Scouting the 2021 NFL Draft: Memphis RB Kenneth Gainwell
By Seth Steere
Kenneth Gainwell, a dynamic playmaker in the 2021 NFL Draft
During his tenure with the Memphis Tigers, Mike Norvell — now with Florida State — was able to create one of the more explosive offenses in college football and help turnaround a program. Norvell left Memphis with the best winning percentage in the school’s history with a win percentage of 0.717. Not only was he able to create success on the field, but he was able to bring in talent and help put kids on the path to the NFL, especially on the offensive side of the ball.
Over the last two drafts, the Tigers have had a running back selected in the top-100. In 2019 the Los Angeles Rams took Darrell Henderson with the 70th overall pick and this last year’s draft, the Washington Football Team selected Antonio Gibson with the 66th overall pick. Both backs have both the talent and opportunity within their team to claim a significant role in this season and beyond as well.
As you can see, each year (albeit a small sample size) the running back selected out of Memphis was drafted higher than the year before, and from what we have seen from Kenneth Gainwell during his short collegiate career is that he has the tools be picked higher than those before him. While there is still a ton of time between now and the draft, Gainwell has put plenty on his tape to prove to teams that he is worthy of a round-two selection.
The Production
As a runner, Gainwell was very impressive for a redshirt freshman; he tallied 1,459 yards on the ground on 231 carries for an average of 6.3 yards-per-carry. He added 13 rushing touchdowns to round out his running totals. As a receiver is where he really shined. He brought in 51 receptions for 610 yards — 12.0 yards per reception — and added another 3 touchdowns bringing his total to 16, more than a touchdown a game.