Georgia Bulldog running back D’Andre Swift is set to enter the 2020 NFL Draft as one of the top running backs. Will he be the first running back taken?
Swift went 18th overall in one of the latest mock drafts. He’s universally considered one of the most talented backs in the draft. Swift’s main competition to be the first back selected is Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor, FSU’s Cam Akers, Ohio State’s J.K. Dobbins, Utah’s Zack Moss, and Clyde Edwards-Helaire of LSU.
PFF ranks Swift as the second best running back in the NFL Draft. In fact, a PFF Analyst Jeff Ratcliffe considered a solid, but not an elite back because Swift:
Ran behind the highest graded power 5 run blocking offensive line at Georgia. He had a great situation… he was just solid and solid is not worth a first rounder.
Below is the full video on Swift:
D'Andre Swift would be the lowest graded RB drafted in the first roundpic.twitter.com/gIfyE4roTg
— PFF Draft (@PFF_College) February 14, 2020
Part of me wants to agree with PFF, but Swift faced numerous stacked boxes due to the lack of a deep passing game last season at UGA. Swift is a nightmare to tackle in the open field with his patented dead-leg juke.
Swift has impressive vision and is versatile. Swift is a better receiver than most of the backs in the 2020 NFL Draft. NFL offenses want running backs, like Christian McCaffrey, Alvin Kamara, and Saquon Barkley, who are mismatches in both the passing and running game. LSU’s Clyde Edwards-Helaire and D’Andre Swift fit that mold and that’s why Swift will end up as a first round pick provided his shoulder is good to go.
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