Tag: Kimani Vidal

J.K. Dobbins fully healthy, ready to go in first season with Chargers: ‘There’ll be no setbacks’

J.K. Dobbins feels good and is ready to dispel the injury-prone label.

As part of the Chargers’ backfield reconstruction, they brought in J.K. Dobbins, who has battled the injury bug, most recently rupturing his Achilles in Week 1 last season.

But Dobbins feels good and is ready to dispel the always-injured label.

“You got the injury-prone [label] out there, but I think the storm is over with, and I think I’m going to take off now,” Dobbins said. “There’ll be no setbacks, and this injury-prone thing will be gone out the window.”

Injuries have severely limited Dobbins following an eye-popping rookie season in 2020, when he averaged 5.8 yards per carry and totaled over 800 rushing yards. He tore his ACL and LCL and damaged his meniscus in 2021.

In total, he’s played in just nine games in the last three seasons.

“I think people all around know that it’s a high-risk, high-reward type thing,'” he said. “… But I think everyone around the league knows that whenever I am on the field, the numbers don’t lie.”

When Dobbins is on the field, he is a real treat to watch, as he makes picking up yards look effortless with excellent contact balance and lateral quickness.

Dobbins reunites with former Ravens running back Gus Edwards and offensive coordinator Greg Roman.

“He sticks with the run, and that’s the identity. You want an offense that has an identity,” Dobbins said. “You don’t want to be looking everywhere else to find your identity. You want to have it. And so I think this offense has that.”

Dobbins believes he is 100% healthy and ready to hit the practice field for training camp but is leaving it in the hands of the training staff.

“I think this organization is a great organization, and the training staff is great, and so they just want what’s best for me, and they’re taking care of me,” Dobbins said. “… But like I said, if it’s up to me, yeah, I’m out there.”

Chargers RB Kimani Vidal lauded as Day 3 pick who could surprise

The Chargers got great value with Kimani Vidal in the sixth round.

The Chargers have made it clear that they will run the ball a lot, which meant bringing in the right group of guys to make it happen.

After signing Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins in free agency, they selected Kimani Vidal in the sixth round.

Despite being drafted late, The Athletic’s Dane Brugler believes Vidal could surprise this upcoming season.

The Chargers added J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards, but I expect Vidal to play a meaningful role almost immediately. He might not be a home run-hitter, but he is the type of running back Jim Harbaugh appreciates — someone who gets the singles and doubles and can be trusted to stay on the field in any situation.

Vidal was Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Year and a third-team All-American in 2023 after he rushed for the second-most yards in the FBS (1,661). He left as Troy’s all-time leading rusher with 4,010 yards.

There’s a good chance that a player with that type of production in college will have the opportunity to crack the rotation in Year 1, which is why I expect Vidal to get his.

Vidal will have to fend off Isaiah Spiller. But he has the skillset with the explosiveness, vision, contact balance, lateral agility, and passing game impact to do so and contribute early on.

Instant analysis of Chargers’ selection of Troy RB Kimani Vidal

Analyzing the Los Angeles Chargers’ selection of running back Kimani Vidal with the 181st overall pick.

Los Angeles has added another running back.

One that I projected the Chargers to take a full round earlier at No. 140 overall in my final projections on Thursday morning.

But LA was patient, and Troy running back Kimani Vidal tumbled. The Chargers pounced at No. 181 overall, selecting the back to join a room of Gus Edwards, JK Dobbins, Isaiah Spiller, and Elijah Dotson.

Vidal led the FBS with 47 carries of 10 or more yards in 2023, thanks in large part to his high-end instincts as a runner in a gap blocking scheme. That’s what the Chargers are expected to run under new offensive coordinator Greg Roman as well, making Vidal an attractive option as a complimentary back.

Vidal is only an average receiver, which leaves the Chargers without a clear option for that role in the 2024 season. But he should have a defined role in LA’s offense next to Edwards and Dobbins, and the Chargers likely see him as the potential long-term successor in the running back room.

A roughly similar player to Michigan’s Blake Corum, Los Angeles gets Vidal three rounds later than Harbaugh’s pet player in Ann Arbor.

And it’s a home run, much like the ones Vidal’s great-uncle Hank Aaron used to hit.

2024 NFL draft: Chargers pick RB Kimani Vidal with No. 181 overall selection

The Chargers added to the running back room with the selection of Kimani Vidal.

The Chargers selected former Troy running back Kimani Vidal with the No. 181 overall pick.

Los Angeles was likely to add to the backfield at some point in the draft, and they did so by getting Vidal, who should complement Gus Edwards and JK Dobbins.

Vidal was Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Year and a third-team All-American in 2023 after he rushed for the second-most yards in the FBS (1,661). He left as Troy’s all-time leading rusher with 4,010 yards.

At 5-foot-8 and 215 pounds, Vidal has the explosiveness, vision, contact balance, lateral agility and passing game impact to be a key piece of the Bolts’ backfield committee early on.

2024 NFL Draft: Troy RB Kimani Vidal scouting report

Troy running back Kimani Vidal spent his college career under the radar, but his tape and metrics should have the NFL taking notice.

