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Rashard Mendenhall - Break Down the Tape (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter ConstruxBoy
- Start date
ConstruxBoy
Kate's Daddy
Yeah, saw it there. What's annoying this year with my articles is the lack of corresponding game film so folks can see what I mean. I did see that move in the YouTube video and it does look nice. But watching the Michigan game you don't see as much of that. You see a back that doesn't use moves like that to get to space but more often lowers his shoulder and uses power.
ConstruxBoy
Kate's Daddy
Maroney=Speed
Footballguy
Right now I have Him at 3.Still lots aways to go.
Round 1. He's ranked 3rd.
Round 2 Combine.
Round 3. NFL Draft.
ConstruxBoy
Kate's Daddy
Yep, long way to go really. It's nice to have a good opinion of players before the Combine/Pro Days and the draft to make sure you don't get sucked into any hype. You seem to be doing a good job of that.Right now I have Him at 3.
Still lots aways to go.
Round 1. He's ranked 3rd.
Round 2 Combine.
Round 3. NFL Draft.
EBF
Footballguy
I'll buy that. There's a video on YouTube with all of his runs from the Wisconsin game. He looks like a good back, but there aren't a ton of "wow" plays. He's not as lateral as a guy like Marshawn Lynch, who is constantly shifting left and right when he's running the football. But he has a little more speed and burst than Lynch and seems to have all the tools needed to be a starter in the NFL. I think the real question is whether he ends up closer to LaDainian Tomlinson or Thomas Jones (i.e. is he a difference maker, or just a solid starter?) That may ultimately hinge on his situation, which we won't know until April. He'd be an exciting prospect in Houston and an immediate top 10-15 type back.
Maroney=Speed
Footballguy
Yep you will choice Mendenhall. Mayock did all your work needed.Yep, long way to go really. It's nice to have a good opinion of players before the Combine/Pro Days and the draft to make sure you don't get sucked into any hype. You seem to be doing a good job of that.
Still lots aways to go.
Round 1. He's ranked 3rd.
Round 2 Combine.
Round 3. NFL Draft.
redman
Footballguy
Well damn him for having the option to use either!
Maroney=Speed
Footballguy
Don't worry if I move Him up, you'll be the first one I would tell.
I'm sure when Mayock moves Him down, you'll say yep He's not that good. 
redman
Footballguy
Nice breakdown. I love that site.A suggestion- far more important information on the play-by-play breakdown than the time left in the quarter, which is noted, is the down and distance, which is not noted. It helps to assess what kind of defense the player was facing and obviously the game situation.
ConstruxBoy
Kate's Daddy
Yeah, I was thinking of that while I was doing this one, lol. I'll definitely add it for next year because I can see great value there, but I may skip it on the rest this year just to keep it consistent.
redman
Footballguy
Often there is virtue in consistency, but I don't see it here. How would introducing it now hurt, especially when you appear to be willing to introduce it at some point anyway?
ConstruxBoy
Kate's Daddy
redman
Footballguy
Laziness is invariably an excellent excuse for me, except of course when it involves the effort of others.Lazy?
Chunky Soup
Footballguy
Why no height there? And why are weights on ESPN/scout/nfldraftguys all different? Will we need to wait til combine to get official numbers?
ConstruxBoy
Kate's Daddy
I was basing the format on the wdcrob analysis of weight being a key indicator for RBs, so I didn't find height necessary. Since both height and weight come from different sources, and those from the school are usually inflated, it's best to wait for the combine/pro day to use them other than to get a general idea.
I watched Mendenhall run the gauntlet yesterday on the College All-Star Challanege, and there is no way that guy is an ounce under 225. He looked like he put on size size since the season. He was thick and incredibly ripped; easily would have mistaken him for a LB. Him and Jonathon Stewart had nearly indentical builds with Mendehall being a little more muscular. There might not be a better built RB in all the NFL, minus Jamal Lewis.
kremenull
Footballguy
c'mon man....ALL of the serious-minded RBs in the NFL have great builds, these guys will be just joining in on the party. You don't reach the highest level at that position without putting in extreme work. Take a gander at "All Day", MBIII, S-Jax, Thomas Jones, Gore, LT, Ronnie Brown, LJ, and about any other top RB not named Lendale, and all these guys are usually in fabulous physical conditionJimboJim said:
ConstruxBoy
Kate's Daddy
So any more comments on Mendenhall? Do other people have some worries about his short strides? Does he run too upright? What do other people think are his pros and cons?
