Miles Sanders, Penn State
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 211 pounds
40-yard dash: 4.49 seconds
Vertical Jump: 36.0 inches
Broad Jump: 124 inches
3-Cone Drill: 6.89 seconds
Prior to the NFL Combine, many analysts weren’t even looking at Sanders closely, thinking he was more of a Day 3 pick than anything. Well, he changed that when he ran the sixth-fastest 40-yard dash, had the seventh-highest vertical jump, sixth-longest broad jump, third-fastest 20-yard shuttle, and the fastest three-cone drill. While the Combine should only nudge players in a certain direction, Sanders was being undervalued prior to his performance there.
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While waiting in the wings of Saquon Barkley, Sanders didn’t get much playing time prior to 2018. In fact, his first two years at Penn State netted just 56 carries and eight receptions. Once handed the starting job, he tallied over 1,400 total yards and nine touchdowns, flashing three-down ability, though fumbles have been an issue. Despite touching the ball just 308 times while at Penn State, he fumbled 10 times, losing seven of them. It’s a correctable issue, but one that could keep him off the field his rookie year. There’s also some inconsistency, as he produced 3.9 or less yards per carry in five of his last nine Penn State games. It could be the offense, too, as Saquon Barkley averaged 4.8 or less yards per carry in 7-of-13 games in his final season there.
Vision/Awareness: 2.5 out of 5 stars
He displays patience when approaching the line of scrimmage. Not necessarily hesitant, just waiting for a hole to open up. I’d like to see him understand his team’s spot on the field more often, though. There were too many times where he bounced a run outside on third-and-short. One plus about his vision is that you don’t see him make defenders aware of his next move, as he’ll approach a hole with a clear path to yardage that the defender sees and goes to fill, only to watch Sanders go back to where the defender previously was. That’s anticipation you don’t see with most backs, as Sanders always seems to be thinking about his next move.
Elusiveness (twitch, juke, tackle-breaking): 3.5 out of 5 stars
Not particularly quick-twitch, but he can make defenders miss and he also understands when to lower his head into contact to gain an extra yard. He has great footwork, almost never gets caught in-between moves/jukes. Has natural athleticism that allows him to even jump over defenders at times. He displays the ability to get skinny when a hole is collapsing and won’t be tackled by his shoelace very often. It’s really odd when watching Sanders, as he doesn’t have that one elite trait that stands out, but he has enough to get by and make defenders miss. The question is whether that can continue at the next level, though it’ll help when his new team has some form of passing attack.
Speed: 3.0 out of 5 stars
His speed that he showed at the Combine didn’t necessarily flash on tape, particularly to the edge. He’s more ramped-up speed than initial burst. He’s fast enough for someone his size, but he’s not going to “wow” you with his speed. Rather than do that, he adjusts his speed very well, hitting his burst into his cuts while lowering his speed when he sees nothing opening up.
Pass-catching/Pass Protection: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Alert, eyes always scanning, head remains up and on a swivel. Keeps a solid, low base when anticipating a blow. He’s a traditional running back in the sense that he can be used effectively in the screen-game and in the flats, but he’s not going to be lined out wide as a receiver. He’s a natural hands catcher but can have mental errors at time. His pass-catching and pass-blocking shouldn’t limit him in an offense, as he’s able to do both slightly above average.
Balance: 4.0 out of 5 stars
This was my favorite part of his game, as he understands the limitations of his body, doesn’t push them beyond their max output, and because of that, he has great control and balance over his body. A lot of his ability likely comes from his lower base. He continually sinks his hips while carrying the ball, allowing him to maneuver through traffic. When he gets to the edge, he’s also able to cut upfield very well, often getting his biggest chunks of yardage on those runs.
Potential Landing Spots
As mentioned in the pass-catching section, there’s not many offenses that couldn’t use a running back like Sanders. He’s a solid all-around back. While he may not be anything elite, opportunity means more than anything to running backs and he’s competent to handle a workhorse role, if needed. The fumbling is an issue, so latching on with a team who may need a running back in the next year or two makes sense. The Bills naturally come to mind, as they have LeSean McCoy and Frank Gore for one year. They’re also attempting to rebuild the offensive line, so it may be better for him to be essentially red-shirted his rookie year. Gore would be the ideal veteran to show him the ropes, as Gore has done a lot of the things Sanders does well but has better awareness where his team is on the field.
NFL Comparison
Knowing the strengths of his game and that he may not be elite at anything, a good comparison would be Doug Martin. Both players carry a low center of gravity, have plenty of power in their legs, have above average burst, and can work in most offenses. Sanders is likely a better receiver (and bigger target) than Martin and offers slightly more speed when in the open field, but they’re similar running backs. While some may be turned off by Martin’s recent performances, he does have multiple 1,400-yard rushing seasons in the NFL, something not many running backs can say.
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Mike Tagliere is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @MikeTagliereNFL.
