Assessing the Redskins First Round Options: RB Sony Michel

Jacob Camenker

PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 01: Sony Michel #1 of the Georgia Bulldogs runs to the end zone for a touchdown tying the game 31-31 in the 2018 College Football Playoff Semifinal Game at the Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual at the Rose Bowl on January 1, 2018 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

One of the best players in the entire College Football Playoff was Georgia’s Sony Michel. He could end up being a first round pick, but should the Washington Redskins have interest in him?

Sony Michel quickly became a star when year turned over to 2018. Starring in two College Football Playoff games, the Georgia Bulldog put on a display at the Rose Bowl and proved that he was one of the most talented running backs in the nation. He was one of the top performers on the Georgia offense, and he solidified his status as a late-first to early-second round pick.

However, with the NFL Combine coming up, it’s possible that Michel could improve his stock more. Because of his playoff performance, there has been a growing buzz around him in the scouting community. He could have a chance to work himself into top 20 consideration, and there will definitely be some teams who have interest in him.

The Washington Redskins should be one of them. They really need a three-down player for the position to take pressure off Chris Thompson and Samaje Perine. While some argue that Saquon Barkley or Derrius Guice are the guys that the team should be interested in, I personally am a proponent of Michel’s fit because he compares favorably to a certain high-level NFL producer. But, is he worth an early first round pick? Let’s dive in.

The case for Sony Michel

In the modern NFL, it’s extremely important to have a running back who can do everything. Three down players are becoming a bit more of a rarity, and the teams that possess true threats can often run more effective offenses. At the next level, Michel should be a three down back.

During his time at Georgia, Michel split carries with Nick Chubb and Todd Gurley. He’s had talented backfield mates, and that has kept him from ever receiving a massive workload. He only broke 200 carries once as a sophomore, and that year, he totaled 1,136 yards and eight scores.

As a senior, Michel really burst onto the scene for the Bulldogs. Many expected that Chubb would be the team’s best back. Instead, Michel helped to carry the team to the national title game. Running with terrific balance, explosiveness, and making an impact in the passing game. He averaged a whopping 7.9 yards per carry on the season, scored 16 touchdowns, and totaled a career high 1,227 yards.

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Michel’s best game of the year came against Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl. In that contest, he showed off his game-breaking ability, scoring three touchdowns and repeatedly ripping off massive runs against the Sooners defense. He added a fourth touchdown on a receiving touchdown. He showed off his combo back skills and that is going to do a lot to help his draft stock.

For the NFL level, I see a lot of Alvin Kamara in Michel, as does NFL Network’s Mike Mayock, who recently compared the two on his annual pre-Combine teleconference. Both were rotational backs for the teams they played on and had an impact in all facets of the game. Additionally, both had the speed and athleticism to take the ball to the house at any time.

At the next level, Michel could have a similar impact to Kamara and for that reason, he could end up being the second running back off the board. He’s gone a bit under the radar, but if he proves himself as a quality pass catcher at the Combine, he could lock himself into a spot in the top 25.

ATLANTA, GA – JANUARY 08: Sony Michel #1 of the Georgia Bulldogs is tackled by Deionte Thompson #14, Ronnie Harrison #15 and Mack Wilson #30 of the Alabama Crimson Tide during the second quarter in the CFP National Championship presented by AT&T at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 8, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

The case against Sony Michel

Michel does have some areas to improve, and that’s what currently makes him more of a late-first round guy than an early first round guy. The first comes in the passing game.

While Michel can do everything that a top passing back needs to do in the NFL, the Georgia product could stand to improve his catching ability. At times, he had issues hanging onto the ball and that resulted in drops. It wasn’t often that this happened, but it was still a bit of a concern for him. If he can get more accustomed to adjusting to the ball and moving quickly after catching, he will be a success.

In terms of some of Michel’s other weaknesses, NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein offered the following as a criticism of Michel.

Overall, Michel isn’t worth the No. 13 pick

In this analyst’s opinion, Michel is definitely a first round talent. He should go on Thursday night in April, barring a poor showing at the Combine, and he will be an effective starter almost immediately.

At the same time, it may be a stretch to take him with the No. 13 overall pick. This is a strong running back class, and there will be some very talented players available in the second round. So, spending that type of pick on a running back not named Saquon Barkley might not make sense.

However, if the Redskins were to trade down, they could certainly consider Michel. He could have a Kamara-like impact in his rookie season and given Alex Smith’s need for a pass catching running back, that pairing could end up being incredible. If a team picking the 20s called and offer the Redskins a deal to trade down from the No. 13 spot, perhaps then they would consider taking Michel.

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As it stands, taking a running back at 13 is a bad move, unless Barkley falls there by some miracle. So while Michel well may be the second most talented back in this class, taking him in the top 15 wouldn’t be a logical choice.

Jacob Camenker