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Official Bishop Sankey - Best RB in the 2014 Draft (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter Brewtown
- Start date
Sankey knows running back position has less value in today’s NFL
Posted by Mike Florio on April 19, 2014, 1:22 PM EDT
AP
The ongoing devaluation of the running back position could prompt highly-talented athletes to gravitate toward other positions. Until then, highly-talented athletes who have chosen to play running back will be relegated to making chicken salad out of their NFL prospects.
Washington running back Bishop Sankey realizes that the game is changing. But he still embraces the challenge of playing running back at the NFL level.
“Obviously last year with there being no running back going in the first round, I think there has just been a bigger emphasis on the pass in the NFL and maybe I’m biased but I feel like running back are just as valuable as anybody else on the field especially on the offense,” Sankey told NBCSN’s Pro Football Talk this week. “We not only contribute on the ground but we also pass protect, protect the quarterback and we can also be used as an asset out of the backfield catching the ball.
“Not only that I think a lot of running backs contribute a lot on special teams as well with kick returns, punt returns. Not even being a returner but also blocking for those guys and it’s kind of the direction the league’s going in now, but for me it’s just like I want to go out there every time I get a chance and eliminate all the questions that the NFL coaches have and really just try and put my best foot forward to give me a good opportunity come draft day.”
This year, there likely will be no running backs taken in round one. If given the choice between being a first-round pick or the first running back taken, Sankey would take being the first running back selected.
“I think it just speaks high if you’re the first guy to go at your position,” Sankey said. “It speaks high of what teams think about you and the work that you’ve put in up to this point.”
While it’s highly unlikely any running back will go in the first round, Sankey has a good shot of being the first running back whose name is called. And then he’ll get a fair chance to show what he can do in September, when his number is called.
Posted by Mike Florio on April 19, 2014, 1:22 PM EDT
AP
The ongoing devaluation of the running back position could prompt highly-talented athletes to gravitate toward other positions. Until then, highly-talented athletes who have chosen to play running back will be relegated to making chicken salad out of their NFL prospects.
Washington running back Bishop Sankey realizes that the game is changing. But he still embraces the challenge of playing running back at the NFL level.
“Obviously last year with there being no running back going in the first round, I think there has just been a bigger emphasis on the pass in the NFL and maybe I’m biased but I feel like running back are just as valuable as anybody else on the field especially on the offense,” Sankey told NBCSN’s Pro Football Talk this week. “We not only contribute on the ground but we also pass protect, protect the quarterback and we can also be used as an asset out of the backfield catching the ball.
“Not only that I think a lot of running backs contribute a lot on special teams as well with kick returns, punt returns. Not even being a returner but also blocking for those guys and it’s kind of the direction the league’s going in now, but for me it’s just like I want to go out there every time I get a chance and eliminate all the questions that the NFL coaches have and really just try and put my best foot forward to give me a good opportunity come draft day.”
This year, there likely will be no running backs taken in round one. If given the choice between being a first-round pick or the first running back taken, Sankey would take being the first running back selected.
“I think it just speaks high if you’re the first guy to go at your position,” Sankey said. “It speaks high of what teams think about you and the work that you’ve put in up to this point.”
While it’s highly unlikely any running back will go in the first round, Sankey has a good shot of being the first running back whose name is called. And then he’ll get a fair chance to show what he can do in September, when his number is called.
MoveToSkypager
Footballguy
Good players can make other good players look bad. In that clip, he made Brian Jackson miss, who was the Ducks leading tackler and a fringe NFL draft candidate. I'm telling you this because I'm sure you didn't look it up.
Leroy's Aces
Footballguy
rdrouyn
Footballguy
Fair enough, I don't watch enough college football to know who is a good prospect or not.
I'm trying to temper the optimism a little bit. I was watching some of his film and in the Stanford game and I could see some of the negatives that people mention. He often breaks tackles but on first contact he often wobbles and looks like he is going to lose his footing. That is what they mean about his lack of balance. To his benefit he doesn't always lose balance and even if he does he tries to fall forward. Another thing that I noticed is that when he reaches the second level he often gets tackled and taken down by the safety one on one. For someone with his athleticism and measurables, you'd expect for him to be able to make players miss more often in one on one situations.
I can also see the positives though, and the optimism is warranted. He can have some nice runs where he breaks tackles like crazy and looks like a beast.
See for yourself and let me know what you think: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzsnxQkX3Zg#t=103
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rdrouyn
Footballguy
I was going to mention something about backflips and how those really helped David Wilson be a beast of a running back, but you stole my thunder.
At least I know which category I fall into.
MoveToSkypager
Footballguy
I am not a Sankey fan. I admit I don't know enough about him to have an opinion. I think I'm pretty objective about him, since my opinion is "not enough information". Thanks for the link, I'll watch it.
BigTex
Don't mess with Texas
jurb26
Footballguy
What I like most is his vision and balance. I think he's a very efficient runner who has great instincts to find the hole and commit to it quickly. Really, I don't think he's spectacular in anything particular but he's good at everything. I think he's a 3 down back in the NFL who will fit best in a zone scheme. He reminds me of a smaller Foster.
