Time to look at rookie RB’s for the upcoming NFL draft, with PPR dynasty considerations. I mention Atlanta a lot, and that is because I consider that the ultimate RB destination, with Arthur Smith being one of the most RB-friendly head coaches in the NFL (see Derrick Henry and Cordarelle Patterson). The rankings below are based on current ECR, and may change after the NFL draft:
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Breece Hall: I covered him extensively in a previous post. He is most frequently compared to Demarco Murray. He is in a tier with only one other RB…
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Kenneth Walker III: Comparisons here are to Javonte Williams. The only knock on Walker is lack of much work in the passing game, but that can be learned. Between Hall and Walker, landing spot is everything. If one of them landed in Atlanta, and the other in San Francisco, I’d take the one in Atlanta first, even if it was Walker.
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Isaiah Spiller: He is a decent renaissance RB, meaning jack of all trades, master of none. He isn’t especially athletic as his combine and pro day numbers showed. He has some good highlights and stats, but what you constantly see is him being run down from behind once he gets into any kind of open field, so don’t expect a lot of big plays on the pro level. He runs a little upright, so not the most polished guy, although his footwork in traffic is pretty nice. He catches the ball well, and might be a good 3rd down back. Looks like somebody destined for an RBBC. Best case scenario is a poor man’s Austin Ekeler type, or he ends up on a team with great run blocking.
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Rachaad White: He is a potentially great 3rd down back, possibly the best in this class. As an RB, he is too upright to be great. But he has such reliable hands, he reminds me of Leonard Fournette with Tom Brady. So many times in White’s game film, you see the Arizona State QB just look his way when things break down, and White makes the play. Just don’t expect White to show up in early downs.
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Zamir White: He could easily be rated higher than this. He was in an RBBC in college, which kept his highlights and touches down, but what is there is darned impressive. He has size and speed enough for the top tier, and clearly shows good running instincts. He is especially deadly once he gets into the second tier of defenses, making those DB’s pay for their tackles. Don’t be surprised if the Falcons sneak and grab him in the draft, since he is a hometown Georgia boy. That would instantly pop him into the fantasy conversation with the likes of Hall and Walker.
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Brian Robinson Jr.: This Alabama RB is more like “Najee Harris Junior” (although a touch smaller than Harris). Decent, although not perfect receiving skills, combined with good size and punishing running, but also quick feet. He won’t break many 70 yarders, but he can be a bellcow. Sometimes he doesn’t lower his shoulders quite enough. I can easily see Atlanta grabbing this bruiser and using him like a Derrick Henry, but if so, don’t expect a long career.
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Dameon Pierce: Potential is all you can say about Pierce. Tons of athleticism, but not much film for a guy playing for Florida. The kindest comp I heard was from Andrew Erickson, comparing him to Damien Harris, and I will flagpole that as Pierce’s upside.
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James Cook: The little brother of Dalvin Cook (both literally and figuratively). At 5’11" and 190 pounds, he is too small to be an early down runner. He catches well, so he can easily convert to a 3rd down back. If he could just get an extra 10-20 pounds on that frame, it is really easy to see him take on a role similar to his big brother. He has those good instincts. Even then, we have to remember Dalvin’s injury history. I might rate Cook above Dameon Pierce.
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Jerome Ford: He has decent size, but there just isn’t a lot about him that excites me. A good landing spot makes him interesting, although likely not exciting. I picture him as the guy you pick up in week 10 when the starting RB goes down with an injury.
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Tyler Algeier: A slightly slower version of Brian Robinson. It is just hard to tell how good a BYU RB can be on the NFL level when they are playing against Boise State. Andrew Erickson compared Algeier to James Conner. That’s upside.
Clearly not a deep RB class, so grab your RB’s early and go home in dynasty drafts. If you dig too deep, you are looking at more coal than diamonds. There may be somebody past Tyler Algeier, but I’d wait and grab them off the waiver wire during the season.
