Yesterday, Donnel Pumphrey ran for 115 yards, rushing passed Ron Dayne on the career FBS rushing list fo the all time record. There is no question Pumphrey is one of the best college football players of all time, but his future in the NFL is up in the air. Some scouts think he will be a receiver, while others think he is too talented to keep off the field. I stand somewhere in the middle because while his talent is unquestionable, he size will make him one of the toughest backs to evaluate.Measurables:
Height- 5'9"
Weight- 180 lbs
Year:
Senior (22 years old)
2016 Stat Line:
349 attempts, 2133 rushing yards, 17 rushing TDs, 27 receptions, 231 recieving yards
Pros: The name Donnel Pumphrey has to be a synonym for lightning. Pumphrey has wheels and giving him any space is a death sentence for a defense. He is simply too deadly in open space with his quick acceleration and shifty hips for defensive backs to tackle. Pumphrey is good at finding that space too, as he possesses good vision and extremely quick feet. Those feet allow him to quickly change direction and deceive defenders. Do not be fooled by his size either: Pumphrey does not shy away from contact, can break arm tackles, and almost always falls forward. During his time at San Diego, Pumphrey also showcased his great hands and route running, which will be a huge boost to his draft stock.
Cons: Pumphrey's size screams red flag for scouts. While he has never missed a game in his four-year career, the NFL is a different game. While many linebackers in college football are 230 pounds or less, players like Luke Keuchly, Navarro Bowman, and Derrick Johnson are about 240 pounds. That is a 60-pound difference between them and Pumphrey. While he made end up be fine taking hits from the big boys, teams will shake at the potential of seeing a player they used a draft pick on be snapped in half by a linebacker. His size also limits his blocking ability and short-yardage production, which will keep him off the field in the pros.
Pro Comparison: Danny Woodhead
Hey, it's that guy Jeff Fisher forgot is now a Charger, not a Patriot! Before a season-ending knee injury, Woodhead was on his was to another great season as a scatback. While he is quite small at 5'8'' and 200 pounds (and those 200 pounds look rounded up), he uses his 4.3 speed and quick feet to make plays in space both as a runner and receiver. He is a top-5 scatback in the NFL, and Donnel Pumphrey has the potential to be just as good or even better than the veteran runner.
Three Teams that fit Pumphrey: The Bears and 49ers should take a long look at Donnel Pumphrey for the same reason: their star running backs cannot catch. Carlos Hyde and Jordan Howard are talented runners, but both are more power backs and can only catch easy screens. Inserting a lightning player like Pumphrey to complement their thunder would allow the team's offenses to be more creative and multidimensional with their running backs. The other team that could invest in Pumphrey is the Vikings. Adrian Peterson is a capable receiving back, but his size limits his quickness with running routes. Pumphrey has no such problem, and with the Vikings desperately needed a good backup running back behind Peterson and a good receiver to complement Stefon Diggs, Pumphrey has the ability to knock out two birds with one stone.
Conclusion: Donnel Pumphrey will go down in history as one of the best college running backs of all time, but his size will limit his NFL potential. That is not to say he will fail, though, as his electric speed and receiving prowess will allure some team in the late rounds to pull the trigger and coach him to be one of the NFL's best scatbacks. My current prediction is that he will go in the 5th round, but a good combine could bump him to the 4th.
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