Scouting the 2021 NFL Draft: Memphis RB Kenneth Gainwell

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2021 NFL Draft prospect Kenneth Gainwell. (Photo by Joe Murphy/Getty Images) /

Where Kenneth Gainwell Wins

As stated in the prior slide, Gainwell is one heck-of-a-receiver. Not only is he dangerous out of the backfield, but he has the ability to run routes from the slot and be extremely effective. Despite being a running back, Gainwell puts some really nice routes together; he sets up defenders with pacing and does a good job of getting his hips down at his break-point.

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His ball skills for a running back are just uncanny, he can track a deep ball better than some receivers. When you watch most backs catch the ball out of the backfield they have a tendency to secure the ball with their body, but this isn’t the case for Gainwell, he goes outside of his frame to make the catch. Very few drops on his tape.

As a runner, he is quick to diagnose when the play is broken; he is able to dodge the defender in the backfield and still gain positive yards. Gainwell is extremely strong through contact, running with a low pad level, he is able to make the first tackler miss more often than not.

In spite of not being the most elusive back, he is still able to shake and make defenders miss. He does an excellent job of using angles against tacklers in the open field and has a pretty nifty spin move to elude tackles. He has a natural feel for an opponent’s leverage and how to use that against them to shed the tackle.

As a blocker, he isn’t the most technically sound, but he uses his size to get under opponents pads and finds success more often than not. His hands, for the most part, do a nice job of staying inside on the defenders chest plate.

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