Dan Vitale, FB, Northwestern: 2016 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Fullbacks may not be the glamour stars of modern football, but they still have a place in NFL offenses.  Where will Dan Vitale fit?  Here is his 2016 draft scouting report.

Position: FB

School: Northwestern

Year: Senior

Height: 6’1″

Weight: 239 lbs

History:

"“Northwestern’s “superback” is a one-of-a-kind position in college football, and Vitale’s (vuh-TAL-ee) intelligence, size, physicality, and receiving skills were made to fill that role. He’s consistently been a part of the passing game during his career (102 receptions for over 1,000 yards and seven scores his first three years), and when the Wildcats want to focus on the run, Vitale can open up holes for running backs from an H-back or in-line spot. He capped off his career with a second-team All-Big Ten effort in 2015, leading the team with 33 receptions for 355 yards and a career-high four scores.”"

STRENGTHS:

• Good size. Has the weight to throw some good blocks when he connects with defenders.
• Able to split out wide and go in motion. Surprising speed and quickness as a route runner.
• Didn’t run the ball much, but when he did his athleticism showed up. So did an ability to break tackles.
• Soft hands as a receiver out of the backfield. Could be a strong candidate for the H-back role.

This is the kind of versatility Vitale shows a lot. Shows the natural hands to catch the shovel pass and then zero hesitation as a runner. Gets downhill fast, showing a mix of speed, quickness and strength to shed tackles while getting the first down. Just one example of how useful he could be under a creative offensive coordinator.

WEAKNESSES:

• Though he plays fullback, blocking is inconsistent. Takes bad angles at times and misses defenders, allowing them to get to the runner too often.
• Doesn’t boast the traditional power of a fullback. Both run and pass blocking show more finesse than strength.

This play shows the limitations of Vitale as a blocker. Due to his lack of power, he’s often heavily reliant on cut blocks to do the job. Sometimes though he has a tendency to lower his head, taking his eyes of the target. Here the defender is able to bounce easily off the attempt and goes on to help make the tackle for short yardage.

Pro Comparison: Kyle Juszczyk

One would swear based on size, athleticism and production that Dan Vitale was the spitting image of the Baltimore Ravens fullback. While Juszczyk does his part as a run blocker, his true value to that offense is his ability to catch passes. He finished 2015 with 41 receptions for 321 yards and four touchdowns.

There is no doubt Vitale has value he can bring to an offense, despite the stigma that comes with being a fullback in the modern era. His blocking needs cleaning up, but the ability to line up in multiple formations as a receiver and boasting the soft hands of one means at some point a team will want to grab him late in hopes he becomes a creative weapon for their passing attack.