by Justin Snider
In today’s landscape of the NFL, the running back position has been devalued to its lowest depths in history. What that leads to is a situation where teams are finding great value in drafting running backs as opposed to spending big on the position during free agency. The days of the true workhorse running back are all but gone, with few exceptions (see: Derrick Henry) and teams are often looking at more of a committee approach. Modern NFL running backs are also asked to catch the ball out of the backfield much more than in years past. Versatility is now a pivotal factor for a running back coming out of college. Fullbacks are hardly utilized at all anymore. In fact, in 2020 only two full backs were invited to the NFL combine. As NFL offenses change, so does each individualized position. With that being said let’s take a look at some of the running backs who will be sought after in the 2021 NFL Draft:
Najee Harris – Alabama
This is your annual, “insert your Alabama running back here.” It seems every year, Alabama running backs are coming off the draft board, whether it’s in round 1 like Josh Jacobs, round 2 like T.J. Yeldon or Derrick Henry, round 3 picks, such as Damien Harris and Kenyan Drake, or even a day 3 round 7 selection like Bo Scarbrough, and this is just since 2015! This year that Alabama running back is Najee Harris. Coming out of high school Harris could have went to any college he wanted to, and in half of those cases he would have been a starter as a freshman. In 2017 Rivals had him as the #1 overall recruit in the country, 247Sports had him at #2, ESPN had him at #3. He chose the Alabama Crimson Tide as his school of choice. This led him to limited carries as a freshman as he was behind Damien Harris, Bo Scarbrough, and Josh Jacobs on the depth chart. Harris became the starter his junior year as Damien Harris and Josh Jacobs went onto the NFL. That year he rushed for 1,224 yards and 13 touchdowns and also caught 27 passes for 304 yards and 7 touchdowns. He followed that up with a senior season that saw him rush for 1,466 yards, and an astounding 26 touchdowns. He also totaled 425 receiving yards and 4 receiving touchdowns. Harris has the vision, toughness and size (6’2 230 pounds) to be a three down back in the NFL. He does a great job of letting each play come to him, waiting for his blocks to be set and hitting the hole at the right moment. He runs very fluid for a player of his size and creates a high amount of missed tackles. The one knock on Harris would be his overall top end speed. He isn’t going to be breaking off many long long runs at the NFL level, but for someone who averaged almost 6 yards a carry his senior season, consistently moving the chains and eventually getting into the end zone won’t be a problem for Harris.
Travis Etienne – Clemson
Travis Etienne comes in at 5’10” 205 pounds. Along with Najee Harris, Etienne is one of the 2 running backs that should hear their names called in round 1 of the NFL draft. Etienne surprised many by coming back for his senior season as he was widely expected to be a first round pick in the 2020 draft. So naturally, coming into this season he was ranked highly among running backs. Whether or not him or Harris will be drafted first, I believe simply will come down to the fit each player respectively provides the individual team looking to draft at the position. Etienne was a 2 time ACC player of the year, he is the ACC’s all time career rushing yards leader with 4,952. He is the ACC’s all time career total touchdown leader with 78 and the NCAA’s all time leader in total games with a touchdown at 46. Etienne offers great speed throughout his runs, great acceleration from the beginning, and a 2nd gear to finish off runs. If he does find himself approaching a defender, he does a great job of finishing runs by being physical at the point of contact. Clemson utilized him quite a bit in their screen game, so he offers that added dimension to his game, while having great hands. If there is one drawback associated with Etienne it is with his pass protection. While this is an issues with many college prospects, coaching and time mixed with determination will usually fix this issue.
Javonte Williams and Michael Carter – North Carolina
After Harris and Etienne and their first round evaluations, you have a mix of players that I have pegged as 2nd round projections all the way through undrafted free agents. First up, you have 2 potential 2nd round choices in UNC’s Javonte Williams and Michael Carter. Williams is 5’10” 220 pounds, and was widely unknown before this season. His junior year he amassed 933 yards and 5 touchdowns. It wasn’t until his senior year where he became known on a national level. He has has a valuable skill set and is a punishing runner who loves to initiate contact. In 2020, he gained 1,140 yards and 19 touchdowns, all while splitting carries with Carter. Williams led the country with 76 missed tackles forced. He also progressed as a pass catcher out of the back field with 25 catches for 305 yards and 3 touchdowns. His game against the Miami Hurricanes largely put him on the map. That game he rushed 23 times for 236 yards and 3 touchdowns.
While Williams was the thunder at UNC, Michael Carter was the lightning. A bit on the smaller size at 5’8 202 pounds, Carter more than makes up for it with agility and elusiveness. Like Williams, Carter had a decent 2019 where he rushed for 1,003 yards. His dynamic ability along with Williams bruising running style created the ultimate one-two punch for the 2020 season. Carter rushed 156 times for 1,245 yards and 9 touchdowns and added 25 catches for 267 yards and 3 touchdowns his senior season. I protect Williams as being a solid 3 down back in the NFL while Carter would be a solid piece in a committee backfield, much like he was utilized at UNC. Both backs should make an impact in the NFL, if placed in a system that highlights their abilities.