A
awesomeness
Guest
i would be surprised if anyone but Thomas Jones was the most ripped RB in the league. Despite that, he is a horrible goal line RB.
EBF
Footballguy
The only thing that came to mind when I watched him play this past season is that he didn't always look like the most instinctive back. And while he clearly possesses top shelf start-stop ability as evidenced by some of his highlights, I agree with your observation that he's not necessarily elusive. The short steps thing doesn't seem like a huge deal. Maybe it means he'll get tripped up a little more often than average. I don't think it will be a deal breaker though. I think Thomas Jones is a pretty good worst case scenario for Mendenhall. The guy is built like a rock. He has an elite combination of body type, speed, agility, and power. Oddly enough, the player he reminds me of is a bigger and more powerful Julius Jones. I think he's a safe bet to become a mid range RB2 type for FF purposes. Same with Stewart. I don't see either guy being an unmitigated disaster in the NFL. At the same time, I'm also not sure whether they'll be more like Steven Jackson (stud) or Kevin Jones (quality starter) as professional runners. I could see it breaking either way.
Rodeojones
Footballguy
.
ConstruxBoy
Kate's Daddy
Good points. You're much better with the player compares than I am. One thing that I meant to add in my write up but didn't was that he didn't just have short steps, but it looked like he took higher steps than normal. Must be good at the tire drill. But I think that probably helps him not to get tripped up quite a bit as you would think with a shorter stride. However, thinking it through logically(?), you generally need to have your foot planted to switch direction, which can be tied into being elusive, but maybe the gains made in that by having a shorter stride (ie. foot planted more often than a longer stride) is offset by having a higher stride, thus reducing his elusiveness. It's almost like when you watch him, if he is planning a move or start/stop, he does it well and quickly. But something coming at him unexpectedly is slower. Of course, in all backs the unexpected is slower than the planned, but it's almost like his gap between them is greater than an average back. Of course, maybe I'm just getting a little bit too detailed looking at flaws, lol.One other thing that I saw Matt mention above was his east-west balance. I think he means that because he runs with a short stride, he doesn't have a wide base and thus should have worse balance than average from the sides, even if his lean and power gives him decent balance from the front and rear.
Jeff Tefertiller
Footballguy
What system/team would hurt and benefit Mendenhall the most?
Based on the little I saw, I would say this for the top 3:McFadden: More of a spread style NE, IND attackStewart: Straight ahead power running game(SEA,PIT)Mendenhall: ZBS, but could work in a WCO as well because of his hands
coolnerd
Footballguy
My guess is that he could be ok in any system, but that he is closer to a cut and get north/south zone blocking system RB. Not great wiggle or crazy power, but can run through arm tackles and cause some misses in space. IMO, solid prospect, along the M. Lynch area although a different style of runner.
Wildman
Footballguy
Construx, did you identify the opponent in your breakdown? I didn't see it.
I'd enjoy debating Mendenhall's performance, but kind of hard to do unless we watched the same games or viewing the tape together. For instance I know you probably feel I'm being a bit hard on the guy in the areas of pass blocking and lateral movement. I know he has good "build-up" speed, but I'm not entirely convinced he has a good enough initial burst to be a featured back in the NFL. He reminds me more of a Terrell Davis than a Thomas Jones in terms of his style. From the games I studied, he can make small changes of direction in the hole or clearing the hole, but he's not a dynamic plant and cut at full speed type of back. I also didn't see much from him as a stop-start kind of runner. He can shorten his steps or stutter step, but I didn't see a game where he was behind the LOS and cut from one gap to a gap opposite center like you'd see from a Ronnie Brown, All Day, or even a Marshawn Lynch.
All I ever heard about have the Rose Bowl is how he outran the USC defense for 79 yards and half that unit will be in the pros so he must be fast and a great prospect. I'm not saying you've said this, but I've been reading this online and on TV and I just don't buy it.
