Rashad Jennings - poll

[calfoxwc]

Jennings runs a 4.4 through 4.9 forty. He's durable, had a great combine.

 

He's just from a smaller college, by his choice due to family matters...? Great character, great size.

 

With Shonn Greene falling, Well's combine struggles...

 

Does Jennings not even make it to the Browns?

[calfoxwc]

this is from his junior year. He was even more impressive his senior year...

 

 

and how he has developed as a rb each year for Liberty College:

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=163205

[Gips]

Same here i keep hearing about him but havent seen him play..so who knows in this draft?

[Erie Dawg]

Thanks for the link.

 

He looks like he has great vision, he followed almost all of his blocks to a tee, he also has exceptional speed. However I did not see him break a whole lot of tackles, and it seems the first guy that gets to him brings him down. That's concerning. I like RB that can break tackles which is crucial in the NFL because the defense is so fast it can get the RB's. It's the ones that make the 1st...2nd...and even 3rd guy miss that end up being exceptional

One thing I noticed was he don't try to run thru guys. I didn't see him lower his shoulders and take on the defenders.

Maybe he can pick up that skill set? Wait he will have to pick up that skill cause everyone is bigger, stronger, faster. And in the Nfl LB's like nothing better than to hit a guy that runs with his pads up when taking on tackles.

[YtownBrownsBacker]

IMO, if he has a great pro day and is impressive in his interviews he might make it into the bottom of the second round. He's most likely after Wells, Morino, McCoy Green and Brown. Maybe even after Ringer depending on who's looking.

 

So, most likely a 3rd rounder who could sneak into the bottom of the second round if he has a great pro day or individual workout with a few teams. Stats are nice to support a choice but film study will tell you all you need to know. Which means you aren't sure if he can be an impact at the next level coming from Liberty and he wasn't exactly running over people at that level.

[Canton Mike]

Thanks for the link.

 

He looks like he has great vision, he followed almost all of his blocks to a tee, he also has exceptional speed. However I did not see him break a whole lot of tackles, and it seems the first guy that gets to him brings him down. That's concerning. I like RB that can break tackles which is crucial in the NFL because the defense is so fast it can get the RB's. It's the ones that make the 1st...2nd...and even 3rd guy miss that end up being exceptional

 

I share your concern. I didn't see him breaking tackles, & his competition was NOT major college level. Time will tell.

Mike

[calfoxwc]

I believe the Saints released Deuce McCallister...

 

they would be one team who would be looking at him, unless they take a rb

in the first round...

[CLEVELandMILIDH]

Yeah considering who his competition was at that level even more concerns about his impact at the pro level.

 

I wouldn't take him in the 2nd, no way. Maybe the 3rd if we get a lot of other pieces in the first 2 rounds (with our additional picks).

 

In the 4th I feel a whole lot more comfortable drafting him, but it doesn't look he'll be around that late.

 

Again, they got to be able to break tackles, and run through tackles I didn't see any of that on that highlight reel.

 

Also on the reel was a lack of TD's, mostly because he was taken down by the first guy, he also never worked his way back inside when he found the sideline.

 

I'd agree with that, I'd rather take McCoy in the second if thats the route they take

[CLEVELandMILIDH]

Thanks for the link.

 

He looks like he has great vision, he followed almost all of his blocks to a tee, he also has exceptional speed. However I did not see him break a whole lot of tackles, and it seems the first guy that gets to him brings him down. That's concerning. I like RB that can break tackles which is crucial in the NFL because the defense is so fast it can get the RB's. It's the ones that make the 1st...2nd...and even 3rd guy miss that end up being exceptional

 

He didnt look like he had trouble breaking takles to me

[PlaygroundLegend]

This kid has no problem breaking tackles... I personally think he is going to be a premier RB in the NFL.

 

My only concern with Jennings is the same concern that many people had with Adrian Peterson and that is his upright running style. This style helps vision, and lateral movement, but it hurts your ability toevel people. As you can see in the video, he lowered his sholders at one point near the sideline and delivered a hit just for fun and he began bouncing around. the uy likes contact, he can be coached into it. Plus, a man running at you at 4.4 speed with 235lbs of pure muscle on a 6'1 frame is gonna hurt, theres no way around it.

