I will be interested to see where Leonard Fournette goes. He’s a big man, and he runs angry. He’s also faster than what I was expecting.
Fournette ran 4.51 at the combine. That’s seemingly not a great time, but keep in mind he also weighs 240 pounds. When a guy that size is running that fast, it’s like a runaway freight train.
Check out the chart below, in which we set aside all the faster smaller backs. No real reason, after all, to compare Fournette to sub-200 pounders like Jamaal Charles and Chris Johnson. For the chart below, you’re looking at all running backs weighing at least 230 who were drafted in the first three rounds (and who ran at the combine).
Fournette looks favorable in comparison to these backs.
He’s also shown he can do it on the field. Chris Henry and Ronnie Brown are the two fastest big backs I’m listing, but neither in college was anywhere near as productive or feared as Fournette. Brown managed to get chosen No. 2 overall despite not even being the best back on his college team. Henry was a workout warrior.
Steven Jackson and Jonathan Stewart were faster backs than Fournette and also had productive college careers. They both went on to have productive pro careers.
Landing spot will be key. Maybe the Jaguars, Jets, Panthers or Bengals in the top 10. I’m not sure what the Browns think of Isaiah Crowell (a runner I like), but I suppose they’d be a possibility at 12. But all of those teams potentially might feel it’s better to address other positions (knowing that capable running backs will be available in the second and third rounds).
| 40 TIMES FOR BIG RUNNING BACKS | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Pk | Player | Ht | Wt | 40 |
| 2007 | 50 | Chris Henry, Tenn. | 5.11 | 230 | 4.40 |
| 2005 | 2 | Ronnie Brown, Mia. | 6.00 | 233 | 4.43 |
| 2004 | 24 | Steven Jackson, St.L. | 6.01 | 241 | 4.45 |
| 2008 | 13 | Jonathan Stewart, Car. | 5.10 | 235 | 4.46 |
| 2017 | ? | Leonard Fournette | 6.01 | 240 | 4.51 |
| 2009 | 31 | Beanie Wells, Ariz. | 6.01 | 235 | 4.52 |
| 2010 | 51 | Toby Gerhart, Minn. | 6.00 | 231 | 4.53 |
| 2016 | 45 | Derrick Henry, Tenn. | 6.02 | 247 | 4.54 |
| 2005 | 54 | Eric Shelton, Car. | 6.01 | 246 | 4.54 |
| 2013 | 61 | Eddie Lacy, G.B. | 5.11 | 230 | 4.55 |
| 2001 | 80 | Kevan Barlow, S.F. | 6.01 | 235 | 4.56 |
| 2011 | 57 | Mikel Leshoure, Det. | 6.00 | 233 | 4.56 |
| 2001 | 49 | LaMont Jordan, NYJ | 5.10 | 234 | 4.57 |
| 2013 | 48 | LeVeon Bell, Pitt. | 6.01 | 230 | 4.60 |
| 2015 | 95 | Matt Jones, Wash. | 6.02 | 231 | 4.61 |
| 2014 | 57 | Carlos Hyde, S.F. | 6.00 | 230 | 4.62 |
| 2014 | 55 | Jeremy Hill, Cin. | 6.01 | 233 | 4.66 |
—Ian Allan