I watched that game and on that play, SC had 10 players in the box. The best part of that play was Mendenhall's ability to press the hole and dip (not a lateral cut, but just a subtle change of footwork) along the backsides of his lineman getting a push to the left hand side of the hole. The fact he remained tight against the linemen on the cut back gave him the chance to blow through that gap off the left side because the LCB took a wide angle on his run blitz and the LB completely overran the play. Yes Mendenhall had the speed to get downfield and I'm not saying he's slow, but he needs a lot more factors to go his way on a long run like this than McFadden or a Johnson (not that they are necessarily both great prospects either--I'm still studying more of McFadden's games, I've done 2-3 already and plan to do another 2-3) and possibly J Stewart. What I am challenging here is that he has a great burst. 7 of the 10 players on that play were shaded more towards the ride side of the ball. The CB was about 4 yards deep in the backfield when the RB cleared the LOS, the LB with the best angle had two legs and an arm in the ground when the RB cleared the LOS and the remaining guy with a real shot to tackle him was the safety who was getting blocked very well by the RBs teammate about 10-15 yards downfield. I liked the RB's endurance to keep his pace at the end of the run, but that's after running 70 yards. I'm more concerned about accelerating in the first 20....MOre later gotta go
I'd enjoy debating Mendenhall's performance, but kind of hard to do unless we watched the same games or viewing the tape together. For instance I know you probably feel I'm being a bit hard on the guy in the areas of pass blocking and lateral movement. I know he has good "build-up" speed, but I'm not entirely convinced he has a good enough initial burst to be a featured back in the NFL. He reminds me more of a Terrell Davis than a Thomas Jones in terms of his style. From the games I studied, he can make small changes of direction in the hole or clearing the hole, but he's not a dynamic plant and cut at full speed type of back. I also didn't see much from him as a stop-start kind of runner. He can shorten his steps or stutter step, but I didn't see a game where he was behind the LOS and cut from one gap to a gap opposite center like you'd see from a Ronnie Brown, All Day, or even a Marshawn Lynch.
All I ever heard about have the Rose Bowl is how he outran the USC defense for 79 yards and half that unit will be in the pros so he must be fast and a great prospect. I'm not saying you've said this, but I've been reading this online and on TV and I just don't buy it.
I watched that game and on that play, SC had 10 players in the box. The best part of that play was Mendenhall's ability to press the hole and dip (not a lateral cut, but just a subtle change of footwork) along the backsides of his lineman getting a push to the left hand side of the hole. The fact he remained tight against the linemen on the cut back gave him the chance to blow through that gap off the left side because the LCB took a wide angle on his run blitz and the LB completely overran the play. Yes Mendenhall had the speed to get downfield and I'm not saying he's slow, but he needs a lot more factors to go his way on a long run like this than McFadden or a Johnson (not that they are necessarily both great prospects either--I'm still studying more of McFadden's games, I've done 2-3 already and plan to do another 2-3) and possibly J Stewart. What I am challenging here is that he has a great burst. 7 of the 10 players on that play were shaded more towards the ride side of the ball. The CB was about 4 yards deep in the backfield when the RB cleared the LOS, the LB with the best angle had two legs and an arm in the ground when the RB cleared the LOS and the remaining guy with a real shot to tackle him was the safety who was getting blocked very well by the RBs teammate about 10-15 yards downfield. I liked the RB's endurance to keep his pace at the end of the run, but that's after running 70 yards. I'm more concerned about accelerating in the first 20....MOre later gotta go
ConstruxBoy
Kate's Daddy
Geez, maybe I forgot to. It was the Michigan game.I actually agree with most of what you wrote. But the part I bolded in your description of the run is something that I personally find very important when I evaluate RBs. I call it running in tight spaces. There are a number of running backs who don't do this very well. They get nervous being close to traffic and change their runs and their cuts to always go to open space. In my opinion, this is a problem in the NFL because there is a lot less open space in the NFL than there is in most college games. The NFL defenders are bigger, faster and more disciplined. This leads them to making suboptimal decisions when they are trying to decide where to go and it really cuts down on the positive outcomes to those decisions. In other words, they don't have as many good runs. The back that jumps to mind like this I reviewed this year is Steve Slaton.Construx, did you identify the opponent in your breakdown? I didn't see it.
