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Position Overviews For The 1998 Draft (RB)

Overview: As in most years, this is an RB crop that will be dominated by the juniors that enter the draft. There is not a franchise senior RB in this draft, but there are some solid journeymen type players. The two most intriguing players of this position are juniors Curtis Enis of Penn State and Ricky Williams of Texas. Both have a chance to go in the top 10 picks based on NFL team needs. They are representative of the new NFL trend, which features big power-type backs that can control the clock and move the chains. It is likely that after Enis & Williams, and possibly Kevin Faulk later in the 1st round, there may not be a RB selected until the middle of round two. There are some solid options and different styles of RBs available in this draft, but if an NFL team wants a franchise type RB, they may not get one unless they are selecting in the top 10 picks.

1) Curtis Enis

Jr.

Penn St.

6010

230

Blessed with the body of a linebacker (which he played early in his career), and the moves and agility of a much smaller back, he is the most complete "big back" in the draft ... had a little bit of a slow start, but has come on strong in stretch run of the season and is gaining reputation as a big game player ... combines power with good overall run skills ... good quickness & feet ... shows some avoid, but not a real fancy type RB ... breaks tackles ... is tough to bring down in the open field ... has enough speed to bounce it outside ... has a natural feel for position ... surprising soft hands out of the back field and is a load to bring down in secondary ... very competitive and tough and the closest thing in this draft to a can't miss RB ... should go in the top 5 or 6 picks of the draft.

2) Ricky Williams

Jr.

Texas

6000

220

Has made transition to RB this year after playing FB in '96 ... a big & powerful back ... has FB type toughness but HB-type skills ... good speed, can bounce it to the outside, runs with power & balance, shows quickness & acceleration and has become a workhorse, capable of carrying the ball a lot of times ... good blocker, will pick up blitz, adq hands out of back field but not used much in passing game ... strong baseball background ... would fit perfectly in a 1 back style offense ... solid productive player.

3) Kevin Faulk

Jr.

LSU

5100

190

Predicted to be a top five draft pick going into this season ... he has struggled with injuries on and off all year and his stock has somewhat fallen ... he is a smaller, flashier type RB than Enis or Williams and versatility may be his biggest asset ... he has great quickness to the hole, can accelerate, and has the speed to go all the way ... he is an excellent return specialist and is very elusive and explosive in the open field ... he also shows excellent hands out of the backfield and can turn a short pass into a long gain ... he is a finesse type player that must be used properly on the NFL level such as a Tiki Barber, Eric Metcalf, etc. ... durability has become a question mark and must be answered, and he does not look like the type of back that can carry the ball 20-25 times a game ... he is not a franchise-type RB but he can add an exciting dimension to an NFL's offense ... because of his somewhat disappointing senior year, he may be wise to stay in school for a senior season, but all indications are that he will enter this draft.

4) Robert Edwards

Sr.

Georgia

6010

210

4.50

This is a good news, bad news, good news player ... going into the '96 season, Edwards was touted as one of the top RBs in the draft and was expected to forgo his senior year and be a top 10 pick. However, he really never got it going in '96 and suffered through a mediocre season ... he even started off '97 on a sour note, spraining his ankle early in the year and missing 2 or 3 games before finally coming on and exploding in the last two-thirds of the season ... he is an explosive type runner with excellent acceleration, and he shows outstanding cutting ability and vision ... he is a very smooth and effortless type RB and he is also a solid receiver in the passing game ... he has soft hands and he is very shifty in the open field ... the biggest question mark on Edwards will be his durability ... he has not had altogether a totally healthy season, but he will likely post great numbers at the combine and he should be solid in the all-star games... the big question here will be which Robert Edwards an NFL team is getting ... the one that has looked unbeatable in October and November, or the one that has been injured most of his career.

5) Robert Holcombe

Sr.

Illinois

5110

213

4.55

This may be the best "bang for your buck" RB in this draft ... he has been a very productive workhorse type player on a very bad football team (Illinois finished the season 0-11). The best way to describe him might be "efficient" ... he has an excellent feel for the hole, he always falls forward and runs with good lean and balance ... he has good quicks to the hole and shows good COD & cutting ability, although he is not a real creative or elusive type RB ... he has adq, but not great speed to the outside and he is not an explosive big play type guy. He also catches the ball well out of the backfield and does a good job following as blockers ... there is no wasted motion with this guy, he will simply take what is there and make the most out of a play ... he may not put up Pro Bowl type numbers, but he will give a NFL team a honest day's work and move the chains.

6) Tavian Banks

Sr.

