#NFLDraft: My top 5 running backs in the 2013 draft

The 2013 draft class is full of really talented backs it was hard to choose just five to do a write up on so I took my time & narrowed my list down to Giovani Bernard, Kenjon Barner, Jonathan Franklin & Mike Gilislee respectively. It was a little harder trying to predict where these guys would land because teams tend to value backs different now a day’s & you've seen many teams go to a two-headed rushing attack & if you’re going to do that why spend a first on a running back? Last year two backs went in the first Trent Richardson & David Wilson respectively. This year I only see one back going in the first MAYBE two.....so here are my guys for this year...

1. Jonathan Franklin, UCLA In my opinion Franklin is the best back in this class, while he doesn’t look like a hard nose back he really is, Franklin is great for the new spread offenses in the league today because he runs the ball really well out of the shotgun as well as in traditional sets. Franklin is 5th in the nation with 1700 yards on 268 carries which is an average of 6.3 yards a touch...HELLO!! Franklin gives you what everyone wants & needs in a franchise back he runs tough in-between the tackles, has the speed to bounce it outside, moves to make the first guy miss & can put his head down to finish off runs. Franklin is also an amazing pass blocker & that helps you stay on the field in the NFL. If you weren’t sold on Franklin before the Pac-12 championship game vs. Stanford than I'm sure his 19 carry 194 yds & 2 td performance won you over. I think Franklin is the best back in this draft but I don’t think he'll go in the first but if I'm the New York Jets or Dallas Cowboys I'm jumping on Franklin in the second. For Dallas it gives them a number 2 to go with Murray and we all know Murray has trouble staying on the field for a full 16 game schedule so I say Dallas Cowboys second round. Player comparison:

He reminds me so much of Warrick Dunn, a small compact guy who can still earn the tough yards & is a nightmare for linebackes in the passing game.

2. Giovani Bernard, North Carolina Bernard is one of the most interesting cases this year because he didn’t carry the ball as much as all of the other "elite" backs coming out this year with just 184 carries but he haul in 47 passes for nearly 500 yards & 5 tds so he's a serious threat in the passing game to say the least. He did have 1228 with those 184 carries giving him an average of 6.7 yards per carry which is off the charts! Bernard may be the only back to go in the first round this year and if I had to put money on it I'd say Green Bay will be his landing spot. Rogers NEEDS a running game & Bernard runs the ball really well from the spread shotgun look which is huge because the Packers run most of their plays from the gun. I think what you get with Bernard is a strong powerful guy with quick feet, exceptional speed & really good hands. If I'm the packers I have to take this guy & hand him the starting job day one he's that good. Player comparison:

Maurice Jones-Drew, they both have the same style in running & are built the same with the strong lower body, I think Bernard can be a work horse just like Mojo.

3. Kenjon Barner, Oregon Kenjon Barner is my favorite back in this draft & one of my favorite players in this draft period. Barner is a track star with ELITE speed, great quickness & excellent patience; he also runs the ball between the tackles pretty well for a smaller back which is something you don’t expect to see. A lot of people are worried that he's a system guy I say forget about that, watch the tape this kid is special, 248 carries on the year for 1624 & 21 tds while adding 19 catches for 200+ yds and a touchdown. The kid can do it all, I worry about him in pass protecting situations though that’s something he'll have to improve on at the next level. Barner really stood out against USC where he carried the ball 38 times for 321 yards & FIVE TOUCHDOWNS! I don’t see Barner going in the first round but if I'm the Lions & it’s the second or third I'm running to the podium with "Kenjon Barner" in big bold print, he runs the ball exceptionally well out of the shotgun which is huge for Detroit because they live in the gun, he's a awesome receiver out of the backfield & it gives the Lions what they thought they would get out of Javid Best. Player comparison:

Jamaal Charles, when I look at Barner I see Charles 2.0

Mike Gillislee, Florida Besides having an awesome football last name Gillislee is one of the premier backs coming out of the SEC this year. A senior at Florida, Gillislee rushed for 1104 on 235 carries & added 10 touchdowns. Gillislee is a true work horse I firmly believe that if the Florida passing game wasn’t so awful this year he would have had a bigger campaign, they leaned on him this year a lot & he ran against a lot of 8 & 9 man fronts. I watched him carry the ball 22 times against a rough Georgia defense & really hold his team together in that game & against LSU he was their offense carrying the ball 34 times for 146 & 2 tds. I think with Gillislee you get a nice size back with some quickness & power, he doesn’t have elite speed but is a fast guy & can make guys miss in the second level. It was hard trying to figure out where he'd be drafted I went with 3rd round to the Colts. The Colts have Vick Ballard there who is a really good receiver out of the backfield & a good scat guy but they need someone who can grind out the tough yards & I think Gillislee can be that guy. Player comparison:

Arian Foster, I'm not saying he's going to be as good as Foster but when you watch Gillislee play you can see the one cut style like Foster & he seems to glide through holes just like Arian.

Theo Riddick, Notre Dame Theo Riddick is another one of my favorite players in this draft this guy can be a dynamite sot receiver or a dynamite back for you at the next level he's so versatile, he moved to wide out his junior year to help the team out than moved back in the backfield for his senior year where he's rushed for 880 yds on 180 carries & he hauled in 35 catches for 364 the guy is perfect on 3rd down he can pass block with the best of them, runs the ball hard between the tackles & has all the speed in the world to out run defenders when he gets to the second level not to mention his moves in the open field are superb. Riddick is a rare guy you can give him 15 carries & 5 catches a game & move him everywhere on the field to take advantage of mismatches. I don’t see how teams aren’t higher on Theo he is a stud, I see him going late 3rd early 4th & to be honest that’s a steal for what Theo can do for a team. Let me give you some numbers here the 3 biggest games this year for his team Riddick stepped up, Pitt, the overtime game he carried the ball 22 times for 85 yards while bringing in 4 catches for 35 yards and the game tying touchdown, Boston College he carried the ball 18 times for 104 & hauled in 5 catches for 56 yards, against USC he ran the ball 20 times for 146 & a touchdown while adding 4 catches to that total. Riddick can be an every down back in this league without any question I see him going somewhere like Houston, with Ben Tate probably on his way out they need a number 2 & Kubiak will know how to use Riddick in the passing game to take advantage of everything he does well. I also see the Patriots as a team that would love Theo they like to flex their backs out as slot guys and he's perfect for that. Player comparison:

Marshall Faulk, I've watched alot of tape on Riddick he is Faulk 2.0 with the way he catches the ball out of the backfield, his quick feet & great open field moves & to have the ability to run the ball up the middle with toughness is a trait that reminds me so much of Marshall Faulk.