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RB Cam Akers, MIN (3 Viewers)

Florida State junior RB Cam Akers declared for the 2020 NFL Draft.

Akers (5'11/182) managed just 706 rushing yards in 2018, but bounced back in strong fashion this fall, rolling to the tune of a career-best 1,144 rushing yards (5.0 YPC) and 14 touchdowns in 11 games. The FSU standout possesses a slick array of cuts and knows how to bounce with the best of them, but can have a problematic tendency to over-dance, rather than hitting the hole hard and decisively. Akers should have a shot at coming off the board on Day 2 in the spring, assuming he turns in a clean evaluating process. In his Twitter declaration, Akers passed along that he will not be playing in the Seminoles' Sun Bowl showdown with Arizona State on New Year's Eve.

SOURCE: Cam Akers on Twitter

Dec 14, 2019, 3:23 PM ET


Per Pro Football Focus, Florida State junior RB Cam Akers earned 78 yards after contact in Saturday's win against NC State.

Akers (5'11/212) only finished the day with 83 rushing yards, but PFF credited Akers with nearly all his yardage after contact. Florida State's OL has made Akers' job tough this year and no game has been a better example of that than this one. Furthermore, about half of Akers' yardage came on one heroic 41-yard touchdown run, so his other 16 carries went for about 42 yards. He was grinding for every single inch on Saturday.

SOURCE: 247 Sports

Sep 29, 2019, 10:47 AM ET


Florida State junior RB Cam Akers was a national standout this week despite the Seminoles' awful team performance, according to Pro Football Focus.

Florida State nearly fell to Louisiana-Monroe, but Akers would have been the last one to blame for the loss. Akers scooted to nearly 250 total yards in his effort to keep the offense afloat. After a certain point late in the game, QB James Blackman almost exclusively looked to get the ball to Akers. The star RB's performance landed him on PFF's offensive team of the week as one of the two RBs, alongside Appalachian State's Darrynton Evans.

SOURCE: PFF College on Twitter

Sep 8, 2019, 11:58 AM ET


Rivals recruiting analyst has Florida State junior RB Cam Akers on his list of ten players he expects to bounce back in 2019.

Akers (5'11/212) started ten of Florida State's 12 games last season, and after surpassing the 1,000-yard mark in 2017 he was a victim of the team's porous offensive line. The junior averaged 4.4 yards per carry in 2018, rushing for 706 yards and six touchdowns. While those numbers were tops on the team Akers is certainly capable of better production, and what's what Farrell expects to see from him this fall. "He had a great freshman season but fell back last season with an awful offensive line," Farrell wrote. "However, better things should be coming this season."

SOURCE: Rivals

Aug 25, 2019, 5:35 PM ET


Draft Analyst's Tony Pauline graded Florida State junior RB Cam Akers as a UDFA.

You would have to scrape around to find an evaluator who is truly high on Akers -- he needs to prove himself after a disappointing 2018 campaign -- but Pauline is about as conservative on the 5-foot-11, 212-pound junior as you will see. We understand the general sourness, here, but think Akers has a strong opportunity to rebound under OC Kendal Briles this fall. Akers rushed for a freshman program record 1,025 yards two years back before downshifting for 706 yards this past season. He has a lot of work to do to rebuild his once sparkling on-field reputation, but we would not rule out a Day 2 selection if everything breaks right upcoming.

SOURCE: Draft Analyst

Jul 29, 2019, 2:00 PM ET
FSU RB Cam Akers receives rough preseason draft grade

Florida State junior RB Cam Akers said he can run 22.4 MPH.

If true, Akers (5'11/212) would have been the fastest ball carrier in the NFL last year. The MPH reading was likely a little off, but Akers is certainly really athletic. Akers remains one of the better NFL prospects, but he did have a forgettable 2018 season behind a disastrous offensive line. The line should be improved, so we'll have an easier time evaluating Akers against other top 2020 backs like D'Andre Swift, Jonathan Taylor, Travis Etienne, Eno Benjamin, Najee Harris, and others. As of now, Akers is teetering on the Day 2/3 borderline.

