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2016 NFL Draft: RB Derrick Henry scouting notes

By Sayre Bedinger

Jan 11, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide running back Derrick Henry (2) runs with the ball against the Clemson Tigers in the 2016 CFP National Championship at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 11, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide running back Derrick Henry (2) runs with the ball against the Clemson Tigers in the 2016 CFP National Championship at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports /
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2016 NFL Draft: Taking notes on Alabama running back and Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry against the Georgia Bulldogs…

Heisman Trophy winner and 2016 NFL Draft prospect Derrick Henry isn’t getting the attention he deserves. I’m just going to come out and say it. Even though some feel he should be a first round pick, I have no problem saying I think it’s a load of garbage that he’s not more highly rated coming out of school, and there are a number of reasons for that.

Henry is the complete package as a runner, but of course we’d all like a bigger sample size of what he is capable of as a receiver. He had just 11 catches in his Heisman campaign, which is pretty remarkable, if you think about it. How did Alabama fail to get him the ball as a receiver out of the backfield?

Was it Henry’s failure?

That might be a different story for a different day. What I do know for a fact is that there was no running back in college football who was as good, productive, or dominant in the second half of the season and in the second half of games like this guy.

I wanted to take a look at his game against Georgia, as well as the National Championship against Clemson for this set of draft notes…

Video (from DraftBreakdown.com)

Analysis and Notes

  • Derrick Henry’s vision is underrated. Or maybe it’s ‘rated’. I don’t really know what everyone is saying, but it seems like people are underrating some of his best qualities because he’s an Alabama running back. I don’t really get that. Of course, there are systems in college that breed success, but as Trent Richardson proved, you can’t teach vision. Henry has it in spades. He can see holes developing before they come to pass. He knows exactly where he needs to be, and what his body needs to do to get him there.
    • There are two plays in particular to this point. In the Georgia game at 1:57 (since the DB gif codes don’t work for me) you will see a great view of Henry running to and through a hole that doesn’t even look like it’s going to be there. Then, in the Clemson game at 1:50, you are going to see the pinnacle of what he’s capable of in terms of his vision as a back. Absolutely stunning runs by a man of his size.
  • Henry has a fantastic stiff arm, and because of it, he rarely ever goes down on first contact. If defenders try to hit him from his midsection and higher, he’s going to shove them off with relative ease. The only way he goes down on first contact is if guys take him