🏈 2022 RB Class

Good morning and welcome to another Monday - we're one week closer to the NFL season. Of course, you're going to win your fantasy league (again, probably) especially with pre-draft info from experts across the industry.

Speaking of loving relationships:

Today, our focus is on the RB prospects - we source all the best info to find you this year's Elijah Mitchell. We searched farther and wider than Congress in their investigation of Dan Snyder and his Washington franchise.  Expert predictions, mock drafts, we read it all - with the best repurposed below.

The 2022 Class of RBs

Early 2nd round: Breece Hall – Hall surprised at the combine with greater athleticism than expected. He had two monster seasons at Iowa State, with 1,400+ rushing yards and 20+ TDs in back-to-back years. Many see Hall as this year’s RB with the best chance to see an immediate three-down workload.

Hall’s biggest red flag is his limited involvement in the receiving game - he wasn’t very efficient in college and his fantasy production depends on who he shares a backfield with. Comparable: Ezekiel Elliott/Kareem Hunt

Mid 2nd round: Kenneth Walker – After transferring from Wake Forest to Michigan State, Walker solidified himself as a solid draft prospect. He’s a terrific early-down back but his receiving game is a question mark. Despite Michigan State funneling 42% of their offense through Walker, he was never involved in the receiving game. This doesn't rule out his potential to be an effective receiver out of the backfield, but it doesn't help. Comparable: Miles Sanders/Ronald Jones.

For more on Walker’s profile, check out this thread from JJ Zachariason

Early 3rd rounder: Isaiah Spiller - Maybe the most difficult back to evaluate this year, Spiller is one of the better prospects in the class considering his production and size (6 feet, 217 lbs), but his athleticism is less than stellar (4.6/40). He displayed solid pass-catching ability in college but never handled a workhorse role. Spiller’s comps and draft projections are all over the map, which suggests there is some variance in how he will translate to fantasy. He could be anywhere from a low-end RB1 to a backup. Comparable: Ricky Williams/Ezekiel Elliott

3rd rounders: James Cook & Zamir White – Cook and White shared the backfield at Georgia, making it difficult to evaluate each back separately. Cook (Dalvin Cook's younger brother) is one of the most explosive backs in this year’s class, boasting top numbers in explosive run stats (+ pass game efficiency). White's great combine will boost his draft stock at the end of the month, but he does carry a medical red flag after tearing his ACL in both knees. If you’re left to choose between these two, the consensus seems to be James Cook. James Cook comp: Devonta Freeman. Zamir White comp: Marion Barber III.

Late 3rd: Brian Robinson - At nearly 6’2” 225 pounds, Robinson is one of the bigger backs in this class. He split carries out of the backfield in Alabama and is a solid tackle breaker. Davis Mattek of A Good Football Show noted on the Rookie RB Deep Dive episode that NFL coaches are going to love Robinson. We shouldn’t expect Robinson to be a Derrick Henry 2.0, but his Alabama pedigree is notable. Comp: Fred Jackson

Late 3rd: Rachaad White – After going overlooked as a college prospect, White went the JUCO route before a breakout season with ASU in 2021 with over 1,400 total yards. White is an older prospect at 23, which lowers his floor in dynasty leagues. White remains a stand-out pass catcher, which many believe will allow him to have an impact in NFL lineups immediately. Comp: Alvin Kamara/Kenyan Drake

4th: Tyler Allgeier – A talented runner with a lot to prove before anyone expects him to handle a three-down role in the NFL. Many are projecting Allgeier to contribute as a backup.

4th: Tyler Badie – Badie is an undersized back at 5 foot 8, 197 pounds. He flashed his pass-catching ability and looks to be a talented third-down back who could step in and handle carries on a change of pace basis.

4th: Dameon Pierce – Pierce had 28 TDs on just 374 college touches, but his upside will depend on him receiving a bigger workload than at Florida, where he was a committee rusher.

5th: Pierre Strong – Strong has a history of solid production at South Dakota State but will be 25 years old during his rookie season. 25!!

5th: Kyren Williams – Williams' fantasy upside may come as a receiving specialist, but don’t expect him to command a large workload in his rookie year.

The best articles on RBs:

PFF’s Pre-Draft Rookie Running Back Tiers by Dwain McFarland is exceptional. Here's Dwain's thoughts on Isaiah Spiller:

- NBC Sports Edge’s Pre-Draft Rookie RB Rankings and Profiles Part 1 and Part 2 by Pat Kerrane offers in-depth analysis  of each RB without a paywall.

- Establish the Run’s Dynasty Prospect Profiles by Anthony Amico are always worth a read (and not behind a paywall, for now).

+ MORE:

Also, the folks over at Grinding The Mocks use mock drafts, the wisdom of crowds, and data science to predict the NFL Draft. Brief summary of RBs we should see drafted in April & their expected round:

1. Breece Hall, Iowa State – Early 2nd Round

2. Kenneth Walker, Michigan State – Mid 2nd Round

3. Isaiah Spiller, Texas A&M – Early/Mid 3rd Round

4. James Cook (yes, Dalvin’s brother), Georgia – Mid/Late 3rd Round

5. Brian Robinson, Alabama – Late 3rd Round

6. Zamir White, Georgia – Late 3rd/Early 4th Round

7. Rachaad White, Arizona State – Late 3rd/Early 4th Round

8. Tyler Allgeier, BYU – Early/Mid 4th Round

9. Tyler Badie, Missouri – Mid 4th Round

10. Jerome Ford, Cincinnati – Mid 4th Round

11. Dameon Pierce, Florida – Mid/Late 4th Round

12. Pierre Strong, South Dakota State – Early 5th Round

13. Kyren Williams, Notre Dame – Mid 5th Round

14. Zonovan Knight, NC State – Late 5th Round

15. Hassan Haskins, Michigan – Late 5th/Early 6th Round

16. Jerrion Ealy, Ole Miss – Late 6th Round

17. Tyler Goodson, Iowa – Mid 7th Round

18. Sincere McCormick, UTSA – Late 7th Round

Dad joke: For the first time in my life, I'm thinking RBs. 

Quick Slants

• Teams are still calling Seattle about DK Metcalf’s trade availability. But we still haven’t heard anything, per DK himself. Mike Keith of The Official Titans Podcast reports Titans GM Jon Robinson shared with him at the NFL owners meeting that he has "no interest" in trading A.J. Brown. The Athletic's Grant Paulsen reports the Commanders "have yet to make a contract offer to extend Terry McLaurin."

• There are reports that Matt Ryan and Michael Pittman have been meeting daily for breakfast. We asked for another breakfast club narrative, and we got one. This year's Cooper Kupp x Matt Stafford?!! Or is that asking too much?

• Madison Parkhill of RotoViz wrote a great thread outlining the zero RB drafting strategy.

• Melvin Gordon is in discussions with the Ravens on a potential deal, per Ian Rapoport

Rest in Peace

Thoughts go out to the family and friends of Dwayne Haskins, who passed away over the weekend. The 24-year-old QB was killed early Saturday morning after being hit by a truck on a South Florida highway.

Great reminder for us all to be grateful. Have an epic week! - and don't forget, we have a podcast on Apple and Spotify!

- Jake, Eddie, Coach Wehler & Matt

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