Projection: Round 2
Age: 20 (6/21/1997)
Height & Weight: 5’11” & 212 pounds
Season Statistics:
When Leonard Fournette entered the 2017 NFL Draft, excitement remained amongst LSU Tigers fans. Losing Fournette certainly wasn’t easy, but returning to the program was the running back whom many believed was due for an explosive season: Derrius Guice.
It’s possible that Guice will be a first-round draft pick come April, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers should have a legitimate opportunity to select him at No. 38.
Guice has the rare combination of power and speed that general managers dream of finding. He battled injuries during the 2017 campaign, but his film from 2016 was riveting and his play this past season was still impressive.
With a strong lower body and solid vision as a runner, Guice has the tools to become one of the best and most productive running backs to emerge from this draft class.
In Tampa Bay, Guice can be the grinder who moves the chains in short-yardage situations and the explosive threat who holds opposing defenses accountable. He needs to establish himself more as a receiver, but the potential exists for him to do so.
If you want to see what Guice is capable of, look no further than the 276 yards he ran for against the Ole Miss Rebels in 2017. Dynamic doesn’t even begin to explain his potential.