There are those draft prospects who find themselves relatively forgotten because of any number of things: They may be playing a position that’s either stacked or has lost some value in recent years, they may be smaller-school guys, or perhaps they don’t fit the NFL’s collective paradigm for their position.

At 5-foot-8 and 203 pounds, Troy running back Kimani Vidal would seem to have all three of those strikes against him: He’s a smaller guy at a position many see as fungible, and he did his thing in the Sun Belt. So, you probably haven’t heard Vidal’s name as much as some other running backs unless you’re fully invested in the Draft Industrial Complex.

Now, it’s time for an introduction. Last season, no back in the 2024 draft class had more carries (295) or rushing yards (1,661) than Vidal, and he wasn’t doing it all against “subpar” competition, as we will see. Vidal scored 14 touchdowns on the ground, and he was a threat to bust a play wide open at any time with his accelerant speed (19 rushes of 15 or more yards last season) and ability to create after contact (his numbers after contact are listed below, and they’re ridiculous). We will mention for the record that Vidal’s 94 missed tackles forced last season put 20 above any other back in this class; UCF’s RJ Harvey ranked second with 74.

Vidal might not look like a future NFL back on the surface, but once you put on the tape, it’s easy to see how he could be a real asset to any professional run game.

PLUSES

— Led all backs in this class in both yards after contact (1,056) and missed tackles forced (94); he’s an explosive play waiting to happen most of the time.

— Vidal’s jump cuts may pace those of every back in this class; he’ll leave defenders haplessly gasping in his wake.

— Acceleration to the boundary is exceptional, and he’s a tough runner. Vidal has no issue delivering a blow as he’s taking one.

— Smooth glider to and through the hole as an inside runner. Has a nice eye for openings as they happen.

— Has good reps as a receiver out of the backfield, with some slot potential.

MINUSES

— Vidal had 28 negative runs on 250 carries last season; as explosive as he is more often than not, there is a boom-or-bust element to his running style.

— His blocking isn’t terrible, but he’s more gnat-like in power situations than he is a real headbanger.

— Strength of competition will be an obvious concern for NFL evaluators, but he had credible games against Kansas State and Duke last season. (His 46-yard run against Kansas State is featured below).

Vidal was perhaps at his most productive as a gap runner in college, but I would love him as an inside/outside zone guy at the next level. No matter where he lands, his big-play potential and Muscle Hamster physique project well for professional success.

2024 NFL draft: Chargers showing interest in Troy RB Kimani Vidal

The Chargers are looking to bolster the running game ahead of next season.

The Chargers are looking to bolster the running game ahead of next season, and a piece to the puzzle could be Troy running back Kimani Vidal.

According to The Draft Network’s Justin Melo, Vidal garnered interest from Los Angeles at the Senior Bowl last month.

Vidal was Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Year and a third-team All-American in 2023 after he ran for a school record of 1,661 yards. He left as Troy’s all-time leading rusher with 4,010 yards.

At 5-foot-8 and 215 pounds, Vidal has the size, vision, contact balance, lateral agility and passing game impact to be a part of a backfield committee at the next level.

With Austin Ekeler and Joshua Kelley slated for free agency, that leaves Isaiah Spiller as the only player who makes up the positional room, so the Chargers will be seeking a few to fill it out.

Vidal projects as a Day 3 selection.

Katson’s Guys: 2024 NFL draft ‘crushes’ the Chargers might love

Celebrating Valentine’s Day with Alex Katson’s 2024 NFL draft crushes the Los Angeles Chargers might love.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

While you may be scouting chocolate and flowers, the Chargers remain hard at work scouting players for April’s NFL draft.

Here are six of my crushes for Los Angeles in honor of Valentine’s Day.

Vikings 2024 7 round mock draft 3.0: What if they trade back into the 1st round for a QB?

What if the Minnesota Vikings trade back up into the first round for a quarterback? The latest 2024 NFL mock draft dives into it

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 trading up into the back of the first round to take a quarterback?

Mock Draft 1.0
Mock Draft 2.0

2024 NFL draft: 6 offensive players for Chargers to watch at Senior Bowl

Here are six offensive players to keep an eye on for the Chargers at the Senior Bowl.

The predominant all-star game in college football, the Reese’s Senior Bowl has long showcased top draft talent in a common setting, allowing evaluators to compare peers as they finalize their draft boards directly. Practices kick off on Tuesday, with the game to follow on Saturday.

Last season, the Chargers added Derius Davis and Max Duggan from the offensive roster in Mobile, AL.

Here are six players to watch as potential draft picks this April.

2024 Senior Bowl: Notable weights and measurements from the weigh-ins

2024 Senior Bowl: Notable weights and measurements from the weigh-ins with notes on Brandon Dorlus, Jacob Cowing, small CBs, heavy RBs and more

The practices for the 2024 Reese’s Senior Bowl kick off on Tuesday morning. However, the players who will make up the American and National teams got their official measurements on Monday.

There are a few noteworthy developments from the weigh-ins, which were closed to the media. Here are some prospects who stood out in one way or another.