SOURCE: Cam Akers on Instagram

Jul 13, 2019, 3:50 PM ET


Florida State junior RB Cam Akers "looked markedly quicker this spring."

Akers played behind a terrible offensive line last year, but he also struggled to create on his own. However, we've seen Akers make big-plays before, so there's potential for a bounce-back season. NFL Media's Daniel Jeremiah likes Akers' ability to "bounce outside and find space" and being quicker will be the difference between first-downs and touchdowns. Akers has Day 2 potential, but he'll need to improve upon last year's wasted season.

SOURCE: 247Sports

Jul 3, 2019, 11:49 AM ET


247Sports' Brad Crawford listed Florida State junior RB Cam Akers as one of college football's "most underrated" players.

Crawford describes Akers as a "badass despite running behind one of the Power 5's worst offensive fronts." The Seminoles' line was as serious issue last season and combined with nagging injuries Akers took a step back (706 rushing yards) from his freshman year (1,025 rushing yards). At full health with an offensive line that should be better, Akers projects to have his best season yet.

SOURCE: 247 Sports

Jun 29, 2019, 2:47 PM ET


NFL Media's Daniel Jeremiah believes Florida State junior RB Cam Akers has "good feel for when to bounce outside and find space."

Akers' instincts, physicality, vision, and ability to finish runs were all praised by Jeremiah. After a disappointing season last year, Akers has become one of the more debated running backs for the 2020 NFL Draft. His offensive line will be better in 2019 (by default) and production and better efficiency should follow. Hopefully Akers continues to be utilized as a receiver because that's one way he'll keep his Day 2 status.

SOURCE: Daniel Jeremiah on Twitter

Jun 26, 2019, 10:53 AM ET
Florida State’s Cam Akers draws praise from Daniel Jeremiah

Athlon Sports' Mark Ross named Florida State junior RB Cam Akers his preseason pick for ACC "Comeback Player."

Ross and colleagues Steven Lassan and Mitch Light all went different directions with their ACC comeback player of the year picks. Lassan rolled with Wake Forest OL Justin Herron while Light went with Duke CB Mark Gilbert. One thing they were all in lockstep on was FSU's hire of OC Kendal Briles as the conference's best coordinator hire of the offseason. That is one of the major reasons for optimism with Akers, who managed just 706 rushing yards last season after bursting out for a program freshman rushing record of 1,025 yards back in 2017. We have seen Briles coax magical things out of his running backs in the past, most recently with Devin Singletary at FAU two years ago. The upcoming campaign is going to be a huge one for Akers' draft stock, with Bleacher Report's Matt Miller tagging the junior as the biggest question mark at the running back position when he released his first big board back in early May.

SOURCE: Athlon Sports

Jun 6, 2019, 7:54 PM ET


Bleacher Report's David Kenyon tagged Florida State junior RB Cam Akers as a prime "bounce-back" candidate for the fall.

Akers (5'11/212) took off like a rocket as a true freshman in 2017, rushing for 1,025 yards and seven touchdowns to break Dalvin Cook's true frosh program record for rushing yards. He then proceeded to drop off to a paltry 706 yards in 2018. To be fair to Akers, he was playing behind a bad offensive line on a direction-less team. The offensive line might not be much improved for the coming season, but FSU's hiring of OC Kendal Briles this offseason should help to open the offense up for Akers. He will be eligible to declare for the draft this coming winter, with Bleacher Report's Matt Miller ranking him as the No. 6 draft-eligible back in the class -- while also labeling him the biggest question mark for the position group. Stay tuned.

SOURCE: Bleacher Report

May 22, 2019, 3:23 PM ET

 
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Super quiet thread huh?