Iowa

5100

200

4.45

There seems to be two Tavian Banks... the first is the RB that posted huge numbers against inferior competition to begin the '97 season and the second is the player that struggled against better competition and his production dramatically dropped. The real Tavian Banks is probably somewhere in the middle ...he is a very smooth, athletic type runner that has outstanding quickness to the hole and acceleration... he has a lot of moves and can be very elusive, but at times he almost dances too much... he is not a legitimate power runner, but he adds a big play dimension to an offense... he can also double as a KOR and although he is not used a lot in the passing game, he should be able to catch the ball effectively out of the back field... he is most dangerous when he is in the open field where he can match is AA against those trying to tackle him... he is not a bell cow RB, but he has enough big play capability to upgrade to an NFL offense.

7) Skip Hicks

Sr.

UCLA

6000

222

4.52

Hicks is finally starting to live up to his billing as a great player after struggling early in his career, with question about durability, attitude & intensity. He is a big back with good speed & AA and has shown good quickness and explosion through the hole... he has very natural ball skills and makes good decisions with his cuts... he does an excellent job of exploding through the hole and breaking the play to the outside... he has shown good balance and will break some tackles and although he lacks pure great deep speed, he has made a lot of long runs... he has excellent hands out of the back field and could become very effective in the passing game on an NFL roster... however, he has had problems fumbling the ball in the past and durability always has been a question mark... this is a little bit of a gamble pick at this stage... he has the physical tools to move up in this draft and be an outstanding NFL player, but he also has the capabilities of being a "teaser" that may never play up to his measurables... the all-star games and the Indy combine will be very important to Hicks and his NFL future.

8) Fred Taylor

Sr.

Florida

6000

220

4.60

Taylor's productivity sometimes gets lost in the Gator's fabled passing game, but he has been one of the most consistent & productive RBs in the country. He is a very aggressive type runner and at times, almost plays like a FB, but he obviously lacks the size to fill that role... he has good speed, COD, & overall run skills, although he is not necessarily a home run threat as an RB... he is a very efficient player that reads the hole well and makes the right decisions... he is adq at catching the ball out of the back field and can probably improve in this area... this guy kind of grows on you as he is not a real flashy player, but he continues to roll up the yards and he has become a clutch player and he always wants the ball in key situations... could this be another Terrell Davis?...may not be flashy, but this guy is a football player.

9) Michael Pittman

Sr.

Fresno St.

5104

205

4.50

He has good overall skills but has been hindered by injuries early in his career... he is another RB with good vision & run skills and he shows balance & toughness through the hole... he is the type of RB that can make the first defender miss, but has trouble with elusiveness in the open field... he will catch the ball out of the back field and he can block and return kicks... if used properly, he can become a workhorse type RB that can help a NFL offense in a lot of areas... he is a solid football player that should contribute in several areas.

10) Rashaan Shehee

Sr.

Washington

5090

215

4.49

Shehee was on his way to an outstanding senior season when he suffered a knee injury at mid-year and it cost him the remainder of his season... he has had an up & down career at Washington, but he was really coming into his own before the injury... he has big play capabilities and a knack for breaking the long run... he is a smart RB that has a great feel for the hole and is very efficient and reads his blocks... he picks his spots and is very dependable when he is healthy... he also shows good balance and toughness and good overall quickness & moves... he is not necessarily a power back, but he is shifty enough that it is hard to get a clean shot at him... he has decent overall skills in the passing game and is good in the open field... the post-season will be imperative for Shehee in his attempt to move back up the draft charts, but durability may become a lingering question in some NFL teams' eyes... he is not a real exciting player, but he has good overall skills and, if healthy, could become a good NFL RB.

11) John Avery

Sr.

Mississippi

5090

185

4.40

Has had an outstanding senior season and may have developed into a legitimate candidate as a role player in the NFL... great speed & quickness, very elusive...does an outstanding job on KOR... good hands out of the back field... can create big plays... very dynamic guy but not big enough to be an every down RB... could fit well in nickle package and as return specialist.

12) Pepe Pearson

Sr.

Ohio St

5100

200

4.44

Has not had a spectacular senior year and has somewhat faded in many people's eyes, however, still has good overall AA & quickness, runs well and has some elusiveness... is not a big power back but great effort gets him extra yards... has not flashed a lot of big play capabilities as a senior and is not real natural catching the ball out of the back field..lack of great size or great big play explosiveness seems to have relegated him to the role of being a complimentary RB on a NFL roster.

Other Underclassmen
There are several talented underclassmen that will probably not enter the '98 draft and for good reasons. They are players with excellent skills, but all could use more seasoning and experience on the college level. They will eventually become good NFL players.