If Calvin Johnson is considered the 'specimen' of this year's draft, there's no word to describe Houston running back
Jackie Battle.
The 23-year-old weighs five pounds more than Raiders running back LaMont Jordan, is as tall as Detroit receiver Roy Williams and recorded a faster 40-time than star NFL wideouts Torry Holt and Reggie Wayne.
The 6-foot-2, 235-pound Battle -- who listed as heavy as 250 pounds in his four years with the Cougars -- has watched his stock rise considerably over the last month. Considered by many scouts as a better-suited fullback, Battle hushed critics on March 23, recording jaw-dropping numbers at the University of Houston's Pro Day.
The senior running back recorded a 4.42-second 40-yard dash, bench pressed 225 pounds 19 times, posted a 41-inch vertical jump, long jumped 10 feet, 11 inches and ran the 60-yard shuttle in 10.79 seconds.
In comparison, Georgia Tech wide receiver Calvin Johnson can only out-jump the 235-pounder by 1½ inches and recorded a 40-time just seven-hundredths of a second faster. Furthermore, top-rated California RB Marshawn Lynch, who weighs 20 fewer pounds and is three inches shorter than Battle, recorded slower times in the 40-, 20- and 10-yard dashes.
"That was one of the greatest workouts I've ever seen," the Titans' scout of 33 years, C.O. Brocato, told the Houston Chronicle. "Some had him in the 4.3s. He put on a fantastic show; he made himself a lot of money. He went from a player going to be drafted in the fifth through seventh rounds to a first-day pick. It was just a fabulous workout."
Alonzo Highsmith, the No. 3 overall pick in the 1987 draft and current Green Bay Packers scout, called Battle a "workout warrior" and added, "if a guy can run a 4.3 on turf, then he can usually run it on grass as well."
Apparently, the Oakland Raiders were equally enthralled with Battle's late-March showcase.
The two parties met earlier this month, and Oakland is the only confirmed NFL ballclub to arrange a formal meeting with the incoming rookie running back. Team owner Al Davis has always shown a bias toward pure physical athleticism, and Battle fits the bill to a tee.
At the University of Houston, Battle once clocked in at 4.33 seconds in the 40-yard dash by the Cougars' staff. Consider the scenario of the Houston native lining up alongside cornerbacks Ahmad Carroll, Dunta Robinson and DeAngelo Hall during their 2004 Pro-Day 40-yard dashes and winning each time.
"That kid's stock shot way up," Brocato added. "If he'd been able to do that at the combine where every coach and general manager was, he'd be a first-round pick. He showed us everything we wanted to see today."
In 41 games with Houston, the Humble High School grad rushed 441 times for 2,120 yards and 31 touchdowns on 4.8 yards per carry. As a senior in 2006, Battle earned 943 of those yards and reached the endzone 15 times.
For Oakland, if Battle is still available in the late third round or early fourth round, he'd be worth the pick. The Raiders already have two third-round choices, and the likelihood of Battle dropping beyond the fourth round has decreased considerably over the last several weeks. Scout.com listed him as the draft's 10th-best running back of the '07 class, just one slot behind Louisville's Michael Bush. His two listed weaknesses are acceleration and breakaway speed; however, he seemingly has proven both of those assessments wrong with his latest workout results.
Though Oakland currently seems loaded at running back, Jordan is coming off a nagging injury, the 27-year-old Justin Fargas has just one year left on his contract and the recently signed Dominic Rhodes is a better-suited backup. Furthermore, Zack Crockett, 34, is nearing the end of his 12-year career and may be released by the start of the season.
Of course, Al Davis is awestruck by freakish athletes, and Battle is just that.
This, though, may be the one rare opportunity where reason also applies
