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PFW Draft Prospect Rankings: Running Backs

The writers of Patriots Football Weekly offer their notes and rankings on the running back prospects entering the 2017 NFL Draft.

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The writers of Patriots Football Weekly have done their homework on all the prospects in this year's NFL Draft. Now, you can download the actual notes they took on all the top players, broken down by position for your convenience. Today, they offer their notes on the running backs.
* - indicates underclassman

RUNNING BACKS

HEIGHT:  5-10 WEIGHT: 210  40: 4.49 

Andy Hart: Elite playmaker and gamebreaker. Burst, quickness and cutting ability are off the charts. Fumbles are a concern. Can catch. Strong. Finishes runs. Will be NFL star.

Paul Perillo: Best back in draft; Tough; Can run inside and out; Great feet and vision; Good in passing game; Good patience.

HEIGHT: 6-1  WEIGHT: 240  40: 4.51 

Andy Hart: Great size and straight-line speed. Runs violent and finishes. Maximizes holes, but won't create on his own. Crazy when he gets to the second level.

Paul Perillo: Great size and speed; Good burst; Tough; Not a great blocker; Gets downhill.

HEIGHT: 5-11  WEIGHT: 202  40: 4.48 

Andy Hart: Versatility is off the charts. Little undersized. Patient and sets up his cuts with great vision. Is a hybrid athlete and playmaker more than RB. Role, use and durability will be key at next level.

Paul Perillo: Shows great patience; Bounces outside at times; Excellent receiver; Versatile; KR; Finds gaps as runner and as route-runner.

HEIGHT: 5-10  WEIGHT: 214  40: 4.56 

Andy Hart: Herky, jerky style. Slippery. Keeps his feed well. Can catch and run. Suspensions and transfer from Alabama are a concern. Can make plays.

Paul Perillo: Good speed and versatility; Elusive in space; Shows some power between tackles; Willing blocker; Lots of big plays; Tough.

HEIGHT: 6-0  WEIGHT: 233  40: 4.58 

Andy Hart: Great size. Good enough speed. Falls forward. Not real quick; needs a hole. Finishes his runs. Keeps his feet well. True power back.

Paul Perillo: Huge and runs with great power; Great feet; Can get small in the hole; Excellent in short yardage; Deceptive athleticism; Solid.

THE REST

Joe Mixon*, Oklahoma

HEIGHT: 6-1  WEIGHT: 226  40: 4.47 

Andy Hart: All-around athlete with major character concerns. Can run. Can catch. Patient with good vision. Doesn't play to elite speed. Runs upright and dances too much at times. Willing blocker.

Paul Perillo: Runs a bit upright at times but shows good hands; Excellent hands; Squirts through small spaces; Lots of big plays; Solid prospect though he comes with obvious baggage.

HEIGHT: 5-10  WEIGHT: 216  40: 4.62 

Andy Hart: One career fumble. Keeps legs churning. Low pads. Finishes. Tough. Not elite speed or quickness. Good power for size.

Paul Perillo: Quick and elusive; Gets small in hole; Gets upfield quickly; Always seems to be moving forward/runs with good lean.

HEIGHT:  5-9 WEIGHT: 205  40: 4.47 

Andy Hart: Very good burst and quickness. Churns legs. Decisive cuts. Third down guy? Tough. Size is a question for running style.

Paul Perillo: Good cuts and wiggle in space; Runs between the tackles; Quick; Gets upfield; Decent pass protection; Good power.

HEIGHT: 5-11 WEIGHT: 233  40: 4.65 

Andy Hart: Great production. Strong. Powerful. No dancing. Fast enough on the field. Falls foward. Can block.

Paul Perillo: Bowling ball-type; Inconsistent blocker but better in pass protection; Shows excellent power but less-than-desired speed; Moves the pile; Nose for the goal line.

HEIGHT: 5-11  WEIGHT: 213  40: 4.5 

Andy Hart: Versatile and productive. Lines up wide. Willing blocker. Above average speed and quickness. Slashy with burst. Clear upside, but may not be an every-down guy.

Paul Perillo: Quick; good wiggle; Shows a lot of patience/Le'Veon Bell style; Nice job in pass protection; Shows good vision.

HEIGHT: 5-10  WEIGHT: 221  40: 4.68 

Andy Hart: Plays quick and fast enough. Not as powerful as size would project. Tough workhorse. Enjoys contact. Ball security is a concern.

Paul Perillo: Quick to hole; Runs hard; Not overly fast; Uses jump cuts effecitvely; Shaky in pass protection; Ball security issues.

I'Tavius Mathers, Middle Tennessee

HEIGHT: 5-11  WEIGHT: 198  40: 4.57 

Andy Hart: Runs hard. Jittery. Not much in terms of moves. Fast enough.

HEIGHT: 5-8 WEIGHT: 176  40: 4.48 

Andy Hart: Silly production. Size is a concern. Great vision and cuts. Sets up blocks. Does fall to arm tackles. No fear. Nice burst.

Paul Perillo: One of the most dynamic backs you'll see; Tremendous production; Quick and fast; Big-play threat; Great wiggle; Shifty and electric; Marshall Faulk only smaller.