I'd enjoy debating Mendenhall's performance, but kind of hard to do unless we watched the same games or viewing the tape together. For instance I know you probably feel I'm being a bit hard on the guy in the areas of pass blocking and lateral movement. I know he has good "build-up" speed, but I'm not entirely convinced he has a good enough initial burst to be a featured back in the NFL. He reminds me more of a Terrell Davis than a Thomas Jones in terms of his style. From the games I studied, he can make small changes of direction in the hole or clearing the hole, but he's not a dynamic plant and cut at full speed type of back. I also didn't see much from him as a stop-start kind of runner. He can shorten his steps or stutter step, but I didn't see a game where he was behind the LOS and cut from one gap to a gap opposite center like you'd see from a Ronnie Brown, All Day, or even a Marshawn Lynch.
All I ever heard about have the Rose Bowl is how he outran the USC defense for 79 yards and half that unit will be in the pros so he must be fast and a great prospect. I'm not saying you've said this, but I've been reading this online and on TV and I just don't buy it.
I watched that game and on that play, SC had 10 players in the box. The best part of that play was Mendenhall's ability to press the hole and dip (not a lateral cut, but just a subtle change of footwork) along the backsides of his lineman getting a push to the left hand side of the hole. The fact he remained tight against the linemen on the cut back gave him the chance to blow through that gap off the left side because the LCB took a wide angle on his run blitz and the LB completely overran the play. Yes Mendenhall had the speed to get downfield and I'm not saying he's slow, but he needs a lot more factors to go his way on a long run like this than McFadden or a Johnson (not that they are necessarily both great prospects either--I'm still studying more of McFadden's games, I've done 2-3 already and plan to do another 2-3) and possibly J Stewart. What I am challenging here is that he has a great burst. 7 of the 10 players on that play were shaded more towards the ride side of the ball. The CB was about 4 yards deep in the backfield when the RB cleared the LOS, the LB with the best angle had two legs and an arm in the ground when the RB cleared the LOS and the remaining guy with a real shot to tackle him was the safety who was getting blocked very well by the RBs teammate about 10-15 yards downfield. I liked the RB's endurance to keep his pace at the end of the run, but that's after running 70 yards. I'm more concerned about accelerating in the first 20....MOre later gotta go
But the play you described above that Mendenhall made, staying tight to his blockers and the defenders until he saw a crease, is very important in my opinion and shows me that he will be able to run at the NFL level. Now as you say, maybe he won't have the burst to get through that crease or the long speed to go 79 yards against NFL defenders. But I think his ability to run comfortably in tight spaces puts him ahead of a number of other draft eligible backs.
Of course, maybe I put too much emphasis on tight spaces.
There's a joke there, but I don't want to get in trouble.
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Wildman
Footballguy
And that I agree is a good point about running in tight spaces. The best example I will give you to that I've seen this year is Matt Forte and Darren McFadden and then I'll get back to Mendenhall to mention why I think there's a subtle difference as to why I'm not as convinced about the Illinois back.
Clinton Portis had a scoring run against Dallas late this season where he was in the I-set with the TE on the left side. The TE and the LT blocked down on their assigned players at the line and the FB had to create a small crease between them by running through a very small gap and hitting the LB as he came to fill the gap by reacting to the direction of Portis heading towards the outside. This was an example of an NFL style run that the better backs show the patience and anticipation to trust that the crease will open even though it's not there. An inexperienced runner will try to bounce this run outside and 8 times out of 10 get tackled by the LB after a 1-3 yard gain at best. Portis hit this crease, disappeared very briefly into the line and burst through it before going another 25-30 yards for the score.
I watched a few college runners try to run this same play. McFadden against Auburn? Tried to bounced it outside and got stuffed. Forte and Xavier Omon interestingly enough both ran this play to perfection getting nice gains.
Mendenhall did a nice job with this play I mentioned in the previous post, but it was a huge, huge hole that he was entering. He didn't have to anticipate something that wasn't there as he was entering it. I give him credit for pressing the hole on this play, but it's not the kind of hole he's going to see a great deal in an NFL game. Even on zone blocking plays with a cut back, the creases tend to be smaller and the LBs haven't dramatically overrun the play. I bet that LB Rey Malauga (sp?) got a little critique in the film room on that play the next week.
