Tag: Audric Estime

2024 NFL Draft: Notre Dame RB Audric Estime scouting report

Notre Dame running back Audric Estime might be the most plug-and-play prospect at his position in the 2024 NFL draft class.

Here at Touchdown Wire, we continue our 2024 NFL draft scouting reports on running backs (which began with Michigan’s Blake Corum) with our analysis of Notre Dame running back Audric Estime.

In three seasons with the Fighting Irish, Estime broke out from 60 rushing yards on seven carries in 2021, to 906 rushing yards on 156 carries in 2022, to 1,341 rushing yards on 209 carries in 2023. Last season, he was one of the NCAA’s most confounding backs to tackle; his 64 missed tackles forced ranked sixth among backs in the 2024 draft class, and 892 of his 1,341 rushing yards came after contact.

At 5′ 11⅜” and 221 pounds, Estime is absolutely a power runner — just look at his preposterous tape against Stanford last season for proof of concept — but he’s got a bit more on the ball than your average headbanger. He also had 22 runs of 15 or more yards last season for 596 yards total, and he caught 17 passes for 142 yards.

Perhaps most importantly, Estime projects as a scheme-transcendent back; he’s got a fairly equal amount of dynamic zone and gap runs in his resume.

PLUSES

— Estime is equally conversant with gap and zone concepts; there won’t be much of a transitional issue for him in any offense.

— Estime forced 64 missed tackles last season on 209 carries, and his tape is replete with “F YOU” runs. If you’re arm-tackling him, you will fail.

— Patient at the line of scrimmage, and then can turn on a nice combination of power and acceleration. Lateral agility is a particular strength in closely contested areas. He’s great at letting blocks play out.

— Burst to the edge is a great and consistent trait.

— Good enough with all the standard RB routes, and once he’s going up against defensive backs, it’s party time.

MINUSES

— Had 14 negative runs in 2023; here’s where the initial patience can be an occasional problem.

— Estime’s NFL team will want to work with him on his blocking techniques. He has the size and playing personality to block more consistently than he does; this is likely a matter of technique.

Estime is an excellent plug-and-play prospect for the NFL in that there aren’t a lot of dings, and the good stuff is REALLY good. The only thing I wonder is whether that slow-to-accelerate style might get him in trouble at the next level.

2024 NFL combine: Bills have contact with Notre Dame’s Audric Estime

2024 NFL combine: #Bills have contact with Notre Dame’s Audric Estime:

The Buffalo Bills and running backs very recently became a topic.

That was initially because of Audric Estime, but add him to the list.

Over this past week, the Bills freed up some salary cap space by releasing Nyheim Hines. But now that leaves a spot on the roster that could be potentially filled by another running back. Estime is a 2024 NFL draft prospect with a slight possibility to replace Hines as he confirmed he had contract with the Bills at the combine.

Despite that chance, Estime profiles more as the complementary running back that Buffalo has failed to find in recent seasons. Latavius Murray was a larger-sized back to No. 1 back James Cook, but his pace slowed toward the end of the 2023 season.

Murray a pending free agent, and then there’s Leonard Fournette, who is already on the market.

Similarly Estime is 5-foot-11 and 221 pounds. His power as a rusher is praised by The Draft Network, but in what is often a cliche for bigger running backs, the concern sits with his ability to break off explosive, longer carries. Pro Football Focus currently has Estime as the No. 111 prospect on the 2024 draft big board, so he’s likely a mid-to-late round selection.

Estime discussing his contact with Buffalo can be found in the WUFO radio clip below, along with a series of his highlights:

2024 NFL draft: Giants load up in 7-round post-Combine mock

In a 7-round post-NFL Combine mock draft, the New York Giants luck out over their first three picks and load up over seven rounds.

The 2024 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana concluded on Sunday, and the fate of many prospects was changed.

With the on-field testing now out of the way, Giants Wire decided to take a second shot at a full 7-round mock draft for the New York Giants.

Because our initial Round 1 mock draft was so controversial, we eliminated all trades in this one just as we had in our first 7-round mock. That’s obviously not how the actual draft will play out but allowing only a single trade the first time was justifiably unrealistic as well.

For this mock draft, we once again used the Pro Football Focus mock draft simulator and left all settings on default. We chose only for the Giants.

Here’s a look at the Giants’ seven-round haul.

Why Notre Dame RB Audric Estime’s poor 40 time could benefit Rams

The Rams put very little stock in the 40-yard dash, so Audric Estime’s slow time could actually help LA land him later in the draft

The Los Angeles Rams could be in the market for a No. 2 running back to pair with breakout star Kyren Williams and the NFL draft is a great place to find one. Given Williams’ smaller size, finding a bigger, more powerful back would be wise for Les Snead and Sean McVay.

Audric Estime, who went to Notre Dame like Williams did, fits the bill. He’s 5-foot-11 and 221 pounds, and he runs extremely hard between the tackles. However, he’s also not very fast.

At the combine this weekend, Estime ran a 4.71 in the 40-yard dash, the slowest of any running back in Indianapolis.

That shouldn’t worry the Rams in the least bit. Few teams, if any, put less stock in the 40-yard dash than the Rams. Cooper Kupp ran a 4.62 and turned into an Offensive Player of the Year. Puka Nacua only ran a 4.57 and put together the best rookie season ever by a wide receiver.

