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Maryland RB
LaMont Jordan
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This is the second in a series of articles previewing the top prospects, by position,
for the 2001 NFL draft and beyond.
At least one of the two major NFL scouting combines rated Mississippi’s Deuce
McAllister as the top running back and senior pro prospect in the country, and
that was after a junior year in which he did not start one game. What scouts love about
McAllister is his versatility. He not only is big, fast and athletic, but he is an
exceptional receiver, a kick returner, a punt returner, a home-run threat, a passer and a
decent blocker. McAllister may weigh over 220 pounds, but he has breakaway speed to the
outside and the pass-catching skills of a top wide receiver. He is one of the biggest punt
returners in the college game and one of the best kick returners. Despite not starting a
game in 1999, he was an All-Conference running back, won the Conerly Trophy as the top
player in the state of Mississippi and led the Southeastern Conference in all-purpose
yardage. However, while McAllister is a surefire first-round pick, many scouts say they
would not be surprised if he drops to the middle of the first round. He has had some
injury problems and suffered a grade-one sprain of the anterior cruciate joint in his
right shoulder three games into this season. While he is a big back, McAllister tends to
run a little tall and is more effective running wide than down the middle. He will put the
ball on the ground at times, and if you hit him low, he will not break that many tackles
with his legs. He also is a little hot and cold in terms of being a creative runner. One
thing that may help McAllister secure a spot in the top 4-5 picks in the draft is if he
goes to the Senior Bowl and is around pro coaches and scouts all week. McAllister tends to
grow on people because he is a very good human being with the type of intangibles and work
ethic that are sure to impress. Coaches love versatile players, and a game like the Senior
Bowl would be a great showcase for his skills.
Maryland’s LaMont Jordan was catching the eyes of scouts as a
true freshman and surprised many by staying in school after rushing for 306 yards in the
last game of his junior year and being hampered by academic problems. As a result of those
academic problems, he sat out the spring and went to summer school to get eligible for the
fall. As a student, Jordan’s biggest problem is he tends to get lazy and
lackadaisical. Those problems also carry over to football at times when it comes to
offseason conditioning, which is one reason why he generally is a slow starter. When
Jordan is at his best, you see a bigger back with the speed to take the ball all the way.
He is a runner who can run over you or make you miss as well as a power back with some
finesse and explosive speed. He catches the ball well, can pass-block and rarely fumbles.
However, there are other times when he does too much hunting and pecking, is too slow to
hit the hole and does not do a great job of getting out of tight spots.
Another back who is very hard to judge right now and could do himself a world of good
at the Senior Bowl is Texas Christian’s LaDainian Tomlinson. Last
year Tomlinson, not Ron Dayne, led the nation in rushing, and this year he is in the
running for the Heisman Trophy. However, the biggest problem scouts have with Tomlinson is
the nature of the TCU offense. It is a great option-running team with a terrific line that
often wipes out the opposing defense. Tomlinson often gets option pitches near the
sideline and has a lot of clear sailing before he gets touched. While he appears to be
built for power at 5-10 and 220 pounds with a well-put-together and muscular body and good
timed speed, he is not a great inside runner at this point in terms of creativity and
breaking tackles inside. Some scouts say he can be a good inside runner as long as he
bends his knees and runs under his pads, which is something he does not have to do on many
pitches when he is not getting hit on the option. Speedwise, he runs about a 4.5 in the
40-yard dash, but some scouts do not feel he has top speed, while others say he has
deceptive speed and is plenty fast. While he is not often a receiving target, Tomlinson
catches pitches well and appears to have good hands. He also is an unselfish player who
will block.
While Michigan’s Anthony Thomas is not a burner or a superelusive
back, he is a very productive back who improves every year and really impresses scouts
with his toughness and extra-effort running. Last year Thomas learned to run lower and
under his pads when he rushed for 1,257 yards and 16 scores, which was almost
Michigan’s entire rushing total. He is well ahead of last year’s pace this
season. At 225 pounds, Thomas is a power runner who can be his own blocker. While not
really creative, he picks his hole well and is a decisive runner. He is durable,
productive, tough and pretty versatile. He seems to catch the ball well, will block and
can return kickoffs.
Tennessee’s Jamal Lewis, the first back taken in the 2000 draft, generally started
ahead of Travis Henry last season except when he was hurt. However, the
Volunteers’ offense seemed to be more effective when it featured Henry instead of
Lewis. While Henry does not have Lewis’ speed, hands or skills, he is the ultimate
blue-collar type of back. As a power runner, he rarely goes down on first contact and
gains over half his yardage after he first gets hit. Henry runs with a low center of
gravity and is hard to knock off his feet. He breaks tackles with his legs and seems to
have terrific contact balance. While he’s no burner, Henry has improved his speed.
Nebraska’s Dan Alexander has almost freakish size, speed and
power, but he is a straight-line type of runner who does not have a lot of wiggle and has
torn both his right and left anterior cruciate ligaments while at Nebraska.
Kansas State’s David Allen is a terrific punt returner who missed
a lot of time early this year with right-knee and ankle injuries suffered in the Martin
Luther King Classic.
Kansas’ Moran Norris is a combination fullback, running back and
one back with size, strength and power. He is a more creative runner than most fullbacks
and is a punishing runner who is very hard to tackle. He also has tremendous strength in
his upper body and a good work ethic. On the downside, Norris does tend to run a little
tall and has had some fumbling problems in the past.
Also see: Top quarterback prospects |