BigTex
Don't mess with Texas
I agree with everything you said. I think he tends to take things outside too much which is something you can't do in the NFL. Now with that being said, this past season I didn't watch too many Washington games. I watched maybe a half a dozen the year before so I honestly can't judge his game like I can on others that I've seen more of.jurb26 said:
Thanks for the insight,
Tex
Matt Waldman take from a recent article:
"Sankey’s best chance to develop into a starter depends on him going to a team that runs a lot of gap-style plays. This includes traps, power, counter plays, and sweeps -- run designs where linemen pull and the runner has one option and doesn't have to do much reading of the defense pre-snap. It’s the running back’s equivalent of an exam with true/false questions" (Matt Waldman, FootballOutsiders.com)
"Sankey’s best chance to develop into a starter depends on him going to a team that runs a lot of gap-style plays. This includes traps, power, counter plays, and sweeps -- run designs where linemen pull and the runner has one option and doesn't have to do much reading of the defense pre-snap. It’s the running back’s equivalent of an exam with true/false questions" (Matt Waldman, FootballOutsiders.com)
I've read a lot of analyst opinions who say he would best fit a zone blocking scheme in the NFL. This is mostly the type of scheme he ran in at Washington. Matt does not think he can be successful in this type of scheme.
I think that he can be successful in any scheme, but I actually think that a zone blocking scheme fits his game the best...
2014 NFL Draft: RB Bishop Sankey a Sleeper to Watch
We are just under two weeks away from the 2014 NFL Draft and one guy youll want to keep an eye on as a potential sleeper is Bishop Sankey. The running back from Washington has the potential to emerge as one of the drafts best position players.
The 510 tailback had a huge 2013 season for the Huskies, rushing for 1870 yards and 20 touchdowns. His 143.8 rushing yards per game is a school record, as is his single-season rushing attempts number (327). Sankey, a team captain, picked up four games over 200 yards in his three-year college career and was an impact player in a run-first Washington offense.
As far as a prospect, Im certain that Sankey projects to be an NFL starter. While hes a bit bigger, he compares to a rusher like Ray Rice. He stood out in his final regular-season game against Washington State where he rushed for 200 yards and averaged 5.9 yards per carry. He had a similar breakout performance earlier in the year against California, where he rushed for 241 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 8.9 yards per carry.
Sankeys speed wont be a concern at the next level. At times, he showed on tape that he has the ability to be a quick, shifty option out of the backfield. Like Rice, Sankey has sufficient power and stability to handle the big hits that the NFL will bring. He benched the 225-pound bar 26 times at the NFL Scouting Combine, a number that is well above average.
Production was no issue for Sankey in his junior year as he proved to be one of the most effective rushers at the college level. Everything that you want to see in a starting running back is on tape will a team take a chance on him as high as the second round?
http://nflmocks.com/2014/04/21/2014-nfl-draft-rb-bishop-sankey-sleeper-watch/
We are just under two weeks away from the 2014 NFL Draft and one guy youll want to keep an eye on as a potential sleeper is Bishop Sankey. The running back from Washington has the potential to emerge as one of the drafts best position players.
The 510 tailback had a huge 2013 season for the Huskies, rushing for 1870 yards and 20 touchdowns. His 143.8 rushing yards per game is a school record, as is his single-season rushing attempts number (327). Sankey, a team captain, picked up four games over 200 yards in his three-year college career and was an impact player in a run-first Washington offense.
As far as a prospect, Im certain that Sankey projects to be an NFL starter. While hes a bit bigger, he compares to a rusher like Ray Rice. He stood out in his final regular-season game against Washington State where he rushed for 200 yards and averaged 5.9 yards per carry. He had a similar breakout performance earlier in the year against California, where he rushed for 241 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 8.9 yards per carry.
Sankeys speed wont be a concern at the next level. At times, he showed on tape that he has the ability to be a quick, shifty option out of the backfield. Like Rice, Sankey has sufficient power and stability to handle the big hits that the NFL will bring. He benched the 225-pound bar 26 times at the NFL Scouting Combine, a number that is well above average.
Production was no issue for Sankey in his junior year as he proved to be one of the most effective rushers at the college level. Everything that you want to see in a starting running back is on tape will a team take a chance on him as high as the second round?
http://nflmocks.com/2014/04/21/2014-nfl-draft-rb-bishop-sankey-sleeper-watch/
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I think Ray Rice is his perfect comp. I was extremely high on Ray Rice coming out and I feel the same way about Bishop!
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Bishop Sankey, Carlos Hyde top of heap at devalued position
CARSON, Calif. — The call was "Sucker," and it hadn't been in the Washington playbook for more than a week or two before Bishop Sankey made it a signature highlight.
The Huskies trailed eighth-ranked Stanford 13-3. They faced fourth-and-1 from their 39-yard line. They didn't block it correctly, but Sankey burst through the line and made three defenders miss on a 61-yard touchdown run that sparked Washington to a 17-13 upset win Sept. 27, 2012.
