The NFL draft is just mere weeks away and the three-day event has seen its fair share of surprises. Last year Oklahoma saw their top wide receiver CeeDee Lamb fall to No. 17 to the Dallas Cowboys. Most consensus projection had him going inside the top 10.
Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire ranked the top 11 running backs in this year’s class. Oklahoma’s Rhamondre Stevenson checked in at No. 7 on his list. The former JUCO running back only played in six games after coming off suspension. Despite the limited number of games that came down the stretch, he would lead the team in rushing attempts, yards, touchdowns, yards per carry, and yards from scrimmage. He was a boost to a team trying to scramble after losing Kennedy Brooks, who opted out of the season.
Stats to Know:
Stevenson forced 36 missed tackles and had 12 carries of 15 or more yards in 2020… on just 101 rushing attempts.
Conclusion:
NFL teams that value Stevenson as a pure power back who can blast through tackles and do all the things traditional power backs do might be in for a shock when he hits the field at the next level. While he shows some power elements, I think of him more as a hybrid player who can run inside and outside, will disappoint at times with his leverage, will surprise with his speed and elusiveness, and can be more than a one-trick pony in the passing game. Here’s where we have to separate a player’s size from the skill set we would automatically assume. And if his NFL team has an offensive line incapable of presenting openings… well, we may have a fundamental issue
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