 

What sets Jennings apart from the other RB's is that he is BIG and FAST with great lateral movement. Whereas other backs are either power runniers, or agility runners, he has the best of both worlds. That way, unlike lewis, instead of running directly into the back of an offensive lineman and trying to push him/her forward, he can also... run towards open space outside the tackles

 

And he can still split carries with Harrison. Think Marion Barber and Felix Jones...

[nickers]

Thanks but Id rather have Shonn Greene

[Geech]

I didn't really see Jennings breaking tackles in the sense of plowing people over and running away, but he did break arm tackles and consistently got 2 or 3 yards after contact. I think his upright running style leads to him being easily knocked off balance. He needs to learn to bend his knees and lower his hips on contact.

 

-Al

[Guest mz.]

I didn't really see Jennings breaking tackles in the sense of plowing people over and running away, but he did break arm tackles and consistently got 2 or 3 yards after contact.

 

2008 Regular Season Game Log Rushing Receiving Fumbles

DATE OPP RESULT ATT YDS AVG LNG TD REC YDS AVG LNG TD FUM LST

8/30 North Greenville W 49-10 13 100 7.7 0 2 2 8 4.0 0 0 0 0

9/6 Glenville State W 44-27 Did Not Play or did not accumulate any stats.

9/13 @Western Carolina W 19-16 28 116 4.1 38 0 2 3 1.5 2 0 0 0

9/27 @Youngstown State W 31-28 29 220 7.6 55 3 1 6 6.0 6 0 0 0

10/4 @Coastal Carolina W 43-38 35 195 5.6 35 1 3 33 11.0 23 2 0 0

10/11 Stony Brook W 33-0 24 101 4.2 15 2 4 26 6.5 8 0 0 0

10/18 Lafayette L 35-21 20 148 7.4 58 1 5 25 5.0 13 0 0 0

10/25 Charleston Southern W 42-0 23 127 5.5 21 2 1 8 8.0 8 0 0 0

11/1 @Presbyterian L 31-28 32 188 5.9 18 2 3 15 5.0 12 0 0 0

11/8 @Virginia Military Institute W 38-26 24 147 6.1 36 2 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0

11/15 Gardner-Webb W 30-10 14 56 4.0 7 1 2 54 27.0 42 0 0 0

11/22 Elon W 26-3 22 109 5.0 20 1 1 12 12.0 12 0 0 0

 

I saw what you saw, Al, but then when you gauge his level of competition, I'm not sure I know what the heck we'd get from the guy.

 

I mean the Ravens' and Steelers' defenses are significantly better than those of, say, Glenville State and Elon...

[Riffer X]

Hate to say, but he looks soft for me and really doesn't possess any major cut back jukes or making people miss abilities.

 

The competition level is definitely a red flag also, because he certainly doesn't appear to be dominant out there.

 

Not saying dude sucks, just isn't overwhelming me here. He actually reminds of Willie Green a little bit.

[PlaygroundLegend]

 

In this Video:

 

Time What Happened

___________________

00.20 He broke 6 tackles for a 10 yd gain

00.32 Did someone say he cant cut back?

01:00 Did someone else say they didnt see any big plays?

01:33 Busts his ass through 3 ppl to score while carrying someone on his foot.

01:58 This is the play where he levels that other kid with a nice hit on the sideline then jumps out of excitement.

02:08 Makes contact with 2 people within 10 yards then hits the last guy hard on a 15 yd gain.

02:26 Once again... Big Play Ability

02:43 Great Vision on that Touchdown

03:34 A great stiffarm then he carries a guy for 10yds into the endzone

 

Im sorry people, but I fail to see the validity to any of your arguments except for him running upright

[PlaygroundLegend]

Also, dont forget to read this article!! Its on OBR but everyone can read it.

 

http://cle.scout.com/a.z?s=149&p=2&c=845431

 

Its brand new and all about Rashad Jennings and why he's so good.