Plays like that showed Sankey, who ran for 3,496 yards and scored 38 TDs over three college seasons, could be a difference-maker. But 2½ weeks before the draft, it remains to be seen how highly NFL teams will value his skills at what's becoming the league's most fungible position.
"Honestly, I wish it was different. I wish it was like how it used to be," Sankey told USA TODAY Sports recently after a workout at Exos training center. "Maybe I'm biased, but I think running back is a very valuable position."
Last year marked the first time since the common draft began in 1967 that no running back was selected in Round 1. The two drafts before that saw one back taken in the first 27 picks: Trent Richardson, whom the Cleveland Browns traded 17 months after taking him third overall.
The trend figures to continue next month, with the backs considered this draft's best — starting with Sankey and Ohio State's Carlos Hyde — considered late-first-round picks at best and more likely to come off the board in the second round.
"I don't really understand why everybody is bringing up this devaluing of the running back position," Hyde told USA TODAY Sports by phone.
The strong rookie seasons of the Cincinnati Bengals' Giovani Bernard (drafted 37th overall last year) and the Green Bay Packers' Eddie Lacy (drafted 61st) should help this year's top backs, said Hyde, who ran for 3,198 yards and scored 41 touchdowns over four college seasons.
Marshawn Lynch's role in the Seattle Seahawks' Super Bowl run can't be underestimated either. It remains possible to build the offense of a championship team around a featured back. But the way the league is trending is obvious even to those who intend to make a career running the ball.
"The league has become way more pass-oriented. I can't change that," Sankey said. "The league values passing the ball. A lot of times, there's not a lot of old-school running plays or old-school formations that they used to run back when they used to run way more."
Teams are figuring out they can stockpile backfield options later in the draft and supplement their draft chart through bargain free agents, including some high draft picks who ran out of opportunities with their old teams for one reason or another.
"They say the NFL is a pass-happy league now. I do a great job of catching, a great job of picking up blitzers, recognizing defenses," Hyde said. "I feel like I'm a complete running back. I definitely feel like I'm a first-round talent."
But possessing the talent might not be enough anymore. The Atlanta Falcons, who worked out Hyde last week and will host him on a visit Wednesday, surely aren't taking him at No. 6 but could be interested with their second-round pick (No. 37).
Sankey wouldn't reveal the two teams he worked out for but said he wasn't concerned about how far he might fall. His goal will be to make any team that passes on him look like a sucker, too.
"Having a running back, especially later on in the season, is very important. Every time I step on the field, I'm just trying to put my best foot forward," he said. "And wherever I end up going, I'll be happy to go."
TEAMS IN NEED
Baltimore Ravens: Ray Rice's diminished play in 2013 — he ran for 660 yards on a paltry 3.1 yards per carry — cast doubt on his future even before an offseason arrest and indictment on aggravated assault charges.
The rest of the depth chart for now: Bernard Pierce, Justin Forsett and Cierre Wood.
Atlanta Falcons: The addition of Steven Jackson was a disappointment last season. His 543rushing yards were the fewest of his 10-year career. Diminutive Jacquizz Rodgers does most of his damage in the passing game. They need a new featured runner sooner than later.
Oakland Raiders: Jackonville Jaguars castoff Maurice Jones-Drew's three-year deal contained just $1.2 million guaranteed. And often-injured Darren McFadden doesn't appear nearly as explosive as he once was. He returned on a one-year pact after managing 3.3 yards a carry for the second consecutive season. Neither projects as the long-term answer.
New York Giants: They signed Rashad Jennings to a four-year, $10 million deal, brought back Peyton Hillis and might have David Wilson, depending on his recovery from neck surgery. But considering how things unraveled in 2013, they can't amass enough options.
New England Patriots: Shane Vereen, Stevan Ridley and Brandon Bolden are entering contract years. Last year's late-season star, LaGarrette Blount, signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers in free agency. Bill Belichick always is thinking ahead.
Minnesota Vikings: Top backup Toby Gerhart left for Jacksonville, leaving a hole behind star Adrian Peterson, who had another offseason surgery and has no guaranteed money left on his contract. They need a new insurance policy in case Peterson starts to show he can't carry the load all day.
CREAM OF THE CROP
Carlos Hyde, Ohio State
Height: 6-0. Weight: 230.
Scouting report: Physical, highly productive back who racked up 3,469 yards from scrimmage and 41 TDs over four college seasons. Played with renewed fire and made a difference last season after returning from a three-game ban for a bar incident that didn't result in charges.
Insider's take: "Excellent after-contact runner – that's where his bread and butter is. He's not going to be a dynamic (receiver), but catches it well enough. I don't think that's a strong suit of his. He's going to be more of a first-, second-down (back) and then obviously in the four-minute drill, that's where he's going to make his money." – NFC area scout
Projected round: Late 1-2.
Bishop Sankey, Washington
Height: 5-8. Weight: 207.
Scouting report: Smart, efficient back who ran for 3,496 yards and scored 38 TDs over three college seasons. Military kid known for his work ethic and football IQ. Among combine's top performers in several tests, including the 20-yard shuttle (4 seconds) and bench press (26 reps).