I didn't realize how bad his o-line was when I watched him, but I knew it wasn't good.  There's a thread on twitter that someone analyzed and it really paints a horrible picture for his situation.  Here it is - LINK.  Both he and Ke'Shawn Vaughn had the hardest schedule in terms of o-line vs defensive rank against the run.  Cool analysis that really changed my perspective a bit.  Always liked Cam Akers but I had him down on my lists because nothing ever popped off.  This is likely why.  I've moved him up a few spots.  

 
Super quiet thread huh?

I didn't realize how bad his o-line was when I watched him, but I knew it wasn't good.  There's a thread on twitter that someone analyzed and it really paints a horrible picture for his situation.  Here it is - LINK.  Both he and Ke'Shawn Vaughn had the hardest schedule in terms of o-line vs defensive rank against the run.  Cool analysis that really changed my perspective a bit.  Always liked Cam Akers but I had him down on my lists because nothing ever popped off.  This is likely why.  I've moved him up a few spots.  
I just don't think Akers is very talented. Ke'Shawn Vaughn is a far better prospect than Akers is. 

I agree his o-line was bad, but Akers also has awful vision and misses the holes when they are there. He tries to bounce outside too much, especially for power guy, and offers little in the passing game. Also may have a fumbling problem. 

I'm surprised he's not staying in school.  Even if he tears up the combine I can't imagine him not being a day-3 pick.

 
I just don't think Akers is very talented. Ke'Shawn Vaughn is a far better prospect than Akers is. 

I agree his o-line was bad, but Akers also has awful vision and misses the holes when they are there. He tries to bounce outside too much, especially for power guy, and offers little in the passing game. Also may have a fumbling problem. 

I'm surprised he's not staying in school.  Even if he tears up the combine I can't imagine him not being a day-3 pick.
Can't say more than I just disagree.  Didn't notice any glaring bad vision runs and even if there are, it could be fixed by better o-line play.  All RB's need an o-line and he managed to do well despite his awful one.  I did notice a few fumbling issues though as well so that has me with a little pause.  

His hands looked good so did his balance, patience, and explosiveness from my perspective.  

 
I just don't think Akers is very talented. Ke'Shawn Vaughn is a far better prospect than Akers is. 

I agree his o-line was bad, but Akers also has awful vision and misses the holes when they are there. He tries to bounce outside too much, especially for power guy, and offers little in the passing game. Also may have a fumbling problem. 

I'm surprised he's not staying in school.  Even if he tears up the combine I can't imagine him not being a day-3 pick.
30 receptions is an awful lot for a season in college football.

 
This is behind a paywall(Athletic) but if you can access it and want to hype yourself up on him:

Dynasty scouting report: Florida State’s Cam Akers is a multidimensional Alvin Kamara clone

 
Super quiet thread huh?

I didn't realize how bad his o-line was when I watched him, but I knew it wasn't good.  There's a thread on twitter that someone analyzed and it really paints a horrible picture for his situation.  Here it is - LINK.  Both he and Ke'Shawn Vaughn had the hardest schedule in terms of o-line vs defensive rank against the run.  Cool analysis that really changed my perspective a bit.  Always liked Cam Akers but I had him down on my lists because nothing ever popped off.  This is likely why.  I've moved him up a few spots.  
He measures the quality of the o-line based on the results of running plays. Basically, if a RB got stuffed a lot then that counts as having a bad o-line. This is not very helpful for evaluating RBs; it's like saying "well, this QB took a lot of sacks which means that he had a bad o-line so we should credit him for having to perform in a bad situation". Maybe, but maybe the QB who took a lot of sacks (or the RB who got stuffed a lot) is at least partially to blame, and the QB who was rarely sacked (or the RB who was rarely stuffed) did a good job of getting rid of the ball (or finding the crease / fighting for yardage).

