Chris Wells

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Offense: QB RB FB WR TE OT OG C
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Special Teams: K P RS LS

Top Overall Draft Prospects

2009 NFL Mock Draft

Height: 6-1
Weight: 235
40-YD: 4.59

School: Ohio State
Year: Junior

Ohio State running back Chris Wells, also known as "Beanie", has the best combination of size, strength, and quickness of any running back in this year's NFL draft class. He has great athletic ability and balance for a back his size. He's a powerful runner who gets yards after contact, and it generally takes more than the first guy to bring him down.

Wells doesn't have what would be described as elite speed, but he is quick to the hole and does have enough to consistently get to the corner. He runs with great vision and seems to have a natural instinct for finding the hole. He's also a patient runner and does a good job waiting for the blocking to unfold in front of him. He's been known to burn a defense or two with his ability to cut back against the grain as well.

He's a willing blocker himself, and does a pretty good job of picking up the blitz. He could stand to polish his skills a little, however.

On the negative side, there are concerns that his physical style of play will lead to durability issues in the NFL, and he's already had some injury issues while in Columbus. He is pretty much unproven as a receiver out of the backfield as well, having caught just 15 passes in three years at Ohio State. In the limited opportunities he has had, however, he doesn't appear very comfortable catching the ball.

But overall there's not much to dislike about Wells, and he is probably the safest bet when it comes to running backs in the 2009 NFL Draft. He should be selected somewhere in the middle of the first round.