With Boise State’s generational talent Ashton Jeanty taking the consensus number one spot across the running back class in this year's draft, and North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton being the most likely second option, the debate over who is the best back after the two heavyweights is still up for debate. With Ohio State running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins both making their case to be a solid day three pickup, the argument is more centred around Henderson or Arizona State powerhouse Cam Skattebo.
With both being totally different backs, with their own positives and negatives, here is what both will have to offer.
What both have in their favour come draft day is their favourable heights of around 5 '11, and a similar weight of 210 lbs, but it is what they utilise their sizes for which show massive differences in their game. One aspect Henderson provides much more in his game compared to Skattebo is his explosiveness and short burst speed. Skattebo highlighted a lot during last season that despite being a consistently strong runner, his explosiveness and ability to switch his pass mid-run has been an issue all season long. Skattebo also did not impress with his speed as a whole during last season, despite having a 40 yard time of 4.65, his pace against quick corners and speedy linebackers could pose massive problems for him going forward. It is obvious that in the speed category that Henderson is the more complete runner of the two, and his pace and ability to switch speeds mid run will elevate his stock, making him a more sustainable option for both short and big gains on the field. But one thing which is definitely not sustainable with Henderson is issues with injury.
Henderson showed last year that his game could easily be pushed to the NFL level with his speed and directional brilliance, but one thing which will not be tempting NFL scouts is his constant injury issues. Fellow draft mate Quinshon Judkins was called upon one too many times during Ohio’s Championship winning season, and despite Henderson being on the winning end, his injury history will not be forgotten. His bad injury history over the last two seasons, and inconsistency to be a number one back for Ohio shows a big weakness which often can play a pivotal role in a players draft stock. But not only has inconsistency been the issue due to his i juries, it is his effectiveness post injury. Henderson’s biggest fault in his game has to be his yards after contact, and massive balance and coordination issues when enduring heavy contact. Despite not being the contact runner that Jeanty and Hampton are, his ability to shake off tackles is a massive concern, and is way under par for a NFL back.
Although both have some clear weaknesses in their game, one aspect which both will look to improve upon the most come their NFL career is the receiving, and athleticism. Both Henderson and Skattebo are extremely limited in the receiving position, both struggling to run effective routes, and are often only useful in the backfield on wheel and dump routes. Their athleticism and ability to play as dual threat backs could be a big decider over their differences, as Henderson has shown his athleticism and performances receiving in the backfield are substantially better than Skattebo.
It is very hard to separate both, with medium level potential, and a lot to brush up on, in the grand scheme of things, both will be great pickups, and could be turned into elite backs with the right development. Skattebo brings a much more physical, third down type style to his game, looking to move through contact for short but effective plays. While Henderson on the other hand uses his elite vision and speed to maneuver through traffic and make long plays with his amazing burst of pace and ability to identify gaps. Personally Henderson for me is the more complete back, but it is his ability to play the physical and blue collar game which may sway teams towards Arizona State's Cam Skattebo.
Comments