Summary
JK Dobbins had an excellent and storied career at Ohio State while helping to lead to Buckeyes to great success in the Big Ten Conference and the College Football Playoff in 2019. He finished his career as the second-leading rushing in Ohio State history while rushing for at least 1,000 yards in each of his three seasons in Columbus.
Dobbins’ best traits include his play strength to run through contact and bounce off tackles, his burst and acceleration, his ability to finish falling forward and create yards after contact, and his ball security. His lack of agility combined with a lack of ability to create yards if no rushing lanes are open will cause him some problems in the NFL. He will also need to be coached up in his blocking technique and hand usage when tasked with staying in pass protection on pass plays.
Overall, in the NFL, Dobbins projects a starting feature running back for a team and can be a key reason for his team winning games. He fits best in a Gap Blocking scheme that will utilize his burst and power running between the tackles. He also shows the ability to run away from defenders and break off long runs.
Dobbins shows natural hands to be a threat and safety blanket as a receiver out of the backfield as well. As long as he can improve his blocking in pass protection, he can be a three-down back who never has to come off the field. J.K. Dobbins projects most likely as an early second-round pick, but he could sneak into the back-end of the first round if the right team falls in love with him.