Prospect Profile: Noel Devine, RB, West Virginia
Measurables
5’7, 160 pounds, 8 4/8 inch hands, 29 4/8 inch length, 70 4/8.
40 yard dash time: Reportedly a 4.3 40. (official combine 40 will be posted once available)
However, after being listed at 5-8 and a 180 pounds during the season, Devine weighing a paltry 160 pounds and being shorter then people thought was not a good thing for Devine’s draft stock
Stats
2010: 209 carries 909 yards 6 Touchdowns, 34 receptions for 258 yards, 1 touchdown
Big Games:
vs Maryland 23 carries 131 yards,1 catch 9 yards
North Carolina State: 8 carries 50 yards no touchdowns, 4 catches for 21 yards.
One thing to note about Noel Devine, and this is something that will worry N.F.L. teams with his size: in his first 3 games he had 354 yards of his total 909 rushing yards, and he only had 1 other game with over a 100 rushing yards (in the 7th game). Teams will worry that at his size the more hits he takes the less effective he’ll become because of the punishing toll hits can take a on a guy who weighed in at a 160 pounds at the Senior bowl.
Video
More After the jump….
Scouting Reports
"Positives: An absolute nightmare to try to stop in the open field, has a variety of moves at the second level… Elite change of direction ability, one of the best stop and go runners in years… A threat to take it to the house every time he touches the ball… Good vision, sees and explodes through the hole… Displays above average hands out of the backfield… Good route runner… Added value as a kick returner… Runs with great forward lean, his shoulders are constantly low to the ground… Willing pass blocker, good at chipping defenders on blitzes… Uses his small body to his advantage by hiding behind offensive linemen before exploding up the field.Negatives: Extremely small, will be relegated to a scat-back role in the NFL… Has had some issues with fumbles in the past… Linebackers have been able to drag him down when they get a hold of him, has a hard time running through arm tackles… Solid leg drive and strength for his size, but his small frame and lack of bulk won’t be enough to push the pile against NFL linebackers… Solid production throughout his career but has really fallen off as a senior… Only averaged 4.5 yards per carry and had six touchdowns on 209 carries… Has a multitude of character concerns dating back to high school where he ended up being adopted by Deion Sanders… Very much an east/west runner, needs to get up field quicker… Extremely limited upside due to his size, weighed in 20 pounds under his reported weight at the Senior Bowl, may only be a special teams player."
"At 175 pounds (bartolis note: Devine only weighs a 160 pounds), Devine would clearly be one of the lightest running backs in the NFL, which is a serious disadvantage. Not only would he have little to no success running between the tackles in the NFL, he would not be able to survive 200 hits per season without getting hurt or seriously worn down. He needs to bulk up at least to 190 or 195 to have a shot at being a 200+ touch back.At this point, however exciting he is, he only projects as a kick/punt returner and a 3rd down back. He has great hands and can break a big gain whenever you put the ball in his hands, but he’s just too small, at this point to survive an NFL beating. In fact, no NFL player that weighs as little as Devine got a single carry last year. The only one who approached Devine’s lightness was Darren Sproles at 5-6 181."
CBS Draft Scout
"Inside running: Not a power back by any measure, but is difficult to find behind and between 300-pound blockers. Has the vision and acceleration to find a hole inside, cut to it and shoot through to make a big play. Stronger than expected given his height/weight numbers and gets carries between the tackles, around the goal line and in short-yardage because he’s not often tackled squarely. Willing to lower his pads to charge forward after contact once past the line but won’t push a pile. Bounces outside instead of lowering his pads to get what he can get if the designed route closes, sometimes making a play but often getting caught in the backfield. Will dance or lose his balance trying to weave through traffic inside. Must"
"sell fake handoffs with more commitment to make misdirection and bootlegs more effective.Outside running: Explosive runner in open space when healthy, with elite quickness and straight-line speed. Turns the corner easily. Very difficult for defenders to read his angle once near the sideline. Often used on east-west runs — portending success in a cutback or zone system — uses his low center of gravity to plant and cut quickly and accelerate through a hole. Gets a lot of yardage avoiding defenders coming into the hole with a quick cut, will have less room to run at the next level. Could be more consistent switching the ball to the outside hand. Has improved his ball security (two fumbles, none lost in 2009; 4-2 in 2008), generally getting four points of pressure but gets loose with the handle when trying to get the extra yard or make a cut. Not nearly the same runner when nicked up, becoming very average.Breaking tackles: Very elusive in the open field with vision and cutting ability. Stronger than his measurables indicate; has a very muscular upper and lower body. NFL-caliber defenders can close and wrap up on him or knock him down or off-balance when in close proximity, however; their problem comes in getting the hand on him. Effective stiff-arm against oncoming defensive backs. Spins off piles inside with good balance to keep moving forward.Blocking: Diminutive frame makes him a liability in pass protection. Tries to cut block and can stop the progress of some defenders, but NFL linebackers will use their hands to defeat him. Going into the flat as a safety valve is his way of alleviating pass rush on second- or third-and-long. Willing to make blocks downfield for his scrambling quarterbacks, is strong enough to push a cornerback out of the way.Receiving: Dangerous weapon on screen passes and check-down throws to the flat, using elusiveness, short-area burst and straight-line speed in the open field to make big plays. Reliable hands on shorter passes, but must improve adjusting to high or wide throws. Not a deep threat unless matched up against slow linebacker on wheel route. Needs to prove he has the hands to be a kickoff and punt returner.Intangibles: Not limited to being a return specialist, Devine has shown the toughness to participate in almost every offensive play from scrimmage. Had a left ankle injury late in 2009 and a toe injury in 2010 (making durability a legitimate question). Difficult childhood; one of nine children, both parents died of AIDS by the time Devine turned 11. Lived with parents of a Pop Warner teammate soon after, but fathered two children and found trouble while in high school. Former NFL star Deion Sanders attempted to adopt Devine but he decided to go back to Florida to be at home. Pleaded no contest to misdemeanor battery from March 2008 incident outside Morgantown nightclub; was not suspended by WVU coaches."
Big Board Rankings
CBS draft scout 178th
Drafttek.com 206th
FFtoolbox 74
nfl draft bible 108th
Bartolis Final Thoughts
Noel Devine has tremendous speed, and is a player who can do some exciting things at the N.F.L level, but he’s also a player who might struggle to stay healthy. During the season Devine was listed at 5-8 and a 180 pounds, which is still slim for a running back, but when he weighed in he was a full in shorter and 20 pounds lighter which can really hurt his draft stock. On top of that his production dipped this year after running for over 1200 yards the past two seasons, Devine rushed for only 900 yards and saw his average dip from over 6 yards per carry the past two years to only 4.5 yards per carry this year.
Devine is a good receiver out of the backfield and could be an effective return men at the next level. Devine is going to be compared to Dexter McCluster a lot, but they are different players. They play simarily, but Devine has been much faster, and has been asked to carry a much bigger load in college. McCluster is also shitfy and elusive, but ran a sub 4.5 40 yard dash at the combine and Devine should be much faster.
I’m having a hard time figuring ou where Devine will be drafted. He’s faster then McCluster and was much more productive then McCluster, but McCluster is 2 inches taller and 20 pounds heavier. If Devine runs a blazing 40 some team could take a risk on him in the 2nd or third round and hope that he can be a change of pace back who has elite speed. But teams might also be scared of his size and he could slip into the third day of the draft.
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