2020 NFL Draft: Ohio State RB J.K. Dobbins has first round talent

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GLENDALE, ARIZONA – DECEMBER 28: J.K. Dobbins #2 of the Ohio State Buckeyes runs the ball for 68-yard a touchdown against the Clemson Tigers in the first half during the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium on December 28, 2019 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) /

Position Specifics

Position Specifics are the traits that change and are specific to each position.

Vision/Create- Dobbins shows solid vision overall, especially on downhill Gap runs. He can get a little hesitant on Zone-blocked runs while looking for a cutback lane. While he shows the ability to at least get back to the line of scrimmage, he does struggle to create many yards if hit in the defense gets quick penetration into the backfield.

Burst- He gets downhill quickly with good acceleration in just a few steps on inside runs. Dobbins displays very good acceleration and explosiveness once he finds the open rushing lane. He also shows a change of gear in the open field once he breaks through to the second and third levels.

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Finish/Yards after Contact- This is arguably the area that Dobbins excels the most. He is very tough to bring down on first contact with the ability to run through arm tackles with ease. As stated previously, he can usually at least fight back to the line of scrimmage if hit in the backfield as well as bounce of hard hits on a consistent basis.

Passing Game- Dobbins is a very good receiver out of the backfield. He shows natural hands to catch the ball away from his body. Unlike most other running backs, Dobbins does display the ability to adjust to poorly thrown passes to still make the catch. He also creates good yards after the catch, especially on screen passes. He can tend to try and turn upfield too quickly which does lead to the occasional drop.

Blocking- This is the area where Dobbins needs to improve the most for the next level. While he has the skills and strength to be a solid blocker in pass protection in the NFL, Dobbins didn’t do it on a consistent basis in college. He needs to work on getting a good base and anchoring against defenders as well as his hand placement and usage. He also needs to show a better awareness at times of where the pressure is coming from.

Ball Security- Dobbins is excellent at keeping the ball high and tight, even when changing direction. He rarely even came close to putting the ball on the ground as a ball carrier.

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