2017 NFL Draft: LSU Leonard Fournette Scouting Report
By Jon Dove
LSU’s Leonard Fournette is a well-know prospect who’ll be heavily discussed throughout the draft process.
Leonard Fournette has had a highly productive college career that features a ton of material for highlight reels. He will add more game breaking plays this season as he looks towards making a move to the NFL.
Fournette is among several running back prospects in the 2017 NFL draft that could come off the board in the 1st round. He’s so effective because of his balance and quick feet. His ability to quickly change direction allows him to make defenders miss.
The balance and quick feet also give him to make small lateral movements that help him avoid traffic. It’s rare to see this type of movement from someone with Fournette’s size and powerful build. This combination of size and lateral movement makes him a very versatile runner.
Fournette also features good quickness which allows him to outpace defensive angles and break off long runs. However, he doesn’t show elite quick-twitch skills which slows his ability to press the line. One of the biggest issues with Fournette’s game is the fact that he has too many carries for lost yardage.
His lost yardage carries are also a result of him trying to do too much rather than lowering his head and taking what the defense gives him.
It’s important to note that Fournette doesn’t lack overall quickness or speed. He just takes a little longer to get up to full speed. This doesn’t dramatically impact his effectiveness as his vision and feet more than compensate.
Another area that evaluators will monitor is Fournette’s workload at LSU. He has a total of 487 carries in his first two years with 300 coming last year. His carries aren’t expected to drop off this year and he could head to the NFL with over 700 rushes in his college career.
To compare, Derrick Henry entered this year’s draft with a total of 602 carries. A running back’s workload has become more important to monitor as we’ve seen talented players breakdown early in their career.
Fournette will also need to put in a lot of work as a pass blocker. LSU doesn’t ask him to protect the quarterback often and when they do it’s usually sending him to the edge rather than stepping up into the pocket.
Overall, it’s easy to see that Fournette is a special player but he’s not a slam dunk to be an elite NFL player. His lack of elite quick-twitch ability will limit his system fit and his issues in pass protection could keep him off the field in passing situations.
I may be in the minority here, but Fournette is a fringe 1st-round prospect at this point in the process.
Draft Status: Late 1st Round