The talent at RB is extremely deep in this draft. Teams that need help at this position should be able to find very good backs quite deep into the draft and maybe even hit on some late rounders.
Fullbacks are the exact opposite situation with the very best of the group figuring to only be 3rd or 4th rounders at best. Some decent blockers are on the list, but all will have to work hard in training camp to make the cut.
| Name |
School |
Height |
Weight |
40 time |
Kiper rank |
Jones rank |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron Murchinson | Elizabeth City St | - | - | ||||
|
Abu Wilson |
Utah St. |
6'0" |
207 |
4.53 | 7.5 #20 | 7B-23 | Slow for a prototype back, but has decent size and had great production, nearly 4K career yards |
| Anthony Williams | NW Louisiana St | - | - | ||||
|
Antowain Smith |
Houston |
6'2" |
225 |
4.45 | 15, 9.2 #2 | 1B-1 |
Flying up in the charts. Could be 1st round. Decent runner, improv. receiver |
|
Alex Smith |
Indiana |
6'0" |
205 |
- | 68, 8.6 #11 | 5A-15 | Early entry, super high school player, rugged and tough, needs blocking work |
| Antonio Leroy | Albany State | - | - | ||||
|
Archie Amerson |
Northern Arizona |
5'7" |
170 |
4.53 | 6.2 | FA |
Needs to be fast with his frame |
| Beau Morgan | Air Force | - | - | ||||
|
Brian Knuckles |
Western Illinois | 5'10" | 205 | 4.51 | 7.5 | FA | candidate for all-name team, plays like his name, can't be brought down easily |
| Broderick Fobbs | Grambling | - | - | ||||
|
Byron Hanspard |
Texas Tech |
6'0" |
193 |
4.38 | 55, 8.7 #7 | 2C-6 |
2,084 rush yds in 96, also good receiver, but character and work-ethic is question |
|
Calvin Branch |
Colorado State |
5'11" |
194 |
4.53 | 83, 8.5 #13 | 4A-13 |
Sleeper pick, unheralded, as he spent two seasons behind Troy Davis before transferring to Rams |
|
Chad Levitt |
Cornell |
6'2" |
240 |
4.61 | - | 6A-19 |
Could be FB, decent receiver, tough to bring down |
| Charles Talley | Northern Illinois | - | - | ||||
|
CJ Williams |
Georgia Tech |
6'0" |
204 |
- | - | - |
Early entry; had a good season in 95 but had nagging injuries throughout 96 |
|
Corey Dillon |
Washington |
6'2" |
225 |
- | 12 9.3 #1 | 1B-3 |
Fastest riser among RBs, Dixie Conf Juco xfer. highest rated RB |
|
Corey Walker |
Arkansas State |
5'9" |
190 |
4.4 | 7.9 | 5B-18 |
Plagued by injuries, Return potential, Megget-like |
| Daimon Shelton | Cal St - Sac. | - | - | ||||
| Damon Benning | Nebraska | - | - | ||||
|
Danyell Ferguson |
Miami-Florida |
6'0" |
200 |
4.52 | - | 6A-20 |
Had "off-field problems". Good pick if distractions are past |
|
Darnell Autry |
Northwestern |
5'11" |
211 |
- | 8.8 #5 | 2C-8 |
Early entry. May have benefitted more by returning for another season. [56] |
| Darren Kirkman | Oregon State | - | - | ||||
|
David Thompson |
Oklahoma State |
5'8" |
200 |
4.47 | - | 5B-17 |
Over 4,000 career rush yards, feat accomplished only by Terry Miller and Thurman Thomas |
|
Dennis Riddle |
Alabama |
6'0" |
195 |
- | - | - |
Steady and productive back for Tide's ground game |
|
Duce Staley |
South Carolina |
5'11" |
218 |
4.57 | 8.1 #14 | 4A-14 |
Juco xfer; Good combo, run, catch, block. 5.1yds/carry avg. |
| Fred Lane | Lane College | - | - | ||||
|
George Jones |
San Diego State |
5'9" |
208 |
4.42 | 8.6 #9 | 3A-9 |
Power runner, agent problems in '96 |
|
James Allen |
Oklahoma |
5'10" |
209 |
4.71 | 7.5 | - |
Late round of FA, tailed off |
| Jarrett Anderson | Truman State | - | - | ||||
|
Jay Graham |
Tennessee |
5'11" |
209 |
4.45 | 8.6 #12 | - |
"100-meter sprinter; playmaker", off year in '96 |
| Jay Johnson | Grambling | - | - | ||||
| Jesse Haynes | NW Missouri St. | - | - | ||||
|
June Henley |
Kansas |
5'10" |
210 |
4.65 | - | 5B-16 |
