The Philadelphia Eagles have one of the top young running backs in the NFL and he should only get better as he sets to enter year two.
Sanders is an elite threat as a running back and proved his merit as a receiver during his rookie year also, proving to be the Eagles’ best deep threat as well. Sanders can do it all, but according to Pro Football Focus, he must get better at breaking tackles.
PFF recently ranked all 32 NFL running backs on their propensity to force missed tackles on both rushing attempts and receptions, while also diving into other metrics, such as how effective they were after contact and how well they performed after the catch.
In a ranking that should cause an uproar from Eagles fans, Sanders landed just inside the top-20 at No. 19 on the list.
19. MILES SANDERS, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
Sanders undoubtedly had a productive rookie season. As sad as it is, he effectively served as the Eagles’ best deep receiver last year with the attrition they dealt with at the wide receiver position, and he should continue to have a positive impact in the passing game. His PFF rushing grade from this past season (58.5) doesn’t quite match the production he had on the ground, though. Part of that is the fact that he was running behind PFF’s highest-graded run-blocking offensive line in the NFL, but another consideration is that he didn’t make defenders miss at a high rate. There’s reason to believe he can improve in that area. Sanders just needs to show it in 2020.
The ranking was based on the running back’s ability to make tacklers miss and elusive abilities in the open field, but shouldn’t be an indication of where certain players are in overall rankings.
For some perspective, Ezekiel Elliott and Christian McCaffrey were extremely low on the list.
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