Insider's take: "Bishop Sankey is built well, but he's a smaller, compact guy who can do a few more things (than the draft's other top backs), maybe catching the football and doing that." – NFL Network analyst Charles Davis
Projected round: 2.
Jeremy Hill, LSU
Height: 6-1. Weight: 233.
Scouting report: Straight-line, downhill runner who rushed for 2,156 yards and 18 TDs on 345 carries (6.2 average) over two college seasons. Drew extra scrutiny from teams during pre-draft process for two arrests, which aren't expected to have a major impact on his stock.
Insider's take: "The only thing I don't like about him is he's not a natural, nifty runner. You better have a clean point of entry. He needs the initial hole blocked well, and he's going to get going. He's not a quick-footed, pick-his-way (back). If that hole's not there, penetration will kill him." — NFC scout
Projected round: 2.
Tre Mason, Auburn
Height: 5-8. Weight: 207.
Scouting report: Quick, though not extremely fast back who ran for 2,979 yards, including a school-record 1,816 and 23 TDs as a true junior in 2013. Heisman Trophy finalist. Excellent athlete with jump-cut ability, elusiveness and knack for seeing things develop at the second level.
Insider's take: "You would like him to be a little bigger to be a three-down back. You do question the top-end speed a little bit. But he is a guy that has very good vision, very good feel for the inside-zone play. He can see the hole well. He is one of the more instinctive backs in this draft." — NFC scout
Projected round: 2.
SLEEPER PICK
Henry Josey, Missouri
Height: 5-8. Weight: 194.
Many bring up Darren Sproles when speaking with Josey, who thinks he can be an every-down NFL back. "I can catch out of the backfield just like (Sproles) can, and then I definitely feel like I'm faster," Josey told USA TODAY Sports. He missed the 2012 season after two surgeries to reconstruct his left knee — anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments, patellar tendon and meniscus — but thought he was better than ever in 2013, rushing for 1,166 yards and scoring 17 TDs.
Father to a 3-year-old son, Josey turned pro even though the advisory board projected him as a fourth- to seventh-round pick. In Josey's mind, he controlled his own destiny — and Sproles (5-6, 190) has already shown the impact a fourth-round back can make, size notwithstanding. "You know how everybody pumps it up – 'he's not this big,'" Josey said. "But I'm running like I'm that big. If they watch me on film, I think that says it all".
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/draft/2014/04/21/nfl-draft-running-backs/7988579/
CARSON, Calif. — The call was "Sucker," and it hadn't been in the Washington playbook for more than a week or two before Bishop Sankey made it a signature highlight.
The Huskies trailed eighth-ranked Stanford 13-3. They faced fourth-and-1 from their 39-yard line. They didn't block it correctly, but Sankey burst through the line and made three defenders miss on a 61-yard touchdown run that sparked Washington to a 17-13 upset win Sept. 27, 2012.
Plays like that showed Sankey, who ran for 3,496 yards and scored 38 TDs over three college seasons, could be a difference-maker. But 2½ weeks before the draft, it remains to be seen how highly NFL teams will value his skills at what's becoming the league's most fungible position.
"Honestly, I wish it was different. I wish it was like how it used to be," Sankey told USA TODAY Sports recently after a workout at Exos training center. "Maybe I'm biased, but I think running back is a very valuable position."
Last year marked the first time since the common draft began in 1967 that no running back was selected in Round 1. The two drafts before that saw one back taken in the first 27 picks: Trent Richardson, whom the Cleveland Browns traded 17 months after taking him third overall.
The trend figures to continue next month, with the backs considered this draft's best — starting with Sankey and Ohio State's Carlos Hyde — considered late-first-round picks at best and more likely to come off the board in the second round.
"I don't really understand why everybody is bringing up this devaluing of the running back position," Hyde told USA TODAY Sports by phone.
The strong rookie seasons of the Cincinnati Bengals' Giovani Bernard (drafted 37th overall last year) and the Green Bay Packers' Eddie Lacy (drafted 61st) should help this year's top backs, said Hyde, who ran for 3,198 yards and scored 41 touchdowns over four college seasons.
Marshawn Lynch's role in the Seattle Seahawks' Super Bowl run can't be underestimated either. It remains possible to build the offense of a championship team around a featured back. But the way the league is trending is obvious even to those who intend to make a career running the ball.
"The league has become way more pass-oriented. I can't change that," Sankey said. "The league values passing the ball. A lot of times, there's not a lot of old-school running plays or old-school formations that they used to run back when they used to run way more."
Teams are figuring out they can stockpile backfield options later in the draft and supplement their draft chart through bargain free agents, including some high draft picks who ran out of opportunities with their old teams for one reason or another.
"They say the NFL is a pass-happy league now. I do a great job of catching, a great job of picking up blitzers, recognizing defenses," Hyde said. "I feel like I'm a complete running back. I definitely feel like I'm a first-round talent."
But possessing the talent might not be enough anymore. The Atlanta Falcons, who worked out Hyde last week and will host him on a visit Wednesday, surely aren't taking him at No. 6 but could be interested with their second-round pick (No. 37).