In fact most of the runs I saw where he had gains of more than 4 yards came off holes that would be considered large by NFL standards and did not require much anticipation or movement through a small crease. It reminded me a bit of Antonio Pittman and the hype he began to get last year. Although I think Mendenhall is a better prospect than Pittman, its not by as much as people think.
Clinton Portis had a scoring run against Dallas late this season where he was in the I-set with the TE on the left side. The TE and the LT blocked down on their assigned players at the line and the FB had to create a small crease between them by running through a very small gap and hitting the LB as he came to fill the gap by reacting to the direction of Portis heading towards the outside. This was an example of an NFL style run that the better backs show the patience and anticipation to trust that the crease will open even though it's not there. An inexperienced runner will try to bounce this run outside and 8 times out of 10 get tackled by the LB after a 1-3 yard gain at best. Portis hit this crease, disappeared very briefly into the line and burst through it before going another 25-30 yards for the score.
I watched a few college runners try to run this same play. McFadden against Auburn? Tried to bounced it outside and got stuffed. Forte and Xavier Omon interestingly enough both ran this play to perfection getting nice gains.
Mendenhall did a nice job with this play I mentioned in the previous post, but it was a huge, huge hole that he was entering. He didn't have to anticipate something that wasn't there as he was entering it. I give him credit for pressing the hole on this play, but it's not the kind of hole he's going to see a great deal in an NFL game. Even on zone blocking plays with a cut back, the creases tend to be smaller and the LBs haven't dramatically overrun the play. I bet that LB Rey Malauga (sp?) got a little critique in the film room on that play the next week.
In fact most of the runs I saw where he had gains of more than 4 yards came off holes that would be considered large by NFL standards and did not require much anticipation or movement through a small crease. It reminded me a bit of Antonio Pittman and the hype he began to get last year. Although I think Mendenhall is a better prospect than Pittman, its not by as much as people think.
ConstruxBoy
Kate's Daddy
Very interesting points. Another thought I've had on Mendenhall is whether he can get through small creases because he runs pretty upright. I'm wondering if your point about most of the holes he's seen being big is hiding this issue? Possibly and when he gets to the next level he won't be able to get through them, although I still think he isn't as likely to bounce it outside as other backs in this draft. Great insights in here Matt, thanks a lot! Can't wait for the RSP.
Wildman
Footballguy
I think he won't be able to bounce outside because (unless I just haven't seen an opportunity in 80-100 carries, which I think is enough) he doesn't have that great lateral movement to bounce outside as well as other backs and if he doesn't show that ability to maneuver and anticipate the small creases, he's in trouble. That's why I'm not so high on him. I wonder if he'll be able to attack holes in the NFL with the same effectiveness. He's in a spread system with a very good running QB who takes a lot of pressure of him when it comes to plays to the outside. That option play allows Mendenhall to get outside because the focus is as much (if not more) on I. Williams.
I know J Stewart has a similar system with Dennis Dixon, but from what I've seen Stewart has shown without a doubt that he can get outside with no problem. The guy also had a huge run against a very good South Florida defense this year on a turf toe injury that kept him from practicing. IMO, Stewart is a beast.
I love talking about this stuff. It's fascinating and a great way to learn the game. Keep up the good work!
I know J Stewart has a similar system with Dennis Dixon, but from what I've seen Stewart has shown without a doubt that he can get outside with no problem. The guy also had a huge run against a very good South Florida defense this year on a turf toe injury that kept him from practicing. IMO, Stewart is a beast.
I love talking about this stuff. It's fascinating and a great way to learn the game. Keep up the good work!
EBF
Footballguy
You've obviously done your homework, but I disagree here. Mendenhall is far more impressive than Pittman, who never looked like more than a backup. I haven't seen many guys with Mendenhall's combination of size, speed, power, and pedigree flop at the NFL level. That's why I used the Thomas Jones comparison. I think at worst Mendenhall will be a low level long-term NFL starter like Jones.
