Bo Scarbrough 2018 NFL Draft Profile

Bo Scarbrough 2018 NFL Draft Profile

The class of running backs in the 2018 draft is another big one to follow up 2017’s big class. Last season we saw several rookies make huge impacts for their football teams. Players like Kareem Hunt, Leonard Fournette, Dalvin Cook, Alvin Kamara, and Christian McCaffrey all made immediate impacts for their teams. This year’s draft has no shortage of talent to offer. While Saquon Barkley is the name on top of every mock draft, there are plenty of NFL-ready players available, and Bo Scarbrough is one of them.

The Alabama native played football for Tuscaloosa County before his senior year, when he transferred to IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL. He was a consensus five-star recruit before committing to the University of Alabama.

As a redshirt freshman, Scarbrough got limited work, rushing for 104 yards on 18 carries. The following year, Scarbrough showed how dangerous he could be, rushing for 180 yards in the Peach Bowl. He was named offensive MVP for his performance. In January of 2018, he announced he would forgo his senior season and declare for the NFL draft.

Strengths

Tapered, powerful physique;

Short yardage touchdown specialist with enough bounce to leap over piles;

Can take hits and keeps runs alive;

Steady tempo type of player that can wear down defenses;

Big, physical, bruising style of running;

Good reads from I-formation and able to take cuts;

Always falls forward once he’s in solid motion;

Surprising speed once he’s passed the line.

Weaknesses

plays very upright;

a large target for linebackers;

multiple lower-body injuries in both high school and college;

requires a runway to gather full speed;

burst is below average;

durability is a major concern;

never played with a game heavy workload;

unable to catch passes out of the backfield.

NFL Comparison: Derrick Henry

Projection: Round four to five

Bottom Line

With the emergence of later round running backs last season, teams are looking for that steal in the mid rounds. Scarbrough represents the old-school ground-and-pound type of runner that needs some space to really display his speed. While he excels as a punishing style of power-back, he has little appeal as a third-down receiving back.

Scarbrough represents some risk of injury, already having an injury-prone past and being less elusive than some of the other candidates in this year’s draft. He probably will not land in a situation that garners him as the immediate starter, but he could settle into a time-share role or as a goal-line or short yardage back.