Oh, if you read the whole thing, you will notice that he's definately a Mangini esque player.

 

 

[calfoxwc]

Jim Brown ran a pretty upright style, if I remember correctly... @@

 

Big is still big, and speed is still speed. Character and toughness, durability and intelligence.

 

He shows he can lower a shoulder. Remember, these highlights are from his JUNIOR year.

 

The senior highlights apparently aren't out yet, but his yards were huge for the year.

 

In fact, he's the only BIG rb with speed in the draft.

 

Shonn Greene? Ran "slow" in the forty, no breakaway speed. A lot of safeties could catch him.

 

I just just think he should be a Cleveland Brown. And don't be surprised if a team trades ahead of the Browns in the second to nab him.

 

In fact, in the bottom part of the first round, I'd draft him there, too. This is a SMART kid.

[Guest mz.]

Big is still big

 

Myth: Jennings is BIG.

 

Fact: He weighs six more pounds than Rashard Mendenhall. Dude ain't Brandon Jacobs out there.............

 

[calfoxwc]

picky, picky, picky.

 

He's bigger than Moreno, and the other guys except for Wells and Greene sp?, who aren't near as fast, with Wells having a definate

durability question.

[YtownBrownsBacker]

picky, picky, picky.

 

He's bigger than Moreno, and the other guys except for Wells and Greene sp?, who aren't near as fast, with Wells having a definate

durability question.

 

Big isn't always better. I don't see a downhill runner who breaks tackles. Not in the same class as Wells, Moreno and Brown.

 

[CLEVELandMILIDH]

Big power runners haven't faired to well in the AFC North. I would rather have a quick shifty back againts physical defenses than a downhill bruiser.

[Vegasdogg]

We have a back like him in Harrison

[JewDago]

In fact, he's the only BIG rb with speed in the draft.

 

Shonn Greene? Ran "slow" in the forty, no breakaway speed. A lot of safeties could catch him.

shonn greene's 40 time was virtually identical to jennings'. green ran a 4.63 while jennings ran a 4.64. their broad jump results were also similar, with greene having an extra inch on jennings' ten-foot jump. the big difference was in their bench press, where greene managed a WR-esque 19 reps, terrible for a power back, and jennings put up a robust 29. however, greene's running style doesn't necessitate great arm strength, as he breaks tackles mostly with leg drive and a powerful lower body, while jennings is the kind of runner who needs a good stiff arm because he runs upright.

 

@ mills: jamal lewis dominated this division for years with the ravens, and while he had breakaway speed, he was the very definition of a power back. he ran through people all the time. jerome bettis was incredibly effective with the steelers for about four years before he became their mascot. corey dillon also wasn't the fastest RB ever, but he had great vision and enough power to not go down on first contact. if anything, a RB absolutely needs either power or insane speed to get by in the AFCN. it's why willis mcgahee did well in the AFCE but has sucked since coming to the ravens.

[CLEVELandMILIDH]

shonn greene's 40 time was virtually identical to jennings'. green ran a 4.63 while jennings ran a 4.64. their broad jump results were also similar, with greene having an extra inch on jennings' ten-foot jump. the big difference was in their bench press, where greene managed a WR-esque 19 reps, terrible for a power back, and jennings put up a robust 29. however, greene's running style doesn't necessitate great arm strength, as he breaks tackles mostly with leg drive and a powerful lower body, while jennings is the kind of runner who needs a good stiff arm because he runs upright.

 

@ mills: jamal lewis dominated this division for years with the ravens, and while he had breakaway speed, he was the very definition of a power back. he ran through people all the time. jerome bettis was incredibly effective with the steelers for about four years before he became their mascot. corey dillon also wasn't the fastest RB ever, but he had great vision and enough power to not go down on first contact. if anything, a RB absolutely needs either power or insane speed to get by in the AFCN. it's why willis mcgahee did well in the AFCE but has sucked since coming to the ravens.