Wildman
Footballguy
I can see what you're saying about Mendenhall and Pittman. It's just that there were plenty of people who were touting Pittman and I didn't frankly understand it when I watched the film. In fact, it's interesting to consider that Pittman was beaten out (soundly according to the NO coaching staff) of a roster spot in New Orleans by undrafted free agent, Pierre Thomas, a prospect from Illinois who was able to keep Mendenhall from being the starter for the past two years.
Then again, Garrison Hearst did the same at Georgia with Terrell Davis, Ricky Williams supplanting Priest Holmes, and Willie Parker backing up whoever he was backing up at UNC. So I guess that doesn't carry a ton of weight.
I'm not sure I'm as sold on his speed and power. That's where I think the jury is still out. Sure Mendenhall has the build-up speed. But does he have the burst and vision in the short area...that's what I haven't seen enough to be convinced. I'm also not seeing him run through tackles as much as he's getting credited. He has adequate power...we'll see. Thomas Jones-Reuben Droughns (you may chafe at that comparison, but he's a low level starter to me when healthy) probably makes sense. I guess seeing him touted as #1 on a list surprises me...I don't think he's a guaranteed franchise back.
Splitting hairs, but that's the fun of it.
Then again, Garrison Hearst did the same at Georgia with Terrell Davis, Ricky Williams supplanting Priest Holmes, and Willie Parker backing up whoever he was backing up at UNC. So I guess that doesn't carry a ton of weight.
I'm not sure I'm as sold on his speed and power. That's where I think the jury is still out. Sure Mendenhall has the build-up speed. But does he have the burst and vision in the short area...that's what I haven't seen enough to be convinced. I'm also not seeing him run through tackles as much as he's getting credited. He has adequate power...we'll see. Thomas Jones-Reuben Droughns (you may chafe at that comparison, but he's a low level starter to me when healthy) probably makes sense. I guess seeing him touted as #1 on a list surprises me...I don't think he's a guaranteed franchise back.
Splitting hairs, but that's the fun of it.
ConstruxBoy
Kate's Daddy
Thanks!It's funny because what I didn't add in my last post was that Mendenhall wouldn't bounce it outside because he knows he can't do it. I agree that he may have trouble getting through the smaller creases at the next level, but I don't think he'll be like a lot of RBs that do try to bounce everything outside but cannot. So he's ahead of the game on that point anyway, if that makes any sense. And I do agree that Stewart excels in that area. My thoughts on Stewart were more than he could get through a smaller crease, but that he didn't look as comfortable doing it as Mendenhall. Of course, if Stewart can actually succeed at doing it in the NFL and Mendenhall cannot, then who cares about comfort.
redman
Footballguy
I don't believe Emmitt Smith could bounce outside much either, at least not based primarily upon his speed. In a way, it's an advantage because it can make the runner's cuts upfield more decisive, and as was said previously it will compel him to stay disciplined and to use his blockers more. Anyway, the bouncing outside stuff isn't necessarily a deal breaker here.
ConstruxBoy
Kate's Daddy
Yeah redman, that was sort of my opinion as well. There are some RBs that think they can break stuff outside and then can, there are a lot of RBs that think they can break stuff outside and cannot, and then there are RBs that know they cannot break stuff outside so they don't try. The middle group is by far the largest among RBs coming into the league in my opinion, so I think it is better to be in the 3rd group (Mendenhall) than the middle group (most college RBs), although it's not as good as the first group (Stewart). Good conversation here. BTW - just starting on Felix Jones now, so be thinking of what you like/dislike about him. Will be several weeks until it's posted though because I'm on vacation next week.
Wildman
Footballguy
Emmitt Smith could make very sharp lateral cuts and change direction extremely well. While not a Barry Sanders, he could bounce a play from one gap to the other behind the LOS. Jamal Anderson was no Barry Sanders, but he could do this very well prior to his knee injury. I think what got lost in my point (or I didn't make it well enough) is it's not just about getting outside. It's about having the quickness to change direction in tight spaces. He lacked top end speed, but he had the burst. He was also very quick in tight spaces. That's what I believe Mendenhall is missing to some degree. I saw him make reads that showed he saw what was happening, but couldn't act on it at a speed that other guys where in similar situations. Again, I could be way off base, he'll be a stud who can do all those things, and I'll take my hat off to him. I just think he'll be best served in a zone blocking attack ala Terrell Davis. I consider him at best, to turn out like TD (but I'm talking perfect world, out of this world development), but more likely at best, a Droughns kind of guy with 2-3 good seasons, getting folks excited but never becoming an all-pro. At this point I believe he won't approach even that level though.