Sankey wouldn't reveal the two teams he worked out for but said he wasn't concerned about how far he might fall. His goal will be to make any team that passes on him look like a sucker, too.
"Having a running back, especially later on in the season, is very important. Every time I step on the field, I'm just trying to put my best foot forward," he said. "And wherever I end up going, I'll be happy to go."
TEAMS IN NEED
Baltimore Ravens: Ray Rice's diminished play in 2013 — he ran for 660 yards on a paltry 3.1 yards per carry — cast doubt on his future even before an offseason arrest and indictment on aggravated assault charges.
The rest of the depth chart for now: Bernard Pierce, Justin Forsett and Cierre Wood.
Atlanta Falcons: The addition of Steven Jackson was a disappointment last season. His 543rushing yards were the fewest of his 10-year career. Diminutive Jacquizz Rodgers does most of his damage in the passing game. They need a new featured runner sooner than later.
Oakland Raiders: Jackonville Jaguars castoff Maurice Jones-Drew's three-year deal contained just $1.2 million guaranteed. And often-injured Darren McFadden doesn't appear nearly as explosive as he once was. He returned on a one-year pact after managing 3.3 yards a carry for the second consecutive season. Neither projects as the long-term answer.
New York Giants: They signed Rashad Jennings to a four-year, $10 million deal, brought back Peyton Hillis and might have David Wilson, depending on his recovery from neck surgery. But considering how things unraveled in 2013, they can't amass enough options.
New England Patriots: Shane Vereen, Stevan Ridley and Brandon Bolden are entering contract years. Last year's late-season star, LaGarrette Blount, signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers in free agency. Bill Belichick always is thinking ahead.
Minnesota Vikings: Top backup Toby Gerhart left for Jacksonville, leaving a hole behind star Adrian Peterson, who had another offseason surgery and has no guaranteed money left on his contract. They need a new insurance policy in case Peterson starts to show he can't carry the load all day.
CREAM OF THE CROP
Carlos Hyde, Ohio State
Height: 6-0. Weight: 230.
Scouting report: Physical, highly productive back who racked up 3,469 yards from scrimmage and 41 TDs over four college seasons. Played with renewed fire and made a difference last season after returning from a three-game ban for a bar incident that didn't result in charges.
Insider's take: "Excellent after-contact runner – that's where his bread and butter is. He's not going to be a dynamic (receiver), but catches it well enough. I don't think that's a strong suit of his. He's going to be more of a first-, second-down (back) and then obviously in the four-minute drill, that's where he's going to make his money." – NFC area scout
Projected round: Late 1-2.
Bishop Sankey, Washington
Height: 5-8. Weight: 207.
Scouting report: Smart, efficient back who ran for 3,496 yards and scored 38 TDs over three college seasons. Military kid known for his work ethic and football IQ. Among combine's top performers in several tests, including the 20-yard shuttle (4 seconds) and bench press (26 reps).
Insider's take: "Bishop Sankey is built well, but he's a smaller, compact guy who can do a few more things (than the draft's other top backs), maybe catching the football and doing that." – NFL Network analyst Charles Davis
Projected round: 2.
Jeremy Hill, LSU
Height: 6-1. Weight: 233.
Scouting report: Straight-line, downhill runner who rushed for 2,156 yards and 18 TDs on 345 carries (6.2 average) over two college seasons. Drew extra scrutiny from teams during pre-draft process for two arrests, which aren't expected to have a major impact on his stock.
Insider's take: "The only thing I don't like about him is he's not a natural, nifty runner. You better have a clean point of entry. He needs the initial hole blocked well, and he's going to get going. He's not a quick-footed, pick-his-way (back). If that hole's not there, penetration will kill him." — NFC scout
Projected round: 2.
Tre Mason, Auburn
Height: 5-8. Weight: 207.
Scouting report: Quick, though not extremely fast back who ran for 2,979 yards, including a school-record 1,816 and 23 TDs as a true junior in 2013. Heisman Trophy finalist. Excellent athlete with jump-cut ability, elusiveness and knack for seeing things develop at the second level.
Insider's take: "You would like him to be a little bigger to be a three-down back. You do question the top-end speed a little bit. But he is a guy that has very good vision, very good feel for the inside-zone play. He can see the hole well. He is one of the more instinctive backs in this draft." — NFC scout
Projected round: 2.
SLEEPER PICK
Henry Josey, Missouri
Height: 5-8. Weight: 194.
Many bring up Darren Sproles when speaking with Josey, who thinks he can be an every-down NFL back. "I can catch out of the backfield just like (Sproles) can, and then I definitely feel like I'm faster," Josey told USA TODAY Sports. He missed the 2012 season after two surgeries to reconstruct his left knee — anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments, patellar tendon and meniscus — but thought he was better than ever in 2013, rushing for 1,166 yards and scoring 17 TDs.
