NFL Scouting Combine Preview: Breaking down the Miami Dolphins’ top 5 options at RB
This is the first in a series of position previews ahead of next week’s NFL Scouting Combine.
Before we begin, a reminder: 37-year-old Ryan Fitzpatrick — who plays quarterback — led the Miami Dolphins in rushing in 2019.
What’s more, the Dolphins’ No. 2 rusher, Mark Walton, probably will never play another down in the NFL after allegedly beating his pregnant girlfriend in November.
So yeah, Dolphins general manager Chris Grier is going to draft a running back in April, probably in the first two days.
Whom exactly? That we don’t know. But he doesn’t lack for options.
Here are five of the best:
D’Andre Swift
School: Georgia.
Year: Junior.
Height/weight: 5-9, 215.
2019 stats: 1,218 yards on 196 carries (6.2 avg.), eight offensive touchdowns.
ESPN position/overall draft ranking: 1/15.
What to know: Georgia continues to churn out top-flight running backs, with Swift the school’s third top-40 prospect in as many years (Sony Michel and Nick Chubb were the others). The Dolphins are all-in on drafting their franchise quarterback this year. If they land one at 5, perhaps Swift — who was a first-team all-conference pick in 2019 — becomes a consideration at 18. Working against him: Miami’s many other needs, and the Dolphins’ draft history (they’ve taken a running back in Round 1 just once this century).
They said it: “Swift possesses the play traits and running style of a skillful NFL veteran and is the latest in an avalanche of talented Georgia backs. Tempo and decisiveness are his calling cards, making him a highly talented inside/outside zone runner. He’s a cerebral runner who understands block timing and uses quick-cut agility and rare spatial awareness to read and react to defenses beyond the second level. Swift isn’t overly explosive as a home-run hitter and doesn’t run with the violence of last year’s top running back, Josh Jacobs. He can step right in and provide early stability and production as an efficient, every-down back with Offensive Rookie of the Year potential.” — Lance Zierlein, NFL.com.
J.K. Dobbins
School: Ohio State.
Year: Junior.
Height/weight: 5-10, 217.
2019 stats: 2,003 yards on 301 carries (6.7 avg.), 21 rushing touchdowns.
ESPN position/overall draft ranking: 2/33.
What to know: J.K. — short for J’Kaylin — finished sixth in Heisman voting in 2019 after tying Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor for the third-most rushing yards in the country. A quick rundown of his collegiate honors: First-team All-American, first-team all-conference, MVP of the 2017 Big Ten title game, and most rushing yards in a season in Ohio State history. Working in Dobbins’ favor: Chris Grier loves drafting Buckeyes. Dobbins should absolutely be in play when the Dolphins pick at 26 and 39.
They said it: “He had an excellent bounce-back season. I thought he looked less explosive in 2018; he averaged just 4.6 yards per carry, down from 7.2 when he was a true freshman. He was back to his explosive self in 2019, rushing for 2,003 yards and 21 touchdowns. And with 71 career catches, Dobbins also has some juice in the passing game. If Dobbins has a good combine in a few weeks, it’s not out of the question that he’s the first running back taken.” — Mel Kiper, ESPN.com.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire
School: LSU.
Year: Junior.
Height/weight: 5-8, 205.
2019 stats: 1,867 yards from scrimmage and 17 offensive touchdowns, 6.6 yards-per-carry average.
ESPN position/overall draft ranking: 3/37.
What to know: One of these running backs is not like the other, and his name is Clyde Edwards-Helaire. He is tiny by NFL standards. But Edwards-Helaire — a hometown recruit for LSU — plays bigger than his 5-foot-8 frame, and was the SEC’s only consensus first-team all-conference running back. He’s probably the draft’s most complete back, rushing for 1,414 yards and adding another 453 as a receiver. The ability is undeniable. But will Grier be able to look past his height?
They said it: “Edwards-Helaire is a true underdog story. He openly talks about being overlooked his entire life as a smaller running back but he continues to produce. Joe Burrow and the Tigers’ high-octane passing attack received a lot of the praise for their National Championship run but Edwards-Helaire deserves as much. When his team needed him the most, he delivered. The Louisiana native is focused and aware. His strong lower body allowed him to fight through contact for additional yardage. He displays good balance and rarely took a loss. He did not show much as a pass catcher so that may be an emphasis for him during the pre-NFL Draft process.” — Josh Edwards, CBSSports.com.
Jonathan Taylor
School: Wisconsin.
Year: Junior.
Height/weight: 5-11, 219.
2019 stats: 2,003 yards on 320 carries (6.3 avg.), 26 offensive touchdowns.
ESPN position/overall draft ranking: 4/42.
What to know: One of college football’s brightest recent stars wisely declared early. Had Taylor — the time-time Doak Walker Award winner and college football’s No. 6 all-time rusher — spent another year at Wisconsin, he might not have had anything left in the tank. He averaged an absurd 309 carries in his three collegiate seasons; by way of comparison, no NFL running back had more than 303 carries in 2019, despite playing two more games than Taylor did.
They said it: “Taylor is an ultra-productive running back with outstanding strength and speed. On inside runs, he’s sudden, carries his pads low to the ground and shows the balance to bounce off tacklers while keeping his legs alive. He isn’t overly shifty, but he avoids taking flush hits and he always falls forward for extra yardage. He has plenty of speed to capture the edge and once he gets in space, he can run away from the crowd. In the passing game, he is very effective on screens, where he can set up his blocks and collect big chunks of yardage. He trusts his hands and attacks the ball when he’s out in the route. He didn’t have a lot of reps in pass protection in the games I studied. Overall, Taylor is an explosive home run hitter with upside in the passing game.” — Daniel Jeremiah, NFL Network.
Cam Akers
School: Florida State.
Year: Junior.
Height/weight: 5-11, 212.
2019 stats: 1,144 yards on 231 carries (5.0 avg.), 18 offensive touchdowns.
ESPN position/overall draft ranking: 5/72.
What to know: If you’re looking for fresh legs, Akers is your guy. He won’t even turn 21 until two months after the draft and carried the ball just 586 times in three seasons at Florida State. The former Mississippi Gatorade Player of the Year was a five-star recruit out of high school and even after breaking Dalvin Cook’s freshman rushing record, probably deserved better in Tallahassee. He proved that he doesn’t need great blocking to succeed — which would definitely be relevant, should the Dolphins draft him.
They said it: “Despite a disappointing win-loss record and a lack of blocking up front, Akers maintained a consistent level of play that represents his football character. He runs with tempo and flow but alters his rush track at a moment’s notice when needed. He is elusive but lacking the instant burst of a slasher capable of stacking long runs in a single game. Akers has above-average open-field vision once he’s into the second level and looks to run through the tackler’s pads as a finisher. He’s a three-down option with good feel for finding the crease near the goal line, but ball security needs to improve. He can be Leg 1 or 2 of a tandem rushing attack and is one of the more natural runners in the draft.” — Lance Zierlein, NFL Network.
