2014 NFL Draft: Pre-Season Breakdown – James Wilder Jr, RB Florida State

Sept 15, 2012; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles running back James Wilder Jr. (32) runs the ball during the second half of the game against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Doak Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports

James Wilder Jr. is an impressive athlete that looks to take over as the feature running back for the Florida State Seminoles this upcoming season.   He was productive when he got opportunities but they were limited and often in games that were already decided with the occasional opportunity to make an impact such as he did against Clemson, so the buzz here is on what he can be rather than what he is.  Wilder has significant potential because of his impressive physical tools but still has a lot to learn about the position.   He has the tools to be a dominant player if he can continue developing as a running back and could have a breakout season that vaults him up draft boards.  His athleticism alone would made him an intriguing prospect on day three of the draft but he could move himself up multiple rounds if he can become the player his potential suggests over the next season or two, depending on how long he opts to stay in Tallahassee.

Vitals & Build

Wilder is listed at 6’2” 226lbs, possesses tremendous strength and has the build to easily add more.  For as strong as he is, Wilder is still quite lean, so he looks like a player that could easily get to 235-240lbs without skipping a beat.  His speed and athleticism are notable for his size and he has significant potential going forward athletically.

Running Style

Wilder is predominately a north-south runner that runs with reckless abandon as quickly as he can down the field.  This can result in some false steps and some flailing of arms and legs at times that look chaotic as he rumbles down the field.  He will weave in and out as a runner with quick, short cuts, but he is just as happy to run people over with power.  Wilder is inconsistent when it comes to getting behind his pads and using leverage, but he has success pushing the pile in either scenario; the difference is when he does get behind his pads, he is impressive to behold and can really be difficult to stop.

While he does his best work between the tackles, he is able to get outside and use his speed to make plays, but he is far more viable running to the left than he is to the right, which is problematic.  The reason is because Wilder carries the ball exclusively with his left hand.  It does not matter where he is going or which side he is running, the ball is in his left hand.  Not only does this put the ball at significant risk as it is right there for defenders to rip at it and put their helmet right on it, it prevents Wilder to use one of his best assets; his off hand.  Running to the left, Wilder will demonstrate a powerful stiff arm that can stun defenders and allow him to continue running the ball.  It is a shame that he is only able to use it going to the left at this point and this is an issue that needs to be addressed.

Wilder’s height enables him to have a significant amount of bulk and strength, but it makes him a big target and he tends to run high, which results in his balance being inconsistent.  There are times when he will get tripped up easily and quickly after few yards, but he will flash the ability to break tackles, maintain his balance and continue running which can result in huge plays.  As a result, it feels like he is leaving yards on the field when he gets tripped up so easily because he has these brilliant flashes.  He is able to be a tremendous asset in short yardage and goal line situations when he gets behind his pads because he is so powerful, but when guys can get low on him, he gets stopped before he can get his momentum going.

Wilder has experience in a pro-style offense taking carries with a fullback in front of him as a lead blocker to taking carries from shotgun as well as in the pistol.  His vision is serviceable but does not stand out yet, but this again, could be a function of inexperience and could improve as he may not trust what he is seeing.  The Seminoles offense does not really ask him to do much in terms of decision making for where holes are going to be; simply to have the patience to wait for the hole to open and then hit it as hard as he can.  The times when Wilder does run on what he sees, he has the instinct to get behind a blocker and run behind them, though sometimes this will even result in him backtracking slightly and getting way outside to do it, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but there are times when just hammering it up inside is the better play.

Wilder has significant potential as a runner, but he is relatively inexperienced and still quite raw at this point, running largely on instinct which results in some great plays and some wasted motion and false steps that can be cleaned up.  He has the natural talent to be a tremendous running back but there are some subtle changes he can make to his game as well as some fundamental ones that need to be made for him to get to the player he can be both in college and at the next level.

Route Running & Technique

The Seminoles have Wilder run a decent route tree and while he is raw as a player, the experience and use of him on circles type routes and swing passes in addition to just dumping the ball off to him or throwing a screen is good experience.  They allow their running backs to run routes down the sideline as well.

He does a decent job of getting out to the flat, makes a good plant step to create space and snaps his head around to give the quarterback a good target and adjusts to the ball relatively well.  On delayed routes, Wilder does a pretty good of selling the block before releasing as a check down option.  Certainly, he can continue to improve and become a better route runner, but this is one of the best areas of his game to this point.

