The Washington Redskins are going to need to look for a featured back this offseason. At the NFL Combine, there will be some strong candidates on display.
Going into the 2018 offseason, the Washington Redskins once again find themselves facing uncertainty at the running back position. As of right now, the team doesn’t have a bona fide starter. They have some good rotational pieces as Chris Thompson came on as an elite third down back and Samaje Perine flashed potential, but they still lack a true three-down back.
The 2018 NFL draft class has a lot of talent at the running back position. This is a deep group, and the Redskins will likely consider using one of their first three picks on the position. The early second round could be a particularly strong point for running back needy teams this year, so landing a player in that range, or one of the fringe first rounders, would be huge.
At the NFL Combine, some of the best runners in the nation will get a chance to prove themselves and impress the Redskins. Here’s a look at the three running backs to watch when Combine workouts begin on March 1.
If you’re searching for eye-popping numbers ahead of the NFL Combine, look no further than Rashaad Penny. The San Diego State product was the full-time starter in 2017 for the first time in his career after splitting time with Donnel Pumphrey. And as a starter, he was incredible.
In his final season, Penny saw 289 carries and totaled a whopping 2,248 yards and 23 scores on the ground. He averaged 7.8 yards per carry and also caught 19 passes for 135 yards and two scores.
Penny has a thick looking 5-foot-11, 220 pound frame, deceptively good burst, solid movement skills, and he is a talented kick returner. He made not have the top line speed to be a game-breaking threat at the NFL level, but he has the ability to be a very solid two down back at the very least.
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Penny didn’t particularly impress at the Senior Bowl though he was afforded an opportunity to play against higher level competition. Perhaps his move from the Mountain West may take extra time, as he hasn’t faced the same level of competition that the Power 5 conferences have faced.
Keep an eye on how Penny looks in drills and if his vision and mental processing is strong enough to afford him a chance at success in the NFL. As WalterFootball.com’s Charlie Campbell mentioned in his scouting report of Penny, there are concerns about Penny’s ability to learn an offense and that he can sometimes play slow and overthink things. If that is an issue at the Combine, he probably won’t be anything more than a rotational back early in his career.
Still, Penny could be a very good fit with the Redskins. He could form a nice committee with Perine and Thompson, as the three would be able to play different roles in the offense. Penny is probably more of a mid-round option unless he showcases better speed and learning skills than expected at the Combine.
LSU always seems to produce great running backs. From Leonard Fournette to Spencer Ware to Jeremy Hill, the team has pumped out starters over the course of the past five years. The latest in that line of solid backs is Derrius Guice.
Guice was the lead back for the Tigers after the departure of Fournette, and he is coming off an excellent season. Guice averaged 5.3 yards per carry for 1,251 yards and scored 11 touchdowns on the ground. He also caught 18 passes for 124 yards and two scores. Guice has the potential to be a very good lead back, as his strong balance and ability to run between the tackles will afford him an opportunity to quickly become a quality starter.
Guice happens to be a favorite of our own Ian Cummings, who has previously mocked Guice to the Redskins in the first round, and said the following of him in a recent piece about his first round chances.
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"At 5-foot-11, 218, Guice offers very good size at the position. He’s big enough to withstand contact, but his mobility hardly suffers as a result. Guice is decisive at the line of scrimmage, using active feet to make sharp cuts. Guice’s burst isn’t the best in the draft, but he’s far from average. He can beat the best athletes with his quickness out of the gate. Guice cruises through contact. It isn’t uncommon to see him carrying one to three defenders on his back while gaining extra yards. Guice’s balance is matched by a mere few in this draft class. He has the uncanny ability to stay on his feet and keep the play alive, something Washington Redskins running backs have struggled with in recent years."
For Guice, the most important thing that he will have to prove at the Combine is that he can be a quality pass catcher. He only caught 32 passes during his college career, and while he has shown capable ability to run after the catch, he needs to ensure that he can play well out of the backfield and make catches. How he performs in the catching drills will be the big thing to watch for him.
With a strong Combine, Guice should move into top 20 consideration. As it stands, he appears to be a late first rounder, but he will get a stock up if he can flash his skill set this week.
Sony Michel burst onto the scene in his final season at Georgia. For a good chunk of his college career, he played second fiddle to Todd Gurley and Nick Chubb. But as a senior, he proved that he was one of the best running backs in the nation.
Michel had a terrific run in the College Football Playoff and demonstrated explosive, game-breaking ability that workhorse backs have to have. He made numerous big plays against Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl, and he did everything he could to keep his team in the championship game against Alabama.
For those wondering, I do see a lot of potential in Michel to be like another quality, young NFL running back, as I pointed out in a recent piece on Michel’s first round prospects.
"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 have the speed and athleticism to take the ball to the house at any time."
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At the Combine, Michel will have to backup his tape by running fast and working well in the passing drills. Should he do that, he will probably solidify himself as the second best running back in this class, behind Saquon Barkley. Right now, it’s a three horse race between him, Guice, and Ronald Jones to be the second man off the board. But I favor Michel of that trio, so the Redskins should consider selecting him in the first round rounds if given the opportunity.