 
He measures the quality of the o-line based on the results of running plays. Basically, if a RB got stuffed a lot then that counts as having a bad o-line. This is not very helpful for evaluating RBs; it's like saying "well, this QB took a lot of sacks which means that he had a bad o-line so we should credit him for having to perform in a bad situation". Maybe, but maybe the QB who took a lot of sacks (or the RB who got stuffed a lot) is at least partially to blame, and the QB who was rarely sacked (or the RB who was rarely stuffed) did a good job of getting rid of the ball (or finding the crease / fighting for yardage).
If I understand it right, it's based on the push before contact to the RB.  If the RB is contacted early, bad grade, contacted later in the run, good grade.  Probably does the least when it comes to evaluating his vision but I'd say it helps see Akers as a creative, get something out of nothing type of back.  I mean he still had over 1100 yards rushing and over 300 yards catching the ball.  This probably doesn't include his pass catching though.  It does make sense though as an indicator that Akers did a lot with very little.  Flawed or not.  

 
If I understand it right, it's based on the push before contact to the RB.  If the RB is contacted early, bad grade, contacted later in the run, good grade.  Probably does the least when it comes to evaluating his vision but I'd say it helps see Akers as a creative, get something out of nothing type of back.  I mean he still had over 1100 yards rushing and over 300 yards catching the ball.  This probably doesn't include his pass catching though.  It does make sense though as an indicator that Akers did a lot with very little.  Flawed or not.  
Nope,  it's using adjusted line yards which is just based on play-by-play data. It's like yards per carry, except each play is capped at 8 or 10 yards and getting stuffed on a play hurts your average even more (e.g. two 3-yard runs are better than one 0-yard run and one 7-yard run).

The PFF list that @BINGBING linked settles this issue pretty well, I think. Here's the rank they give out of 130 for the OL for a bunch of RB prospects:

2    Georgia    D'Andre Swift
4    Ohio State    JK Dobbins
7    Clemson    Travis Etienne
8    Wisconsin    Jonathan Taylor
9    Louisiana    Elijah Mitchell
30    LSU    Clyde Edwards-Helaire
35    Boston College    AJ Dillon
70    Utah    Zack Moss
89    Arizona State    Eno Benjamin
128    Vanderbilt    Ke'Shawn Vaughn
129    Florida State    Cam Akers

We have 5 guys running behind top 10 OLs, 2 guys running behind bottom 3 OLs, and 4 guys with middle-of-the-pack OLs.

 
I just don't think Akers is very talented. Ke'Shawn Vaughn is a far better prospect than Akers is. 

I agree his o-line was bad, but Akers also has awful vision and misses the holes when they are there. He tries to bounce outside too much, especially for power guy, and offers little in the passing game. Also may have a fumbling problem. 

I'm surprised he's not staying in school.  Even if he tears up the combine I can't imagine him not being a day-3 pick.
I like both, but no way would I say one is a "far better prospect".  I can see Akers going at the middle to end of 1st rd rookie drafts in dynasty and Vaughn going in the 2nd, landing spots notwithstanding. 

 
The Athletic's Dane Brugler ranks Florida State RB Cam Akers sixth on his list of the top running backs prior to the NFL Scouting Combine in the 2020 NFL Draft class.

Brugler begins his praise of Akers by highlighting the player's explosive potential. With Akers' burst and speed at 5-foot-11, 182-pounds, he has all the tools to weave around any defender. That being said, Brugler stressed that Akers needs to show off some more patience as he approaches the line of scrimmage. Akers, who won't even be 21-years-old by draft weekend, has plenty of time to iron out the finer parts of his game.

SOURCE: The Athletic

Feb 8, 2020, 3:44 PM ET

 
One of my favorite Noles ever. Ran so hard behind what was literally the worst or second to worst line in the COUNTRY the last two years. Even worse than MAC or Conference USA lines. I hope he goes to a good NFL team and makes a billion dollars. He runs so damn hard. 

 
NFL.com's Lance Zierlein compared Florida State RB Cam Akers to Houston Texans RB Duke Johnson.

