<
>

Detroit Lions initial draft outlook: Running backs

The college All-Star games are coming up over the next two weeks with the NFL combine on the horizon in February.

Many players taken by teams in May will play in one of the three games for seniors or from the underclassman pool. Over the next two weeks, along with our positional outlooks, we’ll give a few names to pay attention to over the next month. Remember, these lists will be fluid as the draft process continues.

Previous outlooks: Quarterbacks

Shrine Game:

No. 28 West Malcolm Brown, Texas (5-11, 230): Rated as the No. 14 running back by ESPN. More of a straight running back than a dual-threat back. Never had a 1,000-yard season or caught more than 17 passes in a year. Ran for 2,678 yards and 24 touchdowns in his career.

No. 31 West Zachary Zenner, South Dakota State (6-0, 220): Rated as the No. 19 running back by ESPN. Had back-to-back 2,000-yard seasons on the FCS level and was less than 100 yards shy of three straight. Has some pass-catching ability, including 28 receptions in 2014. Very productive runner but longevity could be a concern. Had 300 or more carries in 2012, 2013 and 2014.

NFLPA Collegiate Bowl:

No. 33 American Paul Lasike, BYU (FB 5-11, 232): The Lions have a history of BYU players (Ezekiel Ansah, Kyle Van Noy) and at least investigating former rugby stars (Carlin Isles, Jarryd Hayne). Lasike, from New Zealand, is both. He also has some receiving ability, having caught 25 passes for 267 yards this season. He could be an intriguing late-round/UDFA flier.

No. 23 American Prince-Tyson Gulley (5-8, 193): Rated as the No. 16 running back by ESPN. Not overwhelming stats – only 614 yards and a touchdown in 2014 – but has returned kicks, too, so could have special teams value.

Senior Bowl:

Ameer Abdullah, Nebraska (5-9, 190): Rated as the No. 4 running back by ESPN. He has three straight 1,000-yard seasons. He can be a dual-threat as a runner and a receiver after catching 65 passes for 616 yards and six touchdowns in his career. There’s also return experience as he handled kick returns all four years at Nebraska and punt returns for two years. Accumulated 6,700 all-purpose yards in his career.

Jeremy Langford, Michigan State (5-11, 206): Rated as the No. 8 running back by ESPN. He had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, but not much of a pass-catching threat.

David Cobb, Minnesota (5-11, 225): Rated as the No. 9 running back by ESPN. Like Langford, had two straight 1,000-yard seasons, including a 1,626-yard, 13-touchdown year in 2014. Not much of a receiving threat based on college numbers and didn’t handle returns in college. Has good speed, though.

Cameron Artis-Payne (5-10, 210): Rated as the No. 12 running back by ESPN. Averaged 5.3 yards per rush for Auburn this year, totaling 1,608 yards and 13 touchdowns. Played behind Tre Mason in 2013, so didn’t see much work. Was at junior college before that.

Others:

Tevin Coleman, Indiana (6-1, 210): Rated the No. 3 running back by ESPN. He is an explosive player who can be a running and receiving threat after gaining 2,036 yards in 2014. Coleman was a Doak Walker finalist in 2014 and had four 200-yard games in 2014. He also has return experience from his first two years at Indiana.

Duke Johnson, Miami (FL) (5-9, 206): Rated the No. 5 running back by ESPN. Had three straight years of more than 900 yards rushing, including 1,652 as a junior. Can catch passes, as he had 69 receptions for 719 yards and four touchdowns in three seasons. He returned kicks his freshman and sophomore year as well.

TJ Yeldon, Alabama (6-2, 221): Rated the No. 6 running back by ESPN. In three years, he ran for 3,322 yards and 37 touchdowns, although had less than 1,000 yards in his final season. His best season was his sophomore year, when he ran for 1,235 yards.

Mike Davis, South Carolina (5-9, 223): Rated the No. 7 running back by ESPN. He is a run-receiving threat who doesn’t have some of the wear other backs have. He carried more than 200 times only once in three seasons at South Carolina. He had 982 yards rushing and 368 yards receiving in 2014 after a 1,183-yard season in 2013.