Florida senior running back Lamical Perine enters the 2020 NFL Draft with the chops to make a roster, but it may take every bit of his grinder mentality to stick around in the pros.
Perine led the Gators in rushing in 2019 and also landed 40 receptions, finding paydirt 11 total times on the season as a 13-game starter. It was the first year in which he was given an increased role in the passing game.
Height: 5-foot-11
Weight: 216 pounds
40 time: 4.62 seconds
Perine was accused of allegedly assaulting a man trying to tow a vehicle owned by his mother last May, but no charges were filed, and he is known to have a quality reputation otherwise. Work ethic and a try-hard approach to the game will give Perine his best shot at sticking around in the NFL. System fit also will be imperative for his success, since Perine’s style is almost exclusively suited for a zone-blocking scheme.
Table: Lamical Perine NCAA stats (2016-19)
|
Year
|
Team
|
Att
|
Yds
|
Avg
|
TD
|
Long
|
Rec
|
Yds
|
Avg
|
TD
|
|
2016
|
FLA
|
91
|
421
|
4.6
|
1
|
59
|
9
|
161
|
17.9
|
1
|
|
2017
|
FLA
|
136
|
562
|
4.1
|
8
|
29
|
10
|
81
|
8.1
|
1
|
|
2018
|
FLA
|
134
|
826
|
6.2
|
7
|
74
|
13
|
170
|
13.1
|
1
|
|
2019
|
FLA
|
132
|
676
|
5.1
|
6
|
88
|
40
|
262
|
6.6
|
5
|
Pros
- Quality character and work ethic — coachable and dedicated to improving
- Quicker than fast and has decent enough short-area burst to get to the second level
- Versatile skill set and catches the ball well despite not being utilized in such a manner until his senior year
- One-cut-and-go mentality that fits into a zone-blocking scheme
- Consistently found the end zone when given the opportunity — in an NFL with so much backfield compartmentalization, this may be his inroad to a stable role.
- Tough runner who doesn’t shy away from contact to gain needed situational yardage
- NFL bloodlines with cousins Samaje Perine and Myles Jack — his father played at Auburn
- Displays adequate patience to let his blocks develop
- Experienced on special teams
- Effort blocker in pass protection with room to improve
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Cons
- Almost no second gear to speak of and lacks breakaway ability
- Needs to display more creativity to mask speed deficiency
- Despite being a capable receiver, pass protection liability could keep him on the sideline for third-down chores.
- Almost too eager to take on contact, which could be problematic in the NFL and lead to a shortened career.
Fantasy football outlook
Perine profiles as one of those NFL running backs who hangs around for years and fills in admirably off of the bench but never offers consistent fantasy football returns. He figures to be a Day 3 prospect and will likely be asked to carve out a role on special teams before getting a true shot at being more than a three on the depth chart. His 2020 fantasy football value is zilch at this point in time.