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2023 NFL Draft Profile: Wyoming RB Titus Swen
The former Cowboy had a rough end to his time in Laramie, but his on-field production may be enough to get selected in the NFL Draft.
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An explosive runner, but not without risk.
The Mountain West has a number of running backs who figure to be right on the cusp as potential selections in this year’s NFL Draft, but none may be a bigger mystery at present than Titus Swen.
A native of Fort Worth, Texas, Swen first got his feet wet in Laramie as a true freshman in 2019, appearing in eight games while making one start. He opted out of the COVID-shortened 2020 season but made sure that people remembered who he was with a dynamic 2021. That year, he served as the primary backup to Xazavian Valladay but ran for 785 yards, including a program-record 98-yard touchdown scamper, and a team-high seven scores.
When Valladay transferred to Arizona State ahead of 2022, Swen answered the bell yet again by topping 1,000 rushing yards. However, his tenure with the Cowboys ended on a sour note when he was abruptly dismissed from the team in late November. After a brief dalliance with the transfer portal, Swen chose to declare for the draft instead.
There’s no doubt he can be productive in the right offensive system, but could NFL front offices see enough red flags to warrant passing on him?
Measurables (taken from Dane Brugler)
Height – 5′ and 9 3/8″
Weight – 204 pounds
40-yard time – 4.64 seconds
10-yard split time – 1.44 seconds
Arm length – 31″
Hand size – 9 7/8″
Wingspan – 73 7/8″
Vertical jump – 36″
Broad jump – 10′ and 5″ (or 125″)
Shuttle time – 4.32 seconds
3-cone drill time – 7.26 seconds
Bench press – 13 reps
Highlights
Strengths
Fans of throwbacks will almost certainly be a fan of Swen’s if he lands on their team. He possesses enough patience to wait for his gap to open and the burst and toughness to maximize yardage when it does, which explains why The Draft Network’s Damian Parson is a fan of his “play strength and contact balance”. According to Pro Football Focus, only Boise State’s George Holani forced more than Swen’s 55 missed tackles among Mountain West running backs in 2022.
Better yet, Swen demonstrated the explosiveness to create big plays on the ground, often putting the Cowboys offense on his back in the process: Last season, he and Fresno State’s Jordan Mims tied for the conference lead with 29 rushing plays of ten or more yards.
Weaknesses
The late off-field drama may cause some war rooms to take a dim view of Swen, but the colder reality is that he may not have the top gear teams want in a running back. Using Football Outsiders’ Speed Score metric, Swen’s 4.64 40-yard time would equate to 88.0 and that would have been the second-lowest score among those invites to the NFL Combine earlier this year.
The jury is also out on whether he’ll be able to contribute in the passing game: He had 25 targets last season and had six drops in that small sample, meaning that he’ll need to work to prove he can be a three-down back in the pros.
NFL Comparison
Jeff Wilson
Draft Prediction
You get the sense that Swen would’ve been considered a stronger prospect a decade ago, when the NFL wasn’t so pass-happy, but there is still room for a one-cut back who can punish would-be tacklers and fight for yards after contact. Despite his unexpected dismissal from Craig Bohl’s Cowboys, I’m optimistic that someone will take a late-round flyer, so while Swen will likely have to wait a while, I do think someone takes a chance in the seventh round.
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