2020 NFL Draft: LeVante Bellamy is a player to watch Tuesday

Western Michigan running back LeVante Bellamy is an under the radar prospect in the 2020 NFL Draft, and he’s a player to watch Tuesday against Ohio.

The 5-foot-9, 190-pound redshirt senior has already put together an impressive season from a statistical standpoint, and he looks to keep it going as we get some early-week MACtion.

Bellamy has already rushed for 1,212 yards and 20 touchdowns while averaging 6.1 yards-per-carry, and he’s going to get a chance to show off his talent on a national stage Tuesday.

He’s a bit undersized, but Bellamy has enough thickness to his frame to hold up at the next level. He doesn’t run with a ton of power, but he offers intriguing speed and quickness and can break open home-run plays in a hurry.

Bellamy runs with a low center of gravity and does a nice job running behind his pads. He stays square and presses the hole while things develop, and Bellamy has the vision to spot and hit cutback lanes when they develop inside.

He displays impressive linear burst and gets up to his top gear quickly when he has day light. Bellamy has smooth feet and moves really well in congested areas. He displays the ability to regain his balance after initial contact, although there are times where he’s brought down a little too easily.

Bellamy has the juice to sustain big plays when he’s able to break one open, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him break a couple open against Ohio.

For as talented as Bellamy is athletically, there are still a few areas of his game he needs to refine as we head towards the end of the season.

His effort in pass protection tends to come and go, and there are too many times where he’ll throw a late punch and struggle to get inside hand placement.

Bellamy is a speedster that profiles as a potential change-of-pace back at the next level, but it would be nice to see him get a little more involved in the passing game. At this point in the season he has just 12 catches for 48 yards, and he’ll need to show more on 3rd down to effectively boost his NFL Draft stock.

The 2020 NFL Draft class is loaded at the running back position, but Bellamy is one of the most talented senior tailbacks in the class.

His game is reminiscent of Ito Smith coming out of Southern Miss, and he’s another player that could really elevate themselves with a strong finish to the season and Senior Bowl showing, assuming he receives an invite.