I think we narrowed down where we disagree at this stage...should be fun to find out. I'm betting he runs a 4.5-4.55 40 (which is good) and his shuttle time is average to slightly below average at the combine and workouts.
I think we narrowed down where we disagree at this stage...should be fun to find out. I'm betting he runs a 4.5-4.55 40 (which is good) and his shuttle time is average to slightly below average at the combine and workouts.
One of the main reasons Pierre Thomas saw the field ahead of Mendenhall the past two years was due to Rashard's penchant for putting the ball on the ground. He either made an adjustment before the last year or had a really lucky year, because his ball security was a huge part of running down clocks.
ConstruxBoy
Kate's Daddy
I think I pretty much agree with what you are saying, although I think he'll do a little better in tight spaces, burst-wise (if you will), than you think and have a higher floor than Droughns. But I would say that even if Droughns is his floor, I would still think that puts him in the top 5 or 6 of this class realistically. And really if you're talking about a rookie draft, taking someone with the 2nd or 3rd pick who likely has a floor of the 5th or 6th pick seems like a pretty safe pick.
Football Jones
Footballguy
As it stands right now, Mendenhall is my top-rated player in this class. I believe his numbers at the combine will be a little better than what people are forecasting. Felix Jones is currently my most over-rated RB prospect (although, he certainly has some upside).
Wildman
Footballguy
Construx...I watched more film on Mendenhall and Mcfadden in the past few days. Actually re-watched some games of both. I've changed my view on Mendenhall's burst and balance. I'm beginning to come around on him as one of the better runners in this draft. I have to say I was too critical of those aspects of his game. McFadden might be the strangest player I've evaluated because what he does well is so very good, but what he doesn't do are things I wonder will hurt his ability to transfer his game to the NFL as a feature guy without folks being disappointed...
Maroney=Speed
Footballguy
One year wonder.McFadden's only knock is His legs are too skinny.McFadden as at least put up stats 3 years in arow, against SEC teams.I just don't see how you can rank, Stewart or Mendenhall higher.I will say what out question Mendenhall is better than Stewart.McFaddenMendenhallStewart.If you have picks 1.01 or 1.02 and pick Stewart your nuts.At 1.01 you have to take Mcfadden.Guys go ahead be different and take Mendenhall or Stewart at 1.01.Because I have pick 1.03, and hope the two guys in front of me don't take McFadden.So please keep talking the other two up.
Thanks
ConstruxBoy
Kate's Daddy
Welcome to the party.
Re: McFaddenI was watching the Ark-LSU game this morning doing the Felix Jones BDTT and all I've been hearing about the game was that McFadden shredded the great LSU defense. About the only thing he shredded is the air in Baton Rouge. Again, his burst and speed are fantastic, but all his long runs are straight lines where he isn't touched. Dorsey is a shell of himself in this game and their Jim Thorpe finalist at Safety is way out of position a couple of times. On the long Hillis TD he falls for the Jones fake on the sweep so bad he leaves his jock on the field. They may have been a great defense earlier in the year, but they weren't that day. Re: MendenhallI agree with Bloom's take in his Bloom 100 that Mendenhall isn't as explosive as McFadden or Stewart, but he's a pretty tough runner and like you say, his burst and balance are really better than you think at first glance.
Wildman
Footballguy
McFadden: I watched both LSU games 2006 and 2007 yesterday, along with the Vandy game in 06, and the Tennessee game in 06 (this morning)...I'm a little shocked by how many losses he has as ball carrier or how many times he literally got knocked backwards by the LSU defense. Mendenhall: I'm higher on his balance and his speed. Still I'm not sure if that puts him in my top 3, but he's getting much closer than he was. I'm a bigger fan of 2-3 other players.Welcome to the party.
