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2016 NFL Draft Profile: C.J. Prosise

2016 NFL Draft Profile: C.J. Prosise
How big of role can be expected for C.J. Prosise in his rookie season?

How big of role can be expected for C.J. Prosise in his rookie season?

Notre Dame running back C.J. Prosise is beginning to get a lot of attention from the fantasy community. Prosise is being selected as the fourth-to-sixth running back among rookies in MyFantasyLeague.com drafts.

His versatility in the passing game stems from his time at wide receiver. It also creates optimism in PPR leagues. Prosise is not without flaws, however, and a contributing factor is his lack of experience as a running back.

The skill along the Notre Dame offensive line also contributed towards Prosise’s success. Left tackle Ronnie Stanley will likely be a top-15 pick while center Nick Martin is a second-to-third round prospect.

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Measurements

  • Height: 6′ 0″
  • Weight: 220 pounds
  • 40-yard dash: 4.48 seconds
  • Vertical Jump: 35 1/2″

Where There Is Upside

Prosise’s vision in the open field is scary. While many of his opportunities were created by his offensive line, he could still excel in the open field if given the chance.

A big part of Notre Dame’s rushing offense were runs to the outside. This was Prosise’s bread and butter last season.

With the luxury of Stanley at left tackle, Prosise was afforded tremendous running lanes. His vision of the field and patience behind his blocks often resulted in Prosise breaking outside and picking up significant chunks of yardage.

His ability to take advantage of linebackers in space was exploited by the Irish passing attack. Against Temple, he drew a pass interference penalty against a linebacker in coverage, and against Clemson he beat linebacker B.J. Goodson in open space for a big gain. Prosise has the ability to play in the slot or on the outside.

Weaknesses

In order to be a “third down back”, you must be able to pass protect. Prosise engages defenders when he is blocking, but he still has work to do.

Pro Football Focus ranked Prosise 32nd out of 55 players in pass blocking efficiency. Pass protection is often a struggle for young running backs in the NFL.

Much of Prosise’s dysfunction in pass protection doesn’t come from a lack of effort. Prosise willingly engages defenders, but not with conviction. Often he puts a body in front of someone but appears to get bullied around.

Ball security is an additional concern. Last season, only one FBS running back finished the season with more fumbles than Prosise. Prosise tends to run upright, struggling to move piles.

Despite that, he constantly churns for additional yardage after contact. Notre Dame’s game against Massachusetts demonstrated Prosise’s ability to keep his legs moving and fight for extra yardage. Given his ball security issues, however, he’s going to have to know when to go down and not risk turning over the football.

Overall Ranking

Ultimately, ball control and pass protection are going to dictate Prosise’s ability to see the field his rookie season. As a projected third-round pick, nothing is going to be given to him. While he has numerous faults, a lot are correctable and coachable tendencies.

Prosise offers an immense amount of upside, but he’s still a work in progress. Expectations should be tempered in his rookie season, but the right landing spot is going to do wonders for his ADP.

For dynasty purposes, I have only Ezekiel Elliot and Kenneth Dixon ranked higher among rookie running backs in PPR settings. In the right situation, I could envision taking him as high as the seventh pick in dynasty rookie drafts.

The ability to line up at various positions on the field makes Prosise an intriguing prospect, particularly given his size. Prosise has the receiving abilities of Dexter McCluster, but is the same height and weight of Javorius Allen. The ability to gain 1,000 yards from scrimmage is not out of reach for Prosise in his rookie campaign.

An ideal spot for Prosise would be with a well-established offensive line. In particular, if the Dallas Cowboys should address their defense in the first round rather than selecting Elliot, Prosise would be a potential target later in the draft.

There would be no need to rush his development immediately, but Alfred Morris and Darren McFadden don’t project to be objects of longevity. Other possible landing spots that could fit his skill-set are the Philadelphia Eagles, Miami Dolphins and Chicago Bears.

Matt Giraldi is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Matt, check out his archive or follow him @Mgiraldi.

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