Kenneth Gainwell – Memphis
Gainwell is one of my favorite prospects in the draft. A team taking a late round flyer on him might strike gold on the big time playmaker. With former Tiger Antonio Gibson making such an impact his rookie year, teams might take an extra look at the Memphis product. The redshirt sophomore is 5’11” 190 pounds. In 2019, Gainwell had 100 or more all purpose yards in every game but one. He was 4th in the nation in total scrimmage yards. He is a fluid runner, great pass catcher out of the backfield, and is a big play waiting to happen. Teams might worry about his smaller stature and that might lead him to be selected by a team that is looking for a compliment to an already bigger back. A situation like in Green Bay where the Packers now have AJ Dillon and his bruising running style, might like to complement that with the skillset of Gainwell. Gainwell’s pro day will be more important for him then others on this list as he chose to opt out of the 2020 season and prepare for the 2021 NFL draft. A good showing, could definitely boost his draft stock.
Chubba Hubbard – Oklahoma State
Chubba Hubbard is 6’0 205 pounds, and is a rare Canadian prospect. In 2019, Hubbard led the nation and rushed for 2,094 yards and 21 touchdowns. That great season led many to believe that he would enter the 2020 NFL draft. However, Hubbard announced that he would return to school for his redshirt junior year. His 2020 season did not go to plan unfortunately, as he had an issue with his coach followed by ankle injuries causing him to play in 7 games, before opting out the rest of the season. He rushed for only 625 yards and 5 touchdowns. I believe returning to school has hurt Hubbards draft stock to the point where he is likely to be taken in rounds 4 or 5, as opposed to rounds 2 or 3 had he declared for the draft a year earlier. A team that drafts Hubbard will hope that his great vision and speed will carry him while he learns the technique to power through would be tacklers, while gaining the strength needed to play running back position at the NFL level.
Trey Sermon – Ohio State
Trey Sermon is 6’0 220 pounds and played 3 seasons at Oklahoma before transferring to Ohio State as a graduate student for his senior year. Sermon caught fire at the end of his senior year rushing for 331 yards against Northwestern in the Big Ten Championship. Against Clemson in the 2021 Sugar Bowl, he had 193 yards rushing and 61 yards receiving along with a touchdown. His final collegiate game came against Alabama in the National Championship and Sermon was injured on the first play of the game and did not return. While Sermon does lack the power you would want from the running back position, he more than makes up for it with footwork and technique. He knows how to find the opening in a defense and attack it. He has decent hands for a running back, but ran a limited route tree. Any team willing to roll the dice on Sermon will have to be patient as he finds his niche in the league and lets the game come to him.
Rhamondre Stevenson -Oklahoma
Rhamondre Stevenson took the hard route to Oklahoma. As a senior in high school, a broken foot caused a lost senior year. With his grades slipping, he made the decision to go to junior college. His freshman year was a learning curve for him, but his sophomore year is when he burst onto the scene. He carried the ball 222 times for over 2,000 yards and 16 touchdowns. His sophomore success allowed him to be recruited by power 5 schools, and he chose Oklahoma. He had a solid start his junior year, but a failed test for THC caused him to miss his bowl game and the first 5 games of the 2020 season. (Reminder the NFL can no longer suspend players over marijuana, due to the new CBA). Stevenson’s 2020 stats were 101 carries for 665 yards and 7 touchdowns. While there may be character concerns, there is no denying that there is a level of talent there. At 6’0 246, pounds he has a solid frame and is a hard runner to bring down. With a 40 time in the 4.5 to 4.6s there is enough speed there for the position. A lack of opportunity in the passing game will hurt him, but he does offer enough athletic ability to at least be a potential threat if that were ever to become a tool in his arsenal. A 6th or 7th round pick, he could be a surprise for a team willing to look past the character concerns and look to untapped further potential.
Elijah Mitchell – Louisiana
At 5’10 215 pounds, Elijah Mitchell is a good inside runner, and had consistent production at Louisiana. He is tough to bring down for his size, and while he doesn’t have elite speed, he does have short area burst. His pass catching is sound and he will be a solid rotational runner in the NFL. A team looking to use a 7th round pick or pick up Mitchell as an undrafted free agent could be lucky enough to strike gold like Jacksonville did with another small school undrafted free agent prospect in James Robinson.
The free agent 2021 RB field added to this year’s RB draft class will make for some interesting moves around the NFL. I will of course have more insight as we get closer to the draft including my one and only mock draft that to date has yet to be beaten by any of the professionals out there. Thank you for reading and if you’ve enjoyed this article, share with friends and don’t forget to listen to the podcast. New episodes every Wednesday.