"[Akers] runs with tempo and flow but alters his rush track at a moment's notice when needed," Zierlein writes of the 5-foot-11, 182-pound Florida State product, adding that "[h]e is elusive but lacking the instant burst of a slasher capable of stacking long runs in a single game." The analyst sees Akers fitting well in a split backfield, where he won't have to carry the load all his own. Zierlein calls Akers "one of the more natural runners in the draft." Akers figures to fall solidly as a Day 2 selection unless his stock drops out from under him during the remainder of the evaluating process.

SOURCE: NFL.com

Feb 12, 2020, 11:54 AM ET

 
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Was Cam Akers' offensive line  really that bad compared to what Dalvin Cook had at Florida State? Dalvin Cook avg'd 6.0  ypc in 2016.  I do not think Akers is that good.  The ones that averaged close to 5.0 ypc did not make it in the NFL. The ones that averaged 5.5+ ypc did.  Devonta Freeman is borderline starter level and he avaraged 5.6.

 
What is it with at least a couple prospects every year being listed at one weight and/or height on one site and drastically different on another? And then the wrong one gets shared a gazillion times. Every year. Oh well I'll take a star.

 
Dr. Dan said:
This isnt good. 

The entire scouting profile reminds me of RoJo in a way
It's cause his o-line let 4 guys through so he doesn't know which 1 of them to block.  I'm half kidding.

 
Unwrittenlaw said:
Was Cam Akers' offensive line  really that bad compared to what Dalvin Cook had at Florida State? Dalvin Cook avg'd 6.0  ypc in 2016.  I do not think Akers is that good.  The ones that averaged close to 5.0 ypc did not make it in the NFL. The ones that averaged 5.5+ ypc did.  Devonta Freeman is borderline starter level and he avaraged 5.6.
Yes. The line bottomed out in 2018-19. Jimbo stopped recruiting before he left and Taggart didn’t properly address it. No comparison between the Cook teams and the 2018-19 versions. 

 
Florida State RB Cam Akers met with the Buffalo Bills at the NFL Scouting Combine.

The Bills selected Devin Singletary in the third round of last April's draft, so running back shouldn't be considered a huge priority, here. Still, Buffalo is doing its due diligence nonetheless. Akers -- who measured into the combine at 5-foot-10, 217 pounds -- profiles as a likely Day 2 pick upcoming and will try to bolster his athletic case with a strong showing in testing on Thursday night. NFL Media's Lance Zierlein sees shades of Duke Johnson in Akers' game.

SOURCE: Jenna Cottrell on Twitter

Feb 26, 2020, 10:43 AM ET

 
Rotoworld:

Florida State RB Cam Akers ran the 40-yard dash in 4.47 seconds at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Akers (5'10/217) coming in with a very nice 40-yard sprint on Friday evening. He also logged 20 reps on the bench bench press with jumps of 35.5 inches (vertical) and 122 inches (broad) during earlier combine testing. A likely Day 2 pick for April, Akers is at his best when he works decisively, rather than dancing about for holes.

SOURCE: Jordan Reid on Twitter

Feb 28, 2020, 8:04 PM ET

 
How the heck could Dobbins be 2nd, when he didn't do anything other than be measured/weighed ? He was injured so didn't participate in any drills.
It actually makes perfect sense.

The tweet states that Akers overall Athleticism score, presumably based on the combine, was 85 and tied for third for RB's.

The following comment stats that Akers overall draft score of 86 also ranked third behind Taylor and Dobbins.

In other words the Athleticism score that is based solely on the combine is not the same thing as the overall draft score where Dobbins remained at 2.

 
After watching his combine performance followed by highlight videos, I've moved him up to 4th on my RB list.

 
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Yep Matt Williamson is decent and it’s good to get a dynasty focused podcast that is trying to delve in deep on a lot of these rookie prospects. It’s also easier if you want to find chat on a certain player quickly , having all these separate player specific  smaller 30 min segments. 

 

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