At the head of the class
Backfield might yield high returns
His team is not in the market for a top running back, nor in position to select one, but that didn't stop Colts president Bill Polian from taking a front-row seat for the NFL Combine in Indianapolis.
It started with Arkansas's Darren McFadden posting a blazing time in the 40-yard dash, which some had in the sub-4.3 range. Polian's first thought was McFadden was "as advertised," yet what happened next truly impressed him.
There was Oregon's Jonathan Stewart. Then Illinois's Rashard Mendenhall and Arkansas's other back, Felix Jones. Rutgers's Ray Rice looked sharp, too.
"The fact that all the other guys stepped up, it almost became a de facto competition," Polian recalled. "That was really fun to watch."
The running backs' performances at the combine reinforced what many personnel evaluators who watch college football on Saturdays for a living had already felt about this year's fleet: With an influx of talented juniors, it's high class, with as many as five worthy of being picked in the first round.
"You could probably make an argument for four in the top 10 depending on what your needs were," Polian said.
That won't happen, partly because running back, especially in the top 10, is arguably the most boom-or-bust position because of the high rate of injury.
Oklahoma's Adrian Peterson, the No. 7 selection last year by the Vikings, looks like a certifiable boom, but for every Peterson, there seems to be a Cedric Benson, a disappointment for the Bears since being tabbed fourth overall in 2005.
Meanwhile, the Dolphins' Ronnie Brown (No. 2, 2005) and the Buccaneers' Cadillac Williams (No. 5, 2005) are coming off serious knee injuries, the result of the relentless battering backs often endure.
Then there are reminders that impressive talents such as the Steelers' Willie Parker (signed as a free agent in 2004) and the Cowboys' Marion Barber (a fourth-round selection in 2005) can be found later.
So, the message is clear to teams considering running backs in the top 10: buyer beware.
From a scouting perspective, backs with a first-round grade generally should be three-down talents, meaning they should have pass-catching and pass-blocking skills to stay on the field on third down.
Of the top backs, Steelers director of football operations Kevin Colbert noted that Stewart (5 feet 10 inches, 235 pounds) currently has a more well-rounded skill set than McFadden, who is considered by some the top athlete in the draft.
Yet after testing well at the combine, Stewart underwent surgery on his previously injured right big toe, which could drop him on some draft boards. Stewart compares his running style with Cleveland's Jamal Lewis - "a big back who can move."
Mendenhall (5-10, 225) has also generated momentum since a strong performance in the Rose Bowl against Southern California, while Jones (5-10, 207) - the less-celebrated Razorback playing alongside McFadden - is considered a dangerous space-it-out weapon as part of a 1-2 combination. Rice (5-8, 199) is more of an inside-the-tackles power presence despite his compact makeup.
New England prospects Andre Callender (Boston College) and Matt Lawrence (UMass) project as late-round, free agent types. Lawrence (6-0, 210) helped himself by running a strong 40 time - which some scouts had in the 4.4 range - at BC's Pro Day in March.
Patriots and running backs: The team is deep with Laurence Maroney, Sammy Morris, Kevin Faulk, Heath Evans, and Kyle Eckel. If they select a running back, it likely won't be until the mid- to late rounds, and probably a third-down back with pass-catching skills. Oregon State's Yvenson Bernard (5-8 1/2, 204) is the type of prospect to catch the team's eye.