Estime’s game isn’t speed, and the fact that he ran poorly in the 40-yard dash could actually benefit the Rams. Assuming they aren’t looking to draft a running back on Day 1 or 2, Estime could slip down the board and land in the Rams’ lap as a fourth- or fifth-rounder due to other teams passing on him.

Had Kupp ran a better 40, he might’ve gone much earlier and the Rams may have missed out on him. The same goes for Nacua, who fell to the fifth round due to subpar testing and durability concerns.

Estime is a power back who makes his money on breaking tackles and converting in short-yardage situations. The 40-yard dash has nothing to do with either of those things. The Rams would much rather draft him in the fifth round than the third, and his 40 time could be exactly what pushes him far enough down the board to make him a good fit in L.A.

Vikings 2024 7 round mock draft 7.0: Drafting to bolster the offense

What if the Minnesota Vikings used the NFL Draft to bolster the offense? Tyler Forness explores that exact, yet unlikely, strategy

The Minnesota Vikings have a lot of different ways they can go in the NFL draft. There will be some discussion on what needs are most important but the Vikings can address most of them through both free agency and the NFL draft.

Each week throughout the leadup to the NFL draft, I will be doing different seven-round mock drafts for the Vikings as a way to explore different scenarios. You never know who might fall to you and how that could cause a ripple effect and being ready for those situations is paramount come draft weekend.

In the second rendition of our seven-round mock draft series, what could a draft look like that has the Vikings focusing solely on the offensive side of the ball after using free agency to fix the defense?

Mock Draft 1.0
Mock Draft 2.0
Mock Draft 3.0
Mock Draft 4.0
Mock Draft 5.0
Mock Draft 6.0

2024 NFL draft: Giants address multiple needs in 7-round mock

The New York Giants address multiple needs and still land a QB in the first 7-round Giants Wire mock draft of 2024.

The 2024 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana gets underway this week and draft prospects will rise or fall depending on how they test.

Before those wild swings occur, those of us at Giants Wire took our first stab at a full 7-round mock draft focusing solely on the New York Giants.

Because our previous Round 1 mock draft was so controversial, we eliminated all trades in this one. That’s obviously not how the actual draft will play out but only allowing a single trade last time was justifiably unrealistic as well.

For this mock draft, we once again used the Pro Football Focus mock draft simulator and left all settings on default. We chose only for the Giants.

Here’s a look at the Giants’ seven-pick haul.

4 RB prospects for the Browns to target in the 2024 NFL Draft

The Browns should look to draft more talent at the running back position

The Cleveland Browns have an obvious need at running back, and Bucky Irving or Audric Estime could fit the bill in the 2024 NFL draft.

Though it had its moments, the running back position was subpar in Cleveland after Nick Chubb suffered a season-ending knee injury. The Browns stuck with Jerome Ford as their lead back, and he showed flashes but not enough to think he is the long-term back for the Browns.

Though it isn’t as good of a running back class as last year, there are still plenty of options in this year’s draft. With no true superstars at the top, the Browns could find themselves on the board in the second round with no running backs gone before their first pick.

General manager Andrew Berry will likely find a way to re-work Chubb’s contract to bring him back, but the Browns must think about getting a long-term option at the position, and drafting one early would do just that.

Here are four running back options Cleveland should consider when April’s draft arrives.

Notre Dame football: Audric Estime photo gallery

Big Dric!

It’s been a very long time since Notre Dame was looked at as perhaps having the best running back in college football.  That was the case in 2023 however with Audric Estime.

Estime made numerous different All-American teams in 2023 after rushing for 1,341 yards and averaging 6.4 yards per carry in what wound up being his final season in South Bend.

Estime also rushed for 18 touchdowns on the year, the most ever in a single season by a Notre Dame running back – and he did so despite sitting out of the Sun Bowl.

Before he gets drafted this coming April, take a look back at one of the most impressive rushers in the history of Notre Dame football below:

2024 Mock Draft Round-Up: Where Notre Dame players are projected to go in April

How many Notre Dame players will get drafted this spring?

Four more NFL teams see their seasons come to an end this weekend; four others will remain alive for a chance to win Super Bowl 58.

As more and more teams enter the offseason, more and more heads to turn to those offseason and NFL draft plans.

Notre Dame has what certainly seems like a top-10 pick: offensive tackle Joe Alt. Just how high will Alt go? Could he crack the top-five?

And what about the other former Golden Domers? Audric Estime and Blake Fisher expect to hear their names called. but what about some others?

We took a look at a handful of mock drafts to see where they project the former Fighting Irish stars to get drafted.  Here is what our first look at the NFL mock draft roundup found:

Notre Dame Football: Best Offensive Players of 2023 Ranked 1-15

Which grades surprise you the most?

Notre Dame’s offense in 2023 goes down as one of the most successful in program history by a numbers standpoint.  By a viewers standpoint they were also towards the top of the list of being the most frustrating we’ve ever seen.

Great against poor competition while seemingly unprepared for the likes of Ohio State, Louisville, and Clemson.

So from a completely emotion-less perspective, who had the best seasons on Notre Dame’s offense?  And who left a decent amount to be desired?

Pro Football Focus has their grades for Notre Dame’s entire roster for 2023.  We went through and found the 15 offensive players they ranked the highest for their performances in 2023.  See who made the top 15 below.

Players included in this top 15 had to have played a minimum of 100 snaps on offense in 2023.