"suspended", run and catch package, Terry Glenn's step brother, weight problems |
|
Kenny Bynum |
South Carolina State | 5'10" | 190 | 4.45 | - | - | Worked out of an option for 1,648 yds, needs receiving work |
| Kerry Bennett | Stephen F. Austin | - | - | ||||
|
Leon Johnson |
North Carolina |
6'0" |
205 |
4.74 | 8.0 | 4A-12 |
All-time ACC all-purpose yards, but is slow |
| Malcolm Thomas | Syracuse | - | - | ||||
| Matt Calhoun | Ohio State | - | - | ||||
| Michael Cosey | SW Missouri St | - | - | ||||
| Nicky Sualua | Ohio State | - | - | ||||
| Oscar Malone | Arkansas | - | - | ||||
| "Priest" Anthony Holmes | Texas | - | - | trying to come back from knee injury | |||
|
Randy Kinder |
Notre Dame |
5'11" |
201 |
4.5 | - | - |
Marc Edwards was the featured ND RB |
|
Ray Nealy |
Arkansas AT (Pine Bluff) |
5'11" |
220 |
4.5 | 8.0 | - |
should be a good gamble in the middle or late rounds |
|
Robert Farmer |
Notre Dame |
5'9" |
207 |
4.59 | - | - |
Tough and compact runner; didn't live up to expectations |
|
Sedrick Shaw |
Iowa |
5'11" |
211 |
4.51 | 8.7 #6 | 2B-4 |
Combo speed, size, toughness. Won't matter in a one back set. 4K career rush yards |
|
Shawn Walters |
USC |
5'11" |
237 |
4.77 | - | - |
Converted FB; tailed off and lost starting role |
|
Shon Mitchell |
Texas |
5'9" |
185 |
4.49 | - | - | great athlete, track star, reserve |
| Spencer George | Rice | 7.9 | - | ||||
|
Terry Battle |
Arizona State |
5'11" |
195 |
4.48 | 8.6 #8 | 3C-10 |
One of ASU stars, early entry junior, riding Plummer bandwagon on draft day? 1K yards, 6.5 yds/carry 20TDs |
| Thomas Haskins | VMI | - | - | ||||
|
"Tiki" Atimi Kiambu Barber |
Virginia |
5'9" |
193 |
4.48 | 8.6 #10 | 2B-5 |
can do it all; power, speed, hands, returns |
|
Troy Davis |
Iowa State |
5'8" |
185 |
4.5 | 8.8 #4 | 2C-7 |
Size is question. But two 2,000 seasons showed durability. Scored extremely low on NFL IQ test. early entry [51] |
| Ty King | Miami Ohio | - | - | ||||
|
Warrick Dunn |
Florida State |
5'7" |
179 |
4.41 | 17 9.2 #3 | 1B-2 |
small scatback; great hands, 49 career TDs, 6.9 yds/carry; recently slipped down charts |
|
Name |
School |
Height |
Weight |
40 Time |
Kiper rank |
Jones rank |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Adam Salina |
Stanford |
6'2" | 255 | 4.77 | - | - |
- |
|
Akili King |
Oregon State |
5'10" |
232 |
4.64 | - | - |
- |
| Anthony Cowsette | Villanova | 6'1" | 228 | 4.63 | - | - | All-around FB, played both roles, fast, strong |
|
Brian Edmonds |
Virginia Tech |
5'11" |
234 |
4.63 | - | - | Strong, determined, blocking needs work |
|
Brian Schuster |
Nebraska |
5'10" |
225 |
4.57 | - | - |
- |
|
Chester Ford |
Tennessee |
5'11" |
229 |
4.70 | - | - | converted DE, good blocker only |
|
Daimon Shelton |
Cal St. Sacramento |
6'1" |
242 |
4.65 | - | - |
- |
|
Darrell Medley |
Virginia |
6'1" |
231 |
4.79 | - | - |
- |
|
Emory Smith |
Clemson |
6'0" |
242 |
4.84 | - | - | "destructive on blocks", pile-driver both running and blocking, slow |
|
Jerald Sowell |
Tulane |
6'0" |
244 |
4.7 | - | - |
had 98 yard run vs. Tide, blocking suspect, player of the game Blue-Gray |
|
Kenyon Cotton |
SW Louisiana |
6'0" |
273 |
4.77 | - | - |
Almost OL size, weight fluctuates, lead runner, blocking needs work |
|
Marc Edwards |
Notre Dame |
6'0" |
237 |
4.7 | - | - |
Highest rated FB in draft, more of a runner than blocker, not as complete as Alstott |
|
Rod Brown |
North Carolina State |
5'11" |
243 |
- | - | - |
Late riser; short; scored well at combine "can do anything asked of a power FB" |
|
Steven Lee |
Indiana |
- |
- |
- | - | - | reminds one of Moose Johnston, rarely carries ball, excellent lead blocker |
Copyright © 1997 Eric Schweitz and Gerry Granovsky