Speed and Quickness - Since I’ve already touched on this subject, we’ll discuss it first. Obviously, an NFL running back has got to have decent speed, but a faster back is not always a better back. Official 40-yard dash times are published after the NFL Combine in February, and will tell you how one running back stacks up against another in terms of all-out speed.
However, keep in mind that 40-yard-dash times can be deceiving, which is why I like to look at how fast a player looks as compared to the other players on the field around him. Some players play faster than their timed runs might indicate, while other players seem to play slower. Obviously, at the college level players aren't going to be as fast, on average, as their counterparts in the NFL, but you can still get an indication of a player's speed by comparing him to his college competition.
And when you are scouting a running back, keep an eye on how quickly he accelerates when a hole opens up. This is what you will sometimes hear referred to as burst, and can be the difference between a good back and a great back. Having tremendous top-end speed is great, but it is the backs with the quickness to gain seperation or burst through the hole that are successful in the NFL.
Some guys have better top-end speed than others, but do not accelerate as quickly. Some guys have the ability to get up to top speed in just a few strides. A running back with a quick burst is probably going to be more successful than a guy that takes a half dozen steps to reach his peak. So when you are evaluating running backs for the draft, don’t assume one player is quicker than another simply because his 40-yard dash time is better. The 20-yard shuttle drill, which is also timed at the Scouting Combine, is probably a better indicator of a player’s explosiveness.
Size - Running backs come in a number of different sizes, especially when you include fullbacks, but there are some things to be wary of. The most obvious, although there are rare exceptions, are guys that are too small to hold up to the pounding they’ll take in the NFL. If you’ve got a guy on a six-foot frame who weighs just 175 pounds, chances are he’s going to get broken in half by your average NFL lineman.
I like running backs around the 5’10”-6’2” range, which is a frame that will allow them to carry the bulk they need in the NFL. Backs taller than this tend to be easier to get under by the defender. In other words, the defender can get in under the shoulder pads to stand the runner up and drive him backwards. I like the guy that’s a bit shorter, with a lower center of gravity. He tends to have better balance and sometimes defenders lose him behind his offensive linemen. I also like to see his weight somewhere between 210 and 230 for a halfback and 240-250 for a fullback, although I certainly would not rule out a player because he doesn’t measure up to these traits. There are always exceptions.
Running Inside - Your 190 pound back is probably going to have a tough time holding up to the punishment if he runs inside often, so size is usually somewhat of a factor in a back’s ability to consistently move the ball on the interior of a defense. Look at his ability to break tackles. Does he have the ability to get away from first contact or does the he go down easily when a defender gets a hand on him. Also look for a good forward lean. You want a guy that makes it tough to get into his chest.
Again, if the defender can get into his chest, he’ll drive him backward. When the running back impacts the defender, first contact should come with the top of his shoulder pad or pads. This puts his center of gravity behind the impact instead of under it, and it gives him the leverage to use his legs to drive the defender backwards. You also want a guy that continues to drive his legs until the play is dead.
Running Outside - Obviously, a back has got to have speed (or tremendous blocking) to get around the outside corner in the NFL. But watch how well he reads his blocks and the speed at which he can make the cut to get up field. Once he gets that corner, watch how well he gets his shoulder pads squared up to the line of scrimmage so he’s ready to take on any would-be tacklers.
Receiving - Catching the ball out of the backfield has become such a big part of many NFL offenses that it can actually cause one team to have little interest in a guy that another team might draft in an early round. Obviously, you want a guy that can catch the ball, so many of the same characteristics of a good receiver, which we will cover in lesson five, are important here.