Father to a 3-year-old son, Josey turned pro even though the advisory board projected him as a fourth- to seventh-round pick. In Josey's mind, he controlled his own destiny — and Sproles (5-6, 190) has already shown the impact a fourth-round back can make, size notwithstanding. "You know how everybody pumps it up – 'he's not this big,'" Josey said. "But I'm running like I'm that big. If they watch me on film, I think that says it all".
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/draft/2014/04/21/nfl-draft-running-backs/7988579/
I think Hyde has the highest bust potential.
Fresh Prince of Bel Nor
Footballguy
Ultimately the most productive back might be different than the "best back." The back that is drafted to back up AP obviously will not touch the numbers put up by the back that goes on to start for Tennessee, barring injury.
That said, I have to agree with the criticism of Sankey going down to easily on contact. Have a look at his touches vs. Oregon. Far too often, his momentum is stopped as soon as he is hit. I don't see someone willing to consistently fight for extra yards, if he has trouble breaking tackles against Oregon, what will he do against the NFL's best.
http://draftbreakdown.com/video/bishop-sankey-vs-oregon-2013/
Compare that to Ka'Deem Carey against the same opponent. Carey is violent. Look at him drag three tacklers at 1:06. 1:50, and 6:50. Those are just three examples. Watch the entire game and he consistently falls forward and gains positive yards. He basically wills his team to a win vs. the #5 team in the nation.
http://draftbreakdown.com/video/kadeem-carey-vs-oregon-2013/
Granted if you watch Sankey's the long run at the start of the 3rd quarter, as well as the big plays at 4:45 and 5:50, it is easy to see why people get excited about his athleticism. I just think this is a case of picking some of the big plays and falling in love with his combine numbers, while ignoring the red flags that would limit his touches and weekly fantasy consistency.
In the same way, people are devaluing Carey because of his poor combine but are ignoring all of his positives. There is a reason why back in January, people most experts were putting Carey near the top of their rankings, before a poor combine changed everything.
That said, I have to agree with the criticism of Sankey going down to easily on contact. Have a look at his touches vs. Oregon. Far too often, his momentum is stopped as soon as he is hit. I don't see someone willing to consistently fight for extra yards, if he has trouble breaking tackles against Oregon, what will he do against the NFL's best.
http://draftbreakdown.com/video/bishop-sankey-vs-oregon-2013/
Compare that to Ka'Deem Carey against the same opponent. Carey is violent. Look at him drag three tacklers at 1:06. 1:50, and 6:50. Those are just three examples. Watch the entire game and he consistently falls forward and gains positive yards. He basically wills his team to a win vs. the #5 team in the nation.
http://draftbreakdown.com/video/kadeem-carey-vs-oregon-2013/
Granted if you watch Sankey's the long run at the start of the 3rd quarter, as well as the big plays at 4:45 and 5:50, it is easy to see why people get excited about his athleticism. I just think this is a case of picking some of the big plays and falling in love with his combine numbers, while ignoring the red flags that would limit his touches and weekly fantasy consistency.
In the same way, people are devaluing Carey because of his poor combine but are ignoring all of his positives. There is a reason why back in January, people most experts were putting Carey near the top of their rankings, before a poor combine changed everything.
ShaHBucks
Footballguy
JohnnyU
Footballguy
I once made a $100 bet with someone here at FBGs and they were good for it. I couldn't believe it. He not only paid me, but several other FBGs as well were part of the same bet. I have a lot of respect for that person, but I can't remember who it was.
Xue
Footballguy
Hill and Hyde don't have a clean character/behavior history. Sankey does. It's very possible teams have Hill and Hyde completely off their board because of it.
Rhythmdoctor
Footballguy
EBF
Footballguy
Williams has the physique of a first round back, but when you watch him run there's not much elusiveness at all.
Sankey is elusive, but doesn't have the size or the lower body strength to be a great NFL starter IMO.
If you combined the frame of Williams with the quickness of Sankey then you'd have a very strong prospect, but each guy is lacking something.
Like I said previously, the "on paper" comparisons for Sankey are guys like Felix Jones and Donald Brown. Power/speed tweeners with neither great bulk nor great speed.
That hasn't been the recipe for great NFL success. I guess you could point towards guys like McCoy and Rice for optimistic comparisons. Sankey isn't as elusive as McCoy though and even if his listed BMI is similar, he doesn't run with the power or leg drive of Rice. For a guy with a 30+ BMI, he doesn't run with much thump. I think he's best suited to a backup/COOP role, though someone could shoehorn him into a starting spot for a year or two.
Exactly why it makes it a feasible bet. I could see him flukishly being taken by a team as the first back if he fits their system and need. Seattle took Michael in the 2nd last year so there is a market for Running Backs.
Biabreakable
Footballguy
From Nolan Nawrocki's top 50-http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000342706/article/nolan-nawrockis-top-50-2014-nfl-draft-prospects-big-board
6.00-6.49 -- Should become instant starter
5.50-5.99 -- Chance to become NFL starter
21. Carlos Hyde, RB, Ohio StateA big, strong, powerful, NFL feature back who carried the Buckeyes' offense as a senior and proved he can be a workhorse. Solid all-around, chunk runner well-built for the physicality of the AFC North.
