The NFL Combine saw some blazing times yesterday courtesy of the wide receiver group — could the running backs fire up a few fast times of their own today? They’re up today to work out with the offensive line groups for on-field drills at Lucas Oil Stadium. The Dolphins are in need of running back help, but to be fair, just about every position on the field is up for renewal.
With Chan Gailey taking over as offensive coordinator, running back becomes a bit more of a focus and priority. So with that in mind, here are a few running backs to watch today.
J.K. Dobbins – Ohio State
Playmaker is the first word that comes to mind with Dobbins. He is built like a bowling ball and bounces off of would be tacklers with ease. Not only does he run with power, he has the speed to break a big play and wear defenses down over the game. And, the bonus on top of all of that, he is a reliable receiver out of the backfield.
Dobbins should have a good day today in Indy.
A.J. Dillon – Boston College
He may be a big back at 6-0 and 247 pounds, but he offers more than just size. On film, Dillon runs away from defenders but can also make defenders miss — his athleticism and size put defenders in a bind. Dillon is a complete running back that offers fantastic vision to find cut back lanes. He would be a good fit with the Dolphins system. His 40-yard dash will be interesting to watch — he may surprise.
Cam Akers – Florida State
Akers should be talked about much more than he is, he’s currently one of the sleeper backs in this class. Akers has an angry running style that allows him to bounce off of blockers, he’s difficult to tackle. His ability to move laterally is one of the best in this class. And after playing behind a bad offensive line at Florida State, he’s made plays happen out of nothing quite often.
Jonathan Taylor – Wisconsin
Taylor has been mocked to the Dolphins at pick 26 quite a few times over the course of the last few months. He is perfect for a team that wants to run the ball with consistency and his style could be classified as “patient”. He does not force the hole to be there, instead he allows his blockers to get their blocks set up and then hits it for a big gain. He has prototypical size at 5-10 226, but also has the long speed to run away from defenders. Taylor’s run times may surprise some, he has a track background.
Zack Moss – Utah
The Utes offense ran through Moss and for good reason. His running style allowed them to churn out yards and play smash mouth football. He is not an overly fast runner, but he sees the field well and knows where is cut back lanes are. His compact frame allows him to run through tackles and keep defenders off of him. He may not flash explosive numbers at the Combine, but his field drills should be impressive.
D’Andre Swift – Georgia
Versatility is always a positive for the Dolphins’ coaching staff and Swift offers exactly that. Swift should be show well at the Combine today in all of the drills. He is quicker than fast, so agility drills are likely to score better than his 40-yard dash time will. Watch him work in the drills, especially when he can use his agility and receiving ability to stand out in all the right ways.
The Dolphins have plenty of options at running back and all six of these backs could be there for one of their picks for the team to snatch up. All of them have their own quality traits and have potential to match what Miami looks to do.
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