Green Bay Packers 2015 NFL Draft: Breaking down the running back prospects
By Dan Dahlke
South Carolina Gamecocks running back
Mike Davis(28) leaves behind Furman Paladins defensive end
Gary Wilkins(35).
Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports
Tier Three
9. Mike Davis, South Carolina (5-9, 217)
10. Cameron Artis-Payne, Auburn (5-9, 212)
11. Jeremy Langford, Michigan State (5-11, 208)
12. David Johnson, Northern Illinois (6-1, 224)
13. Javorius “Buck” Allen, USC (6-0, 221)
14. Karlos Williams, Florida State (6-1, 230)
The Skinny: Teams will still be able to find good value at running back in the middle rounds of the draft.
Davis is a solid runner, who can do a bit of everything at the position but doesn’t have any one aspect of his game that really stands out.
Davis could be a reliable starter in the NFL and a good pick in the fourth round, but I don’t think he’s an impact player at the position.
Artis-Payne and Allen are both hard runners who have a natural feel for picking holes and getting to the second level.
Southern California Trojans running back Javorius Allen (37). Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
They’re both underrated prospects who can also catch the ball out of the backfield. They’re balanced backs who should have nice careers in the NFL.
Johnson is the darkhorse at the position and got everyone’s attention with a great week in Mobile at the Senior Bowl. He’s a one-cut runner with good upside and measurables.
He could be pretty good at the next level in the right scheme.
Langford is a specialist at the position. He may not be a back you give the ball to 20 times a game, but he’s got speed and some shifty moves in space.
He’s the Darren Sproles of this class. He would make the ideal third-down back for a team because he has great hands and his quickness would create mismatch problems against linebackers in the passing game.
Williams is an aggressive bruising back who will get some people excited because of his combination of size and speed (4.48). However, Williams underperformed at Florida State and is still raw after converting from safety.
Next: Tier Four