 

Jlew didn't face the Ravens d, the browns play the ravens and steelers. Not only that but when he played for the ravens he had the quick feet and speed of a scat back to go along with the power. And now that he lost a step you can see that his power isnt doing much against physical defenses

 

[PlaygroundLegend]

shonn greene's 40 time was virtually identical to jennings'. green ran a 4.63 while jennings ran a 4.64. their broad jump results were also similar, with greene having an extra inch on jennings' ten-foot jump. the big difference was in their bench press, where greene managed a WR-esque 19 reps, terrible for a power back, and jennings put up a robust 29. however, greene's running style doesn't necessitate great arm strength, as he breaks tackles mostly with leg drive and a powerful lower body, while jennings is the kind of runner who needs a good stiff arm because he runs upright.

 

@ mills: jamal lewis dominated this division for years with the ravens, and while he had breakaway speed, he was the very definition of a power back. he ran through people all the time. Jerome bettis was incredibly effective with the steelers for about four years before he became their mascot. corey dillon also wasn't the fastest RB ever, but he had great vision and enough power to not go down on first contact. if anything, a RB absolutely needs either power or insane speed to get by in the AFCN. it's why willis mcgahee did well in the AFCE but has sucked since coming to the ravens.

 

Actually, Greene's best 40 time was a 4.63, whereas Jennings best 40-time was 4.49. Jennings worst 40-time was 4.64. Believe me, Jennings is waaay faster than greene, he also weighs more. Green weighs 229, Jennings weighs 235.

 

Jennings will be a more productive back in the NFL, mark my words

[YtownBrownsBacker]

Actually, Greene's best 40 time was a 4.63, whereas Jennings best 40-time was 4.49. Jennings worst 40-time was 4.64. Believe me, Jennings is waaay faster than greene, he also weighs more. Green weighs 229, Jennings weighs 235.

 

Jennings will be a more productive back in the NFL, mark my words

 

The only problem I have is when I watch film of Jennings I never see him breaking tackles or gaining yards after the first hit.

 

[Guest Aloysius]

Actually, Greene's best 40 time was a 4.63, whereas Jennings best 40-time was 4.49. Jennings worst 40-time was 4.64. Believe me, Jennings is waaay faster than greene, he also weighs more. Green weighs 229, Jennings weighs 235.

A lot of this depends on the times you're using: hand-timed 40's from one site, or from another site, or the electronic "official" times NFL Network posts, etc.

 

FWIW, nfldraftscout has Jennings running a 4.58 at the Combine (4.52 at his pro day), and they've got Greene at 4.65.

[TRU STatus]

We have a back like him in Harrison

 

yea the video looks good too I see broken tackles

 

 

 

[JewDago]

@ mills: i was talking about lewis when he was a raven, when he had the quickness and explosion that made him a great back. he never had chris johnson speed; he was never a 4.25 guy, but he could bowl over a safety or corner and not get caught from behind. what makes most power backs great is nimble feet and great vision, both of which lewis had to complement his speed and power.

 

lewis is losing his power as well as his speed. his legs don't have the drive that they once did, so he can't create the momentum that he once used to bowl guys over. he lost all of what once made him effective, not just one part of it. he's not even a power back anymore, he's ron dayne or broken shaun alexander.

 

@ playground: i was using the times from fftoolbox, which they copied from the NFL network's official combine coverage. though jennings has had faster times, they're on different surfaces. i used the combine times because all players are on the same surface, so it's a uniform indicator.

 

i'm not really doubting that jennings will be a productive back, i'm just pointing out that, with the opportunity to show he's fast on an even playing field, jennings showed that he and greene have similar long speed.

[PlaygroundLegend]

http://fantasysports.usatoday.com/content/...NFL&id=5273

 

Heres what USA today had to say about the combine:

 

Feb. 22, 2009 - 2:33 p.m. ETLiberty RB Rashad Jennings posted unofficial 4.49 and 4.62 forty-yard dash times at the NFL Combine Sunday.The second time wasn't quite as good. Still, Jennings has had an impressive offseason, showing outstanding strength and good speed at 6'1/234. He will likely be bumped up draft boards after his Senior Bowl and Combine.