Memphis RB Kenneth Gainwell a swiss army knife in 2021 NFL Draft
By Cory Kinnan
Kenneth Gainwell is ready to take his versatility to the 2021 NFL Draft
After a running back class featuring Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Jonathan Taylor, Cam Akers, D’Andre Swift, J.K. Dobbins and more, the 2021 NFL Draft class of running backs may be even stronger. One of those running backs, Memphis’ Kenneth Gainwell, has declared for the draft after opting out of the 2020 season.
With the likes of Darrell Henderson and Antonio Gibson who have found their ways into the NFL on day-two of the NFL Draft over the past two seasons, Memphis has become a recent hotbed of talented running backs. Despite splitting touches with Gibson and other running backs with the Tigers a year ago, Gainwell managed to post an enormous stat line on his way to being named as the AAC Rookie of the Year and first-team All-AAC team.
The 5-foot-11 and 191-pound running back proved to be a versatile threat for the Tigers a year ago. As a redshirt freshman, Gainwell rushed for nearly 1,500 yards and 13 touchdowns while adding another 610 yards and three touchdowns as a receiver as well. Swiss army knifes like Gainwell do not come around often.
Here we take a look at Gainwell, where he wins, where he shows room for growth, and what his 2021 NFL Draft outlook is.