Darren McFadden SELECTED BY: Oakland Raiders Round 1(4)

SI Grade 4.63 GRADING SYSTEM

BIOGRAPHY: Three-year starter awarded All-American and All-Conference honors since his freshman campaign. Led the team in rushing last season totaling 325/1830/16 with 11/164/1 as a pass-catcher. Sophomore-year totals included 204/1714/14 on the ground with 11/149/1 as a pass-catcher.

POSITIVES: Gifted ball-carrier with an outstanding package of skills. Instinctive, finds the running lanes, and quickly gets through them. Cognizant of what's happening on the field and productive whenever handling the ball. Uses his blocks at all times, displays a burst of speed, and strong enough to be his own blocker. Keeps his feet driving up the field, hits the hole hard, and shows strength carrying the ball. Runs through arm tackles and falls forward for the extra yardage. Gets a lot of momentum going when he runs north/south. Elusive, can turn the corner, and makes defenders miss in the open field. Terrific pass-catcher with soft, natural hands. Works hard to make himself an available target when lined up as a slot receiver. Occasionally asked to take snaps behind center and can throw the option pass.

NEGATIVES: At times gets tall in his running and will take some unnecessary hits. Stands to improve his blocking intensity. Not a power runner on the inside. Could improve his ball security. Admitted to fathering several children by different mothers at the combine, which will send up red flags about his character.

ANALYSIS: McFadden is a talented skill player and he rates as the top all-around prospect in this draft. He has the potential to be a game-changing runner at the next level and could help any offense in a variety of ways. Throughout his college career, McFadden has shown a lot of toughness and a willingness to help his team in any situation. His off-field transgressions may knock him down a number of draft boards, yet it never hurt his performance on the field. An early first-round pick, McFadden should quickly produce at the next level.