Running Back
Tennessee
6-0 229
40 time: 4.49
Draft board overall prospect rank: #107
Draft board running back rank: #9
Overall rating: 68*
3/20/10: Every year there are running backs drafted in the 3rd or 4th round who go on to become functional starters in the NFL. Montario Hardesty could very well be one of those. He does every thing you like a running back to do and does a lot of things that are very advanced for his age. For one, he has good hands. He rarely fumbles, catches well out of the backfield, and is even a solid pass protector. These are not traits you normally see out of a college running back, but they are traits any good starting running back needs and because of that, Hardesty can help a team out with 150-200 carries right away. At the very least, he will be a 3rd round back and a solid backup. He also is very fast for his size and has decent breakaway speed. He’s got excellent vision and decent elusiveness for his size and should fit well in a one cut zone blocking scheme. He’s a hard runner, but lacks elite explosiveness through the whole and doesn’t change directions very well. He showed elite athletic ability at the Combine in drills like the broad jump and the vertical leap, for what it’s worth. He has good speed, but not elite breakaway speed and he runs a bit upright sometimes which could mean trouble for him in the NFL because big backs who run upright don’t break as many tackles as they good. His track record is very limited and he’s a bit of a one year wonder. Even in his one year as a feature back he was not extremely impressive with 1345 yards on 282 yards, a 4.8 YPC, though, again, his 25 catches for 302 yards and a touchdown were impressive. I like him as a starting running back going forward and, at the very least, he’s a 3rd down and backup running back with a home in the league, but I think his upside is fairly limited. He’ll never be an overly impressive Pro Bowl caliber feature back. At best, he’s a get the job done type guy who would excel in a zone style offense.
NFL Comparison: Chester Taylor
*=For a breakdown of what this means, click here
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