The draft is under three months away, and this entry is a clear, practical guide to evaluating running backs—using the same criteria coaches and scouts lean on. For this instalment, I pulled from people who grade the position every week and blended their language with a framework I’ve used while coaching at the high school and college levels. The point isn’t buzz; it’s clarity: what to watch, why it matters, and how it holds up on Sundays. If you’re cutting clips or grading live, this will give you a repeatable way to separate traits that travel—vision and decision speed (aim–press–cut), footwork and tempo, burst through the line, contact balance, real third-down value—from box-score noise and highlight runs against soft fronts.
Vision & Decision Speed
- Sees it fast. Quick eyes turn 3 yards into 7; slow eyes run into backs.
- Presses, then cuts. Good backs press the landmark to move LBs, then stick the cut on time. Too early/late wastes blocks.
- Adjusts on the fly. Over-commit = dead play; the good ones re-aim and go now.
- Feels the backside. On zone, sense the cutback when the front overpursues; explosives live there.
- One move, then go. Jump-cut, one-step, dead-leg—use it without losing balance or yards.
- Makes the first man miss. In tight or in space, beating the first tackler is the money skill.
- Controls tempo. Slow-to/fast-through manipulates fits; dancing is just wasted steps.
Burst & Acceleration
- Gets to speed now. NFL creases close in a heartbeat; no runway needed.
- Re-accelerates after a cut. Pop out of tight areas separates quick from dangerous.
- Beats early angles. First two steps through the LOS are violent enough to win LB angles.
Long Speed / Home-Run
- Angle-proof in pads. When clear, do the pursuit angles disappear? Track speed ≠ game speed.
- Turns chunks into touchdowns. 20+ yarders show up vs. real defenses, not just cupcakes.
- Stays up on glancing blows. Low pads, strong hips/ankles turn 3 into 5.
- Finishes through bodies. Keeps legs driving; it takes more than arm tackles to end the run.
- Wins when everyone knows run. 3rd/4th-and-1 and GL: find a crease, convert, no bounce-to-die.
- Low into contact. Lowers the shoulder, keeps feet churning, falls forward.
Scheme Fit (Zone/Duo/Gap/Counter/Toss)
- Works in your menu. Zone: aim-press-cut with backside vision. Duo/Power: square pads and churn. Counter/Toss: patient with pullers, decisive when daylight shows.
- Production that travels. Note what he’s good at; don’t assume it ported from system sugar.
3rd-Down Value (Receiving + Pass Pro)
- Real route value. Hands away from frame; not just screens. Runs angle/choice/option/swing-to-wheel at proper depth and gets north immediately.
- Picks up the right guy. IDs mug/front, steps in with pop, strikes/anchors, keeps chest clean, and can recover. Willing to stand in, not just cut.
- Snap count insurance. If he can help on either, he plays; if not, he caps himself.
Ball Security
- High-and-tight, always. Five points of pressure through traffic; no loose carriage on spins.
- Few “almost fumbles.” Track close calls, rakes, and whether he switches hands by sideline/pursuit.
Durability & Workload
- Holds up to hits. Style and history matter—glider vs. collision seeker.
- Tread on the tires. Total college touches and injury profile project the RB wall.
- December proof. Cold weather, heavy boxes, bad footing—does the style still work?
College Context & Opponent Quality
- OL and box counts. Disneyland lanes vs. light boxes inflate numbers; adjust accordingly.
- Production vs. ranked fronts. Good tape against real defenses beats stat lines vs. cupcakes.
- Bad team, real output. If he creates when everyone knows run, bump the trait grade.
Special Teams Value
- Returns with judgment. Clean ball security, north-south decisions, field-flip potential.
- Covers and blocks. Effort, angles, finish as PP/coverage—how RB3 dresses on Sunday.
In the end, running back scouting isn’t guesswork—it’s recognizing the same traits showing up again and again. If you watch with a purpose, the tape starts telling you who really has it: backs who see the hole early, hit it on time, make one defender miss, run through contact, protect the football, and help you on third down. This framework helps you spot those patterns instead of getting distracted by long runs against soft boxes.
Use it when you’re cutting film. Chart the tough yards, the backside cuts, the blitz pickups, the runs that should’ve been three yards but became seven. Separate production from ability. Do that, and you’ll overreact less, project better, and understand which backs can actually hold up over a season. When draft season gets loud, you’ll know what matters—who can read it, hit it, finish it, and still be reliable in December and January.
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