Rams 2nd pick, Darrell Henderson, RB

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/darrell-henderson?id=32194845-4e05-4456-6f99-3e76d883b110

Henderson became one of the top college running backs by the time he finished his three-year career with the Tigers. He was an Associated Press first-team All-American in 2018, finishing second in the country with 1,909 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns on only 214 carries (8.9 average). The first-team All-American Athletic Conference performer also caught 19 passes for 295 yards (15.5 average) and three touchdowns in 13 starts (he sat out the team’s bowl game to focus on the draft). Henderson also missed the team’s 2017 bowl game due to injury but played in 13 games that year (10 starts) and led Memphis with 1,154 yards and nine touchdowns on just 130 carries (8.9 average) to garner second-team all-conference accolades. The 2014 Mississippi Gatorade High School Player of the Year (2,253 yards, 32 TD) played in all 13 games with six starts as a true freshman (87-482-5.5, five TD rushing; 20-237-11.9, three TD receiving). He also returned 25 kickoffs for 487 yards (19.5 average) and a score during his career.

Overview
He checks in slightly undersized, doesn’t have great vision and runs with a narrow base that makes him easier to tackle, but so far, those concerns haven’t slowed him one bit. Big-play production is impossible to ignore, but his running style makes him best-suited to a complementary slasher role in a spread-based attack. In basketball, Henderson would be the explosive sixth man with the ability to swing certain games in your favor if he catches fire. On the ground or out of the backfield, Henderson can catch fire.

Strengths
Home-run hitter doesn’t begin to describe his explosive production
Averaged 8.9 yards per carry over last 344 attempts
Movement has electric feel to it
Quick acceleration turns to get-away long speed
43 carries of 15-plus yards and 11 total touchdowns of 54-plus in 2018 alone
Unusual contact balance for narrow-base runner
Keeps feet moving at all times
Hits and spins out of contact
More physical than expected as run finisher
Used on drop-offs and screens out of backfield
Maintains potency as a pass catcher
Shows ability to track and adjust down the field

Weaknesses
Comes in a little smaller than desired for an early down back
Upright running style with narrow base
Needs to get better at slipping solid contact
Displays some hip tightness and is a one-track runner
Plays too fast to effectively stack moves
High center of gravity forces turn rather than cuts
Faced light numbers in the box
Touchdown runs happening in wide-open spaces
Sees what is there rather than what is developing
May not offer pass protection value on third down

headslapper

Run on RBs shows it might have been great timing

Moving up and grabbing the RB we wanted might have been perfect timing after watching a couple of RBs get drafted right after.

Also we did not really give up two 3rds like people keep saying, we traded two for 1 so we basically gave up one 3rd.

https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/fantasy-football-after-contact-numbers-paint-positive-fantasy-picture-for-darrell-henderson-bryce-love

In 2018, Henderson averaged 8.9 yards per carry, giving him, over Reggie Bush’s famed 2005 season (8.7), the most-efficient yards per carry season (min. 200 carries) since at least 2000. That’s surely an impressive stat on its own, but yards per carry is a stat that’s noisier and less meaningful than yards after contact per attempt. Like missed tackles forced, yards after contact per attempt helps to highlight running back skill level independent of team blocking.

Since 2014 (when PFF first started tracking college players), there are 1,332 instances of a running back totaling at least 65 carries. Of those 1,332 seasons, Henderson’s 2018 season (on 214 attempts) ranks first in yards after contact per attempt (6.16). His 2017 season (on 128 attempts) ranks second (5.60).

Yessirr Congrats Bro‼️#DreamsToReality https://t.co/gF7NNcFbjC

— Todd Gurley II (@TG3II) April 27, 2019

zn wrote:

Here’s Washington’s Chris Thompson. McVay had him in 2016.

They tried reproducing CT with Dunbar in 2017. That didn’t work.

Speak of the devil.

—

Ryan Kartje@Ryan_Kartje
Les Snead said the Rams view new RB Darrell Henderson as a “change-of-pace” back. Rams tried to fit Lance Dunbar in that role before, and McVay has been looking for a Chris Thompson-like back ever since.

jrry32

I see why McVay values Henderson highly. He looked insanely good running outside-zone plays in college. He’s quick to the corner, and when he sees the crease, he plants his foot and explodes. He rips off big chunks with ease. He has instant acceleration.

He’s a compact runner with a well-built frame at 5’8″ 208 pounds. He doesn’t have a lot of elusiveness, so he’s a guy who won’t create something out of nothing if you allow penetration. However, when he gets moving, he’s not easy to tackle. He has impressive contact balance when moving. When you combine that with his speed, him being a small target, and his physicality, he’ll break more tackles than you expect. Henderson also finishes runs with authority when he gets going. My one big complaint with him as a runner is that I don’t think he’s patient enough. He doesn’t anticipate what will happen and then use that to create seams. He sees it and goes instead of creating it himself (like elite runners can).

In the passing game, he’s a very sure-handed player with speed to burn. He’ll have to get a better feel for route running and attacking coverages. He also needs to improve as a blocker. He has the strength, frame, and physicality, but the developed skill isn’t there.

All in all, I understand why they chose Henderson. He fits the scheme well.

