One of the most important events on the National Football League calendar is the Senior Bowl. Held the week after the conference championship games, it is the true beginning of the NFL draft cycle.
Not only do scouts and analysts like us get to see over 100 draft prospects in one place competing against each other, but it’s also an opportunity for analysts and personnel alike to get together and have discussions about a number of topics.
As we look forward to this year’s Senior Bowl, managing editor Tyler Forness will be there in person to break everything down.
We will be breaking down each position group and what to look for throughout the week. Here is the running back position.
Other previews:
New Hampshire's Dylan Laube
Laube is the most intriguing prospect at the Senior Bowl. Coming from FCS New Hampshire, Laube is the definition of a dual-threat. He caught 68 passes for 699 yards in 2023 to pair with 158 rushes for 715 yards. One of the major questions with Laube is if can be the every down back or is best suited as a change of pace and third down back.
USC's Marshawn Lloyd
Lloyd was a do-it-all back for the Trojans this past year after transferring from South Carolina. He ran for 820 yards at a remarkable 7.1 YPC and also caught 13 passes for 232 yards. Lloyd took advantage of the spacing allowed to him by Lincoln Riley’s offense and made defenders look silly. Patience is high with Lloyd and a solid week would do a lot for him.
Troy's Kimani Vidal
Vidal is a multi-year starter for Troy and has been excellent on the ground, including rushing for 1,661 yards and 15 total touchdowns in 2023 for the Trojans. The biggest questions Vidal will have to answer are about his size, as he is listed at 5’8″ tall and 215 lbs. Pass blocking and receiving drills will be key for Vidal as he looks to improve his draft stock.
Missouri's Cody Schrader
From Division II to walking on at Missouri to finishing top-10 in Heisman Trophy voting, it’s been quite the ride for Schrader. He earned a scholarship quickly for the Tigers and rewarded them with a tremendous 2023 season with 1,627 yards rushing and 14 touchdowns. Testing will be key for Schrader as he is a back of smaller stature but looked plenty explosive in the SEC.
Marshall's Rasheen Ali
Ali burst onto the scene as a reshirt freshman in 2021 with 1,401 yards and 23 touchdowns. He showed explosiveness and good vision leading into 2022 where he was expected to be one of the best backs in the nation. He ended up taking time off for personal reasons and came back in 2023 with a vengeance. In a weaker running back class, Ali could be a value in the later rounds.
Kentucky's Ray Davis
After spending time at Temple and Vanderbilt, Davis found a home at Kentucky in 2023 and took advantage of the opportunity to play in a really good offense. Davis ran for 1,129 yards and 14 touchdowns and burst onto the scene with a 280 yard, three touchdown performance against the Florida Gators. With a smaller stature, Davis uses it to break tackles and could end up being a steal in the middle rounds.
Tennessee's Jaylen Wright
Wright is one of the few junior players suiting up in Mobile. He had only 11 more touches than he did during his sophomore year but was far more explosive, improving his yards per touch from 6.0 to 7.3. An explosive back with less than 400 touches in his career, Wright could be an intriguing option for an NFL team.
Louisville's Jawhar Jordan
Speaking of explosive backs, Jordan fits the bill. He was excellent for the Cardinals last season averaging 6.2 yards per carry in 2023 in Jeff Brohm’s offense. Jordan had transferred from Syracuse after 2020 when he was stuck behind Sean Tucker and it proved to be a smart play. Now, Jordan will be an older back at 23 but he only has 420 touches during his college career meaning there is still plenty of tread on the tires.