Hands

Wilder can catch the ball and will use his hands and immediately bring the ball into his body.  He is not snatching it out of the air; rather he is using his hands and arms to scoop up the ball in before securing the catch with his body.  As a result, he will pull in catches but he will drop passes that hit him in the hands because he is not comfortable making that catch with his hands and it is in a position where he can pull it in to his body.  He is a decent receiving option that can get much better if he works on and trusts his hands more.  Despite the fact he is using a scooping motion to catch the ball with his body, he will sometimes show the ability to transition from receiver to ball carrier quickly and attack up the field.

The other question that was brought up earlier is with his right hand.  He needs to work on making it so he can trust it and be able to carry the football with it to protect the ball better and use his left arm to stiff arm opponents when he runs to the right.  This is extremely important as it will not only make it so he is far less likely to fumble the ball going to the right, but will make him pick up more yards over there as he is able to break tackles using his left hand.  It is not the end of the world if he is not switching the ball back and forth mid carry but when he receives a hand off or pitch going to the right, he cannot continue to carry the ball only in his left hand.

Blocking

Wilder is a decent blocker who shows flashes of being great.  It seems like early in the year, Wilder was trying too hard to cut block opponents even at his size and strength.  As the year went on, he got more comfortable taking opponents on and using his strength to protect his quarterback.  He does a decent job of eating up space to avoid being driven into the quarterback and he is strong enough where he can really deliver an impressive shot on pass rushers.  Wilder is better filling in the middle of the line as oppose to stretching laterally outside, but he should only continue to improve as he gets more opportunities and he could be a real asset in the backfield in these situations.  His aggressive attitude towards blocking is beneficial and he has shown a willingness to be a lead blocker or make blocks for teammates running with the ball as well.  Wilder can get pancakes without too much issue when he lands the block but will lunge when he really does need to and is more than strong enough where he just needs to make contact in order to make an impact play.

System Fit

Wilder’s best fit is in a power running system with a fullback and doing most of the damage in between the tackles who can change things up by attacking outside to keep defenses honest and getting that speed on the edge.  He can certainly function in a single back system that spreads out the defense and dares teams to try to tackle him with his strength, power and speed.  Wilder has the potential to be a viable three down back as he gets better as a receiver and gets more experience as a blocker allowing him to just continue to punish opposing defenses.  He does have experience in a read option look as well.  His style would be a great fit in every team in the AFC North, the Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, and San Francisco 49ers to name a few.

Schedule

Notable Games

The two games that stand out for Wilder are both of the instate rivalries.  Miami hopes to continue improving under Al Golden and should be able to put together a more impressive defense to test Wilder.  Florida in the Swamp is a must watch game, period, but another great opportunity for Wilder to prove he can be a star.  That game is loaded with prospects and the Gator defense should be an impressive run stopping unit again and could really put Wilder to the test as he tries to run between the tackles.  It is possible that Clemson could be a good matchup but that game has the potential to turn into a shootout where the Seminoles could be going shot for shot with the Tigers, but if they can run the ball and slow the pace of the game down, it could be one where Wilder gets a lot of carries.  That game could be an opportunity to see him flash his ability as a receiver.

NFL Comparison

Right now, Wilder’s game is reminiscent of Latavius Murray, who was picked in the sixth round by the Oakland Raiders out of Central Florida.  Murray came out as a player who never had a ton of opportunities to make big plays and was only the featured back his senior year despite some big performances mixed in as an underclassman, but both Murray and Wilder have a real nose for the end zone.  They are both are extremely tall for the positions and have similar dimensions at this point, though Wilder may add more weight before he leaves college.  They are both guys who can contribute as blockers and receivers in addition to being able to run the football with power as well as speed.

Draft Projection

Wilder has the opportunity to really break out this year and set himself apart as a running back with improvement to his fundamentals, technique, and instincts that should come with experience.  There are some legal concerns he has had in his career as he was arrested and ultimately charged with a misdemeanor over a misunderstanding with law enforcement, which landed him on probation.  He then violated that probation on a routine breathalyzer test.  Later, he was arrested for failing to appear in court.  There are certain things that can be chalked up to being young and stupid, but failing to appear in court does not send a good message in terms of learning a lesson and resolving to be better.  Wilder needs to stay out of trouble so his career is not short circuited before it even starts and the best thing he can do with that time is focus on improving his craft as a football player.  There is a significant amount of talent in this young man and he could go from a day three pick to as high as round one on talent with work and improvement this year and the Seminoles could certainly benefit on the field, but there is the chance that this could go the other way where his career is over before it starts if he cannot show the dedication or maturity to play in the NFL; hopefully for Wilder’s sake, he can be the player his talent suggests he can and grow up to be the person who deserves that success.