Grade: 6.15 | Draft projection:Rounds 1-2
36. Tre Mason, RB, AuburnMason is a compactly built, nifty-footed runner with a balanced skill set to merit 20 touches per game at the next level. Fits in multiple schemes and has the chops to make an impact as a rookie.
Grade: 5.88 | Draft projection: Round 2
50. Bishop Sankey, RB, WashingtonSankey is an instinctive, competitive and shifty, low-to-the-ground hard runner. Can be effective as a complementary zone runner capable of moving the chains and picking up chunk yards.
Grade: 5.69 | Draft projection: Rounds 2-3
6.00-6.49 -- Should become instant starter
5.50-5.99 -- Chance to become NFL starter
21. Carlos Hyde, RB, Ohio StateA big, strong, powerful, NFL feature back who carried the Buckeyes' offense as a senior and proved he can be a workhorse. Solid all-around, chunk runner well-built for the physicality of the AFC North.
Grade: 6.15 | Draft projection:Rounds 1-2
36. Tre Mason, RB, AuburnMason is a compactly built, nifty-footed runner with a balanced skill set to merit 20 touches per game at the next level. Fits in multiple schemes and has the chops to make an impact as a rookie.
Grade: 5.88 | Draft projection: Round 2
50. Bishop Sankey, RB, WashingtonSankey is an instinctive, competitive and shifty, low-to-the-ground hard runner. Can be effective as a complementary zone runner capable of moving the chains and picking up chunk yards.
Grade: 5.69 | Draft projection: Rounds 2-3
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ours liquor:
OrangeJulius
Footballguy
EBF
Footballguy
And I'd be willing to bet 100 gold dragons that you are a Brewtown alias.
Maybe you can start a Bishop Sankey fan site and migrate over there with all of your multiple personalities.
OrangeJulius
Footballguy
Second round: Bishop Sankey (Washington)
A team captain, the 5-foot-9 1/2, 209-pound Sankey enters the draft after his junior season and looks like one of the most well-rounded prospects at the position. His 26 reps on the bench press highlighted his strength, while his 4.49 time in the 40-yard dash and 6.75 time in the 3-cone drill reflects his speed and quickness. In the Patriots' zone blocking scheme, his skill set looks like a good fit.
A team captain, the 5-foot-9 1/2, 209-pound Sankey enters the draft after his junior season and looks like one of the most well-rounded prospects at the position. His 26 reps on the bench press highlighted his strength, while his 4.49 time in the 40-yard dash and 6.75 time in the 3-cone drill reflects his speed and quickness. In the Patriots' zone blocking scheme, his skill set looks like a good fit.
Milkman
Footballguy
Watching tape on him earlier in the year i thought he didn't need a big hole to make something happen. I was impressed with his vision.
Earlier in the year EBF made the comment that we needed to see what he had "under the hood" before he could sign off on him. He has kind of backed off of that statement and still doesn't like Sankey even after he killed the combine.
Elite production + great/elite combine + good tape
I don't know guys. If it quacks like a duck. .......
Earlier in the year EBF made the comment that we needed to see what he had "under the hood" before he could sign off on him. He has kind of backed off of that statement and still doesn't like Sankey even after he killed the combine.
Elite production + great/elite combine + good tape
I don't know guys. If it quacks like a duck. .......
EBF
Footballguy
He came in light and didn't really run that fast for a player of his size. If you want an optimistic comparison, LeSean McCoy, Frank Gore, and Gio Bernard are all below 210 pounds and they all ran relatively slow 40 times. It's not impossible for a player of Sankey's dimensions to be successful, but the closest physical comparisons among recent prominent draft prospects are probably guys like Donald Brown and Felix Jones. Power/speed tweeners who have never been able to clamp down a starting job. Bad omen.
It seems like it's better for a RB in the NFL to be either one thing (really fast) or the other (really bulky), and not somewhere in the middle. That's a problem for Sankey. He's not a speed back and he doesn't have the bulk or leg drive to run hard. So he's a flashy undersized jack-of-all-trades. Essentially a poor man's Marshawn Lynch or Doug Martin. Similar athlete without the same power.
I don't hate him. I simply recognize him for what he is: not a great prospect.
NFL.com has him with a 5.69 rating. They have two RBs with higher grades (Hyde and Mason). They have nine WRs with a higher grade. Ebron has a higher grade. So do several of the QBs. That's what? Fifteen QB/RB/WR/TE rated ahead of him?
This is consistent across all the sites. DraftScout has him as the 58th best prospect in the class. They rank 20 QB/RB/WR/TE ahead of him.
He's an okay player. Nothing more. Nothing less. He has enough ability to put up Zac Stacy/LeVeon Bell numbers if he's lucky enough to be drafted into a starting role. There aren't many of those floating around the league right now though. I don't think his ceiling is on par with the truly elite talents (i.e. Peterson, Lynch, McCoy, Charles, Mathews, Spiller, Bush, Forte, Stewart, DeAngelo, Gore, MJD, Martin). He's a mediocre NFL talent. If he lands in a wide open situation, he'll have short-term value. If not, there will be at least 4-5 RBs as talented as him coming into the league next season to compete for jobs.
werdnoynek
Footballguy
I hope your lips don't turn green from kissing EBF's rings...
