Scouts Inc. Pre-Draft Scouting Reports...Brown vs. Bush vs. Peterson vs. McFadden

I thought it would be interesting to go back and compare McFadden's scouting report to those of the 3 top-RB picks before him to see where he stood. Here's what I found. Each of these are from Scouts Inc.

Ronnie Brown (#2 pick 2005)

Ronnie Brown
RB | (6'0", 233, 4.44) | AUBURN

Scouts Grade: 98

Strengths: Has an excellent blend of size, power and speed. Runs with good body lean and pad level. Will break a lot of tackles and shows the consistent ability to move the pile. Has very good speed for his size. Shows a second gear in the open field and will run away from some defenders. Is one of the best pass blockers at the running back position that we've seen coming out of the college game. Is instinctive, tough, technically sound and isn't afraid to sacrifice his body. Has excellent experience in the passing game. Has an excellent feel as a route runner. Often works out of the slot and as a perimeter receiver. Is a smooth and crisp route runner. Hands are smooth and he shows the ability to adjust to the poorly thrown ball. He's a threat in the open field as a receiver, as well, due to his combination of size and speed.

Weaknesses: Is a little bit of a straight-line runner. Doesn't always show the ability to plant and drive quickly enough to hit and get through the cutback lane. He doesn't have great elusiveness. Won't make many defenders miss in the open field. Durability is a minor concern after missing two games in 2003 because of injury. However, he stayed healthy with a bigger load in 2004 and he doesn't have a lot of mileage on his legs.

Overall: Brown has played second fiddle to Carnell Williams throughout his career at Auburn. In Williams' absence in 2002, Brown started six games and had a breakout season with 1,008 rushing yards on 175 carries. Brown was splitting carries early in '03 but missed two games of his own with a hamstring injury he suffered against Tennessee, and when he returned he just didn't get the same playing time that he was getting prior to the injury. Brown played a bigger role in 2004 with 913 yards and eight touchdowns on 153 carries and 313 yards and one touchdown on 34 receptions, but he still got far fewer touches than Williams. While taking a backseat to Williams may have been difficult to swallow at the collegiate level, it may work in Brown's favor on draft day because he has so few miles on his legs and body. He doesn't have the same quickness or elusiveness that Williams possesses, but he has better speed, he is bigger, and he also is much more versatile in the passing game. Brown may have been the least productive of the "Big Three" running backs in the 2005 draft but we think his NFL potential is the greatest.


Reggie Bush (#2 pick 2006)

Reggie Bush
RB | (5'10", 201, 4.38) | USC

Scouts Grade: 99

Flags: (B: BULK/SIZE) Lacks size/bulk for position

Strengths: The most dynamic and explosive playmaker in college football during his last two seasons (2004-'05). Is a versatile weapon. A huge threat every time he touches the ball as a runner, receiver and return specialist. Has exceptional quickness, body control and speed. Shows a rare second-gear in space and will run away from defenders once he reaches the second level. His vision is outstanding. He sees things quickly and has the stop-and-start ability to exploit small creases when they become available. His balance is exceptional. He is a slippery runner who will spin through would-be tacklers and crawl for extra yards at the end of runs. His ability to pivot and hit cutback lanes is outstanding. Lacks bulk but he has impressive natural strength. Has the frame to improve his bulk. He shows a tremendous feel for the passing game. He is a smooth, crafty route runner. Plucks well on the run and will adjust to the poorly thrown ball. Is a deep threat as a receiver; shows the ability to consistently separate. Also is a huge weapon after the catch. Tremendous elusiveness in space. A proven winner that played in three national championship games and won two national championships during three seasons at USC.

Weaknesses: Lacks ideal size. Has adequate height but lacks bulk and will need to fill out his frame. Has never carried a full load as a starting running back at the collegiate level. Can he handle the pounding as a 25-carry per game back in the NFL. He is a better outside runner than inside runner. Does not show the ability to push the pile between the tackles. Will be overmatched at the POA vs. some bigger blitzing linebackers in pass pro at the NFL level.

Overall: Bush played in all 13 games as a freshman in 2003, when he rushed for 521 yards and three touchdowns on 90 carries, while chipping in with 314 yards and four TD's on 15 catches. He also averaged 27.3 yards with a touchdown on 18 KOR's. As a sophomore in 2004, Bush rushed for 908 yards and six TD's on 143 carries and had 509 yards and seven Td's on 43 receptions. He also averaged 25.6 yards per KOR and 15.7 yards per PR with two TD's. Bush finished that season fifth in the Heisman voting and also was named Co-Offensive Player of the Year and first-team All-Pac-10. He had arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder in the offseason and was limited in spring practice but has showed no signs of its affects as a junior in 2005, when he won the Heisman Trophy and was a unanimous first-team All-American. During that season, Bush rushed for 1,740 yards on 200 carries, caught 37 passes for 478 yards, while also averaging 9.9 yards per punt return and 17.6 yards per kickoff return. In total, Bush finished with 2,890 yards and 19 touchdowns in 2005. Bush is the highest rated running back and overall prospect (regardless of position) in the 2006 draft. Bush will need to add some bulk to his frame and there are some concerns regarding his potential to carry a full load at the NFL level. However, Bush is the most dynamic athlete in this class and his versatility is what sets him apart from other top prospects. Even if Bush needs to be eased into a fulltime ball carrier's role as a rookie, he can still remain on the field as a receiver  out of the backfield, in the slot, or split out wide  on passing downs and he also can provide a huge boost in the return game for the team that drafts him. Athletes like Bush do not come along very often, which is why we would have no hesitation selecting him with the first overall pick in 2006.

