2019 NFL Draft: Running back rankings
By Bryan Perez
3.
David Montgomery RB
Montgomery is the overlooked running back in this year’s class, and it’s a shame. He’s not a wow-athlete and he’s been knocked because of his heavy workload during his time at Iowa State, but his film is an incredible showcase of a prospect who has elite balance and power through contact, two huge variables for success at the position in today’s NFL. Montgomery has prototype size at 5-10, 222 pounds and his 4.63 40-yard dash is fast enough for his style of play. He averaged 4.7 yards per carry on 624 career totes as a Cyclone and he’s a good bet to hover around 4.5 yards per carry in the NFL. He won’t pop a lot of home runs, but he reminds me a lot of Jamal Anderson, the former Atlanta Falcon who was an extremely productive pro before knee injuries derailed his career.
4.
Damien Harris RB
Harris began the season as the top-rated running back in the class but slowly lost ground to a few prospects, including his own teammate, Josh Jacobs. After running for more than 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons, Harris’ production dipped to 876 yards and nine touchdowns in 2018. Still, his starting-level traits are undeniable, several of which were obvious at the NFL Combine. Harris has good size (5-10, 216 pounds), ran an adequate 40-yard dash (4.57) and impressed with his explosive jumps (37-inch vertical jump). Harris runs with a natural feel for the flow of the defense; he has very good vision behind the line of scrimmage and knows the precise moment to plant and go. He didn’t run with as much pop behind his pads in 2018 and there were times when his leg drive left a bit to be desired. But he’s an intelligent football player who will bring his lunchpail to work every day.