…

from https://gridironexperts.com/darrell-henderson-fantasy

Strengths & Weaknesses
When going through film on Henderson, it is obvious that he has true game-breaking ability. He is blessed with exceptional speed and acceleration that for sure plays a part in that aspect of his game. He is one of those guys that no matter what he runs in the 40-yard dash, you can’t look too much into it because on film he has shown elite game-breaking speed. But what I found most tantalizing is not a physical trait, but a mental one. His vision. Henderson’s vision is incredible. He has the innate ability to read the second level before he even gets across the first. Henderson wastes no time behind the line of scrimmage, seeing his hole and hitting it hard and fast. Like a Chess player, Henderson is able to think one step ahead of the linebackers and safeties. Upon the handoff, Henderson looks like he is shot out of a cannon, finding the best initial running lane with ease, while angling himself in a position to succeed once he reaches the second level, which results in the big plays that we are used to seeing out of him. Henderson gets “skinny” through the hole and can knife through light contact, squeezing his way to the next level.

He is surprisingly physical for a guy of his stature, very rarely going down on first contact. One on One he will almost never get knocked backwards or get caught in a stalemate, seeming to always fall forward upon contact, and I find that important in evaluating a running back. Henderson possesses elite balance and is able to “pinball ” his way through contact and stay on his feet on his way to big gains. He is slept on for his ability to run between the tackles. In fact, it seems he thrives between the tackles as opposed to wasting time running laterally to the outside. He reminds me of Michael Turner in his prime in the way he runs. Finding his hole quickly and bursting into the second level for large chunk gains, while not being afraid to punch a defender in the mouth if he has to.

To me, Henderson possesses little to no red flags that impact how highly I view him as a prospect. But if I had to pick where Henderson may have a problem, it would be his pass protection. His size does not translate well to the NFL when it is going to come to blocking guys like J.J Watt, Von Miller etc… But in his defense, he was not really asked to do much pass protection in the Memphis offense, so you can’t completely write him off just based off his size. Henderson has 63 receptions through his three years with Memphis which is a pretty solid number. Most of them were shorter type passes like screens etc… but when given the opportunity in the passing game, he was dangerous in the open field. Henderson did not really have much film to go off of in terms of downfield pass catching ability so it’s hard to grade him on that, but he did make some good adjustments on a few downfield receptions that I saw. This just means he will have to show out in the combine and his Pro-Day in his strength and pass catching ability, to help alleviate some of the above-mentioned concerns.

Best Fit
The best fit for Henderson will be a team who has an established offensive line already in place, that can push defenders back allowing Henderson to utilize that exceptional vision/speed combination he has to accelerate into the second level. When his offensive line didn’t get a favorable push, that’s when Henderson tended to struggle a bit. I don’t want to say that he can’t create on his own, but he is at his best when his offensive line is playing above average. A creative, offensive minded coach, who is well balanced in his play calling would be the best fit for Henderson. He is a playmaker who will be able to do more than just run, so I really don’t want to see him go into a strictly run-based offense that doesn’t utilize their backs in the receiving game, as I think that could limit his true potential. Henderson would be best off going to a team with a slightly bigger back, preferably a vet, who can check in on short yardage downs and handle themselves in pass protection. While he may be part of a committee to start his NFL career, I think he can succeed earlier than expected if paired with a self-less backfield mate (For example, what Mark Ingram was to Alvin Kamara) who can show him the ropes and best prepare him to be the guy, either by the halfway mark of the season or going into 2020.

STRENGTHS: Built low to the ground to maintain his balance at contact…shifts gears to skillfully weave through the defense, destroying pursuit angles…owns a dynamic plant-burst-accelerate sequence through the hole…able to laterally juke from trouble…good feel for inside-outside zone, making quick reads…instinctively strings moves together and gravitates toward space…at his best off tackle, using a runway to turn on the jets…big-play threat, leading the FBS in plays of 40-plus yards (15) and 50-plus yards (12) in 2018…his 8.23 yards per carry in his career is No. 1 in FBS history (minimum 415 carries)…has kick return experience with one career return touchdown (25/487/1)…reliable finishing when targeted and nifty after the catch.

WEAKNESSES: Undersized build with limited growth potential…average run power…needs to better lower his pads to create momentum through contact…swerves around corners instead of putting his foot in the ground and making sharp 90-degree turns…better initial acceleration than long speed…indecisive at times in the backfield…most of his broken tackles came outside the tackles…active in the screen game, but didn’t run diverse routes…room to improve his ball security (four fumbles the last two seasons)…wasn’t asked to pass protect on a regular basis.

SUMMARY: A three-year starter at Memphis, Henderson was the lead back in the Tigers’ run-oriented zone scheme, benefiting from a rotation that helped keep him fresh and sizable holes on tape. He leaves Memphis No. 2 in most rushing categories (behind DeAngelo Williams), including career rushing yards (3,545) and rushing scores (36). Similar to Dalvin Cook, Henderson is at his best when he can slash and weave through gaps, using his open-field moves to make defenders look silly at the second level. He isn’t much of a grinder inside and likely won’t be the same type of home-run hitter at the next level due to average long speed. Overall, Henderson faces a significant jump in difficulty level going from AAC defenses to the NFL, but his combination of balance, agility and run instincts helps him gravitate toward space, projecting best in a zone-heavy scheme. GRADE: 3rd Round (#80 overall)