Adrian Peterson (#7 pick in 2007)

Adrian Peterson
RB | (6'1", 217, 4.4) | OKLAHOMA

Scouts Grade: 98

Flags: (D: DURABILITY) Player that can't stay healthy

Strengths: Possesses an outstanding combination of size, power and speed. Shows a great deal of competitiveness and toughness as a runner. Extremely instinctive as a runner. Shows excellent vision and patience. Runs with ideal balance and body control. Makes quick cuts and shows very good initial burst off his plant foot. He is an upright runner but he also knows when to lower his shoulder for the most part. Rare in terms of his ability to gain yards after contact. He is a punishing back that will wear a defense down with 25-35 carries, and he seems to improve as the game wears on. He shows the initial burst and speed to consistently turn the corner as an outside runner. He continues to improve as a route runner. He has displayed soft hands as a receiver and has upside in that facet of the game. He also shows the size, strength and competitiveness to develop into a solid pass blocker with improved technique and more attention to detail.

Weaknesses: Durability is the biggest concern. He has been limited by injuries in each of his three collegiate seasons, yet he also has lots of mileage on his legs with 728 carries in the 30 games played to date. He will enter the NFL having already suffered injuries to his shoulder, ankle and collarbone. He is an upright runner that loses some power because he fails to consistently run with good pad-level. He's not overly elusive and won't make many defenders miss in space. He lacks ideal experience in the passing game. Will need polishing as a route runner and as a blocker.

Overall: Peterson started eight of 13 games played as a true freshman in 2004, when he rushed for 1,925 yards and 15 touchdowns on 339 carries. He also caught five passes for 12 yards that season. He was suspended for two days during 2005 spring practice and did not start vs. UCLA because he missed classes. As a sophomore in 2005, Peterson started eight of 11 games played (missed Baylor and parts of three other games with ankle sprain), and finished with 1,108 yards and 14 TD's on 220 carries, and caught nine passes for 50 yards. A broken collarbone (Iowa State 10/14) forced him to miss seven games in 2006. For the season he rushed 188 times for 1,012 yards (5.4 average) and 12 touchdowns and also caught 10 passes for 136 yards and one touchdown, earning him a first team All-Big 12 selection. On a side note: His father was in prison from when Peterson was in middle school until October of 2006.

Durability is the biggest knock on Peterson. Otherwise, he's a complete prospect with special physical skills and competitiveness. When healthy, Peterson displays an outstanding combination of size, vision, instincts, burst and power as a runner. Also, while his receptions were limited in college, he displays soft hands and lots of potential in that department. Overall, Peterson is by far the best running back in the 2007 class and he ranks as one of the top-five prospects regardless of position.





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Darren McFadden

Darren McFadden
RB | (6'1", 211, 4.33) | ARKANSAS

Scouts Grade: 98

Flags: (C: CHARACTER) Problems on and off the field

Strengths: Phenomenal athlete. Possesses good height and adequate bulk (better upper-body than lower-body). Rare burst for his size; no play better illustrates that second-gear better than his 73-yard touchdown run in the third quarter versus LSU. He runs with good vision and great patience but explodes through the line of scrimmage once he finds the crease. Very few NFL runners possess his type of second-gear to bounce runs outside and to run away from defenders in the open field. Very fluid in space and can change directions without losing much momentum at all. He can be a powerful runner with a full head of steam. Exceptional stiff arm. Very strong upper body. Keeps his legs pumping in traffic and will break many attempted arm tackles. Displays outstanding balance. Will gain lots of yards after contact simply because he bounces off the tackler and regains his balance instead of going down. Lacks ideal experience as a receiver but is fluid enough to adjust to poorly thrown ball and displays very soft hands for a RB. Can also be an occasional passing threat in the NFL, as seen in his dual-threat role as the signal caller in the Razorbacks' Wild Hog formation.

Weaknesses: He runs a bit high and his lower-body is a bit lean. Has never been forced to carry a full 25-30 carry throughout a full season in college. Had carried the ball more than 30 times in just five games during his three seasons at Arkansas. Ran out of gas late in Alabama game (2007). Lacks ideal experience as a receiver. Needs some polishing as a route runner. Also could be more aggressive as blocker; must learn to attack with better leverage. Needs to better protect the ball (23 fumbles last three seasons). Character must also be studied. Is there more to the minor off-the-field incidents than we are led to believe?

Overall: McFadden shattered the Arkansas' freshman rushing record with 1,113 yards and 11 touchdowns on 176 carries. He played a versatile role throughout his three seasons with the Razorbacks prior to declaring early for the 2008 NFL draft. During that three-season span, McFadden rushed for 4,590 yards and 41 scores on 785 carries, caught 46 passes for 365 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw seven touchdown passes and returned a kickoff for a score. Involved in a fight outside of a Little Rock club in August of 2005. Was investigated for an illegal vehicle during the 2007 season but was cleared of all accusations. Was handcuffed but not arrested on January 10, 2008 for his role an altercation at a Little Rock bar. McFadden possesses rare physical tools. In fact, it's safe to say he's the most talented athlete in the 2008 class. He is a homerun hitter as a runner with the size of an every-down back. He displays soft hands as a receiver and outstanding open-field running skills as a receiver and return man, and he also is capable of occasionally burning an overloaded defense with the halfback option pass. There are only two questions regarding McFadden that NFL teams must consider at the top of the board: 1) Does his possess the lower-body/durability to carry a full load at the next level? 2) Are his few minor off-the-field incidents forewarning of character issues to come? As long as a team is comfortable with the answers to both of those questions McFadden is worth of any selection in this year's draft.