5-11/195

Chris does an incredible job of staying underneath his pads and driving through arm tackles. He has a great second gear and with his ability to line up as a wideout, he has the entire package. The lack of competition keeps him from being ranked even higher because he has all the tools needed at running back.

6. Tashard Choice - Georgia Tech 6-1/205

Tashard showed a great ability to create plays as well as do the dirty work for the Yellow Jacket. He would shine in a zone blocking scheme with his great center of gravity and cut back ability. His greatest asset is his willingness to play hard-nosed between the tackles. When he learns when to be patient at times and when to kick it into high gear, he will become a serious player at the NFL level.

7. Ray Rice - Rutgers 5-9/195

Ray does a tremendous job of staying low around traffic and his low center of gravity allows him to break arm tackles with relative ease. He is a playmaker out of the backfield as well and though he has good quicks he is not a one step, change of direction back that you would expect from a 5’9’ running back. He’s fast into and out of the hole and runs