Sankey is going to be a stud!
Milkman
Footballguy
Yes it was. I wasn't calling EBF out either. It seems, to me anyways, that the goal posts have been shifted in regards to Sankey.
EBF
Footballguy
Yes, he's a poor man's Martin or Lynch precisely because he doesn't have their size and power.
In terms of quantifiable physical traits, Brown and Felix are about the best comparisons you're going to find.
Bishop Sankey
Height - 5'9.5"
Weight - 209
BMI - 30.4
40 - 4.49
Broad Jump - 10'5"
Vertical - 35.5"
Three Cone - 6.75
Donald Brown
Height - 5'10.2"
Weight - 210
BMI - 30.0
40 - 4.46
Broad Jump - 10'5"
Vertical - 41.5"
Three Cone - 6.93
Felix Jones
Height - 5'10.1"
Weight - 207
BMI - 29.6
40 - 4.44
Broad Jump - 10'4"
Vertical - 33.5"
Three Cone - 6.90
So he's a little slower than both of those guys. A little bit quicker in the three cone and a little bit thicker. Very, very similar on paper.
There are limits to how well measurables describe how a player functions on the field, but it's some of the only objective data we have to go by. It's hard to compare Sankey's college stats with Felix's because Felix played with McFadden, but here's how he stacked up against Brown:
Sankey's college production:
644 carries, 3496 yards (5.4 YPC), 67 catches, 567 yards (8.5 YPR)
Donald Brown's college production:
698 carries, 3800 yards (5.4 YPC), 48 catches, 276 yards (5.8 YPR)
Almost identical rushing output to Brown. Better in the receiving game. Felix (9.8 YPR) was a little more dynamic in space. Pretty close though.
Sankey comes out of this looking like a slightly thicker, slightly less dynamic Felix Jones or a more elusive Donald Brown. Based on my subjective observations of him, he's decent in space. He has a little bit of the LeSean McCoy ability to make people miss. Active feet. Slippery. Maybe not enough to cover his other weaknesses. He's not big/powerful enough to be a power back and he's not explosive enough to thrive as an undersized Bush/Spiller/Charles type.
Here's what some of the scouting reports say:
http://www.nfl.com/draft/2014/profiles/bishop-sankey?id=2543682
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1884454/bishop-sankey
http://cfn.scout.com/2/1396732.html
The overall picture reads a lot like poor man's LeSean McCoy/slightly more robust Felix Jones. With the way the league is going towards using backs frequently as receivers, his style might mesh well with the current climate. It's not like he's some kind of monster prospect though. He isn't a first round talent (neither were Felix and Brown in hindsight) and there are several backs of his quality who come into the league every year.
The Donald Brown comparison is not a bad one, but then why do you say that he is a "poor man's" LeSean McCoy? Is it because of the performance in the NFL that McCoy has had, and you just don't think highly of Sankey? How did you rank McCoy coming out?
Whenever you make comparisons it is tough, and I've even seen you reference that. There were a few things about combine performance that you did not mention. The bench press and the short shuttle, both of which Sankey killed. I guess that I also place a good deal of value in hand size and Sankey's hands are 1 inch bigger than Browns. Some may dismiss this, but I don't. Brown also played in the Big East and Sankey in the PAC 10 there is also a difference in competition. I don't think the Brown comp is bad - he was a 1st round pick and in spots has really excelled and looked good. I do think that Sankey is a better athlete which will help set him apart from Brown. Some of the cuts and quick moves that Sankey makes are sick and he also does the basics well (runs inside with nice power, slashes with nice speed, and catches the ball well).
I'm not really sure if NFL.com rankings are the best rankings to go by - who puts those together?
He beat Giovanni Bernard in every measure at the combine, and I think he is a better RB!
Whenever you make comparisons it is tough, and I've even seen you reference that. There were a few things about combine performance that you did not mention. The bench press and the short shuttle, both of which Sankey killed. I guess that I also place a good deal of value in hand size and Sankey's hands are 1 inch bigger than Browns. Some may dismiss this, but I don't. Brown also played in the Big East and Sankey in the PAC 10 there is also a difference in competition. I don't think the Brown comp is bad - he was a 1st round pick and in spots has really excelled and looked good. I do think that Sankey is a better athlete which will help set him apart from Brown. Some of the cuts and quick moves that Sankey makes are sick and he also does the basics well (runs inside with nice power, slashes with nice speed, and catches the ball well).
I'm not really sure if NFL.com rankings are the best rankings to go by - who puts those together?
He beat Giovanni Bernard in every measure at the combine, and I think he is a better RB!
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werdnoynek
Footballguy
You seem to be calling out EBF to do research, yet he seems to be the only one posting with actual research to back up his stance... care to do the same??
Side note - Brewtown is so much easier to take when his responses are short and to the point like this:
werdnoynek
Footballguy
The Donald Brown comparison is perfect IMO. Good at most things, great at nothing.
Biabreakable
Footballguy
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