Packers: An early look at the 2018 NFL Draft class
By Dan Dahlke
Running back
1. Saquon Barkley, Penn State (5-11, 230)
2. Derrius Guice, LSU (5-11, 218)
3. Nick Chubb, Georgia (5-11, 225)
4. Ronald Jones II, USC (6-0, 200)
5. Damien Harris, Alabama (5-11, 221)
Other Notable RBs: Josh Adams (Notre Dame), Kalen Ballage (Arizona State), Rashaad Penny (San Diego State), Royce Freeman (Oregon), Bryce Love (Stanford), Bo Scarborough (Alabama), Sony Michel (Georgia), Myles Gaskin (Washington), Justin Jackson (Northwestern)
Position outlook: The upcoming running back class is a special group. Barkley and Guice could both be top-10 prospects as they have the ability to really change an offense at the next level.
Barkley is a special athlete with elite speed, vision, and footwork. He’s also a more complete player than any other back in the class.
The junior Heisman candidate has already tallied 1,272 yards from scrimmage and 14 total touchdowns on the season.
Guice, on the other hand, is a more physical runner and relies on his one-cut ability to get upfield quickly and punish defenders in the open field.
Last year he rushed for a whopping 1,387 yards and 15 touchdowns, despite splitting carries with Leonard Fournette in the LSU backfield.
Jones is another speed back who’s effective out in space, while Harris is more in the mold of Guice as a punishing runner with good cut ability.
The rest of the running back class has some notable names to watch.
Adams and Love are both featured in big-time programs and are among the nation’s leading rushers, while Penny is an underrated back who’s having a monster season for San Diego State.
Ballage might be the best athlete at the position after Barkley. He’s a big explosive back who makes a lot of plays in the passing game, but he’s underutilized in the Sun Devils’ offense.
Packers need: With the recent emergence of Aaron Jones, Green Bay is not in the immediate running for a new tailback.
Ty Montgomery can also make plays from the position, and Jamaal Williams could be a guy that still develops and provides depth down the road.
However, with as talented as the 2018 running back group could be, it might not be the worst idea for them to bring in another halfback in the draft.