HEIGHT: 5-10  WEIGHT: 214  40: 4.53 

Andy Hart: Impressive athlete. Meh blocker. Runs through arm tackles and keeps feet moving. Fast enough but runs too high at times. Finds hole and goes.

Taquan Mizzell, Virginia

HEIGHT: 5-10  WEIGHT: 194  40: 4.47 

Andy Hart: Runs and catches. Little burst. Versatile with upside. Good not great game speed.

HEIGHT: 5-9  WEIGHT: 214  40: 4.49 

Andy Hart: Versatile but nothing special. Very good hands. Not elite cuts. Quick and OK power. 3rd down guy at best.

Paul Perillo: Very productive as runner and receiver; Always moves forward; Quick; Versatile; Ran the Wildcat at times; Good speed and avoids hits.

HEIGHT: 6-0  WEIGHT: 215  40: 4.60 

Andy Hart: Nothing stands out. Average speed and quickness. OK vision. Runs hard and not afraid of contact.

Paul Perillo: Powerful inside runner; Breaks tackles; Good short-yardage back; Finds creases and bounces off tacklers; Tough.

Brian Hill*, Wyoming

HEIGHT: 6-1  WEIGHT: 219  40: 4.54 

Andy Hart: True power back from lower level of competition. Runs with anger. Feisty, willing blocker. Good pad level and falls forward.

Paul Perillo: Decent speed and good size; Tough; Solid pass protection; Strong; Moves pile; Nose for goal line.

Dare Ogunbowale, Wisconsin

HEIGHT: 5-11  WEIGHT: 213  40: 4.65 

Andy Hart: Plays with decent speed. One cut. Solid vision. NFL backup with nice agressive effort.

HEIGHT: 6-0  WEIGHT: 212  40: 4.59

Andy Hart: Only average speed. Breaks arm tackles. OK power. Keeps feed. Solid. Upside? Runs hard with fight.

Paul Perillo: Quick cuts; Good burst; Hits hole fast; Good size; Nice bounce outside when necessary; Gets upfield.

HEIGHT: 6-1  WEIGHT: 233  40: 4.65 

Andy Hart: Doesn't always run to his size. Too many hesitations and jump cuts. Not really fast or quick. Good, solid NFL backup.

Paul Perillo: Looked a tad slow coming off bout with cancer; Tremendous production and leadership; Runs with toughness; Not overly athletic or elusive in space; Nothing fancy but competes.

Devine Redding*, Indiana

HEIGHT: 5-8  WEIGHT: 205  40: 4.76 

Andy Hart: Not athletic enough. Not fast. Not much burst. Runs hard. Good vision. Nothing elite.

HEIGHT: 5-11  WEIGHT: 223  40: 4.57 

Andy Hart: Power runner. Doesn't play fast enough. Not much big play ability. Backup at best.

HEIGHT: 5-9  WEIGHT: 196 40: 4.37 

Andy Hart: Versatile. Runs hard. Nice burst, but doesn't play to 4.3 speed. Decent vision and elusiveness.

HEIGHT: 5-10  WEIGHT: 190  40: 4.62 

Andy Hart: Not overly fast. Respected by teammates. One cut. Nothing special. Jittery.

Tarean Folston*, Notre Dame

HEIGHT: 5-9  WEIGHT: 215  40: 4.56 

Andy Hart: Not really fast or quick. Breaks arm tackles. Nothing special. Only gets what is blocked.

HEIGHT: 5-7  WEIGHT: 208  40: 4.48 

Andy Hart: Legit burst. Start-and-stop ability. Hits it in there. Small. Easy to wrap up.

HEIGHT: 5-6  WEIGHT: 179  40: 4.42 

Andy Hart: Tiny. Not quick or fast enough for size.

Joe Williams, Utah

HEIGHT: 5-11  WEIGHT: 210  40: 4.41 

Andy Hart: Desire to play? Retired last fall for short time. Decent power and fight. Good speed. All around package as backup if he has the want-to.

HEIGHT: 5-9  WEIGHT: 208  40: 4.56 

Andy Hart: Average speed and quickness. Nothing stands out other than impressive production. College type back with very limited future.

HEIGHT: 6-0  WEIGHT: 218  40: 4.58 

Andy Hart: Solid speed. Drops. Tough.

HEIGHT: 5-9  WEIGHT: 207  40: 4.52 

No Comments.

Elijah Hood*, North Carolina

HEIGHT: 6-0 WEIGHT: 232  40: 4.59 

Andy Hart: Average speed at best. Pretty good vision. Good size. Doesn't always use his size to his advantage. Blah. Runs small.

HEIGHT: 6-1  WEIGHT: 200  40: 4.53 

No Comments.

Rushel Shell III, West Virginia

HEIGHT: 5-10  WEIGHT: 220  40: 4.74

 No Comments.

LeShun Daniels Jr., Iowa

HEIGHT: 5-11  WEIGHT: 225  40: 4.59 

No Comments.

William Stanback, Virginia Union

HEIGHT: 6-0  WEIGHT: 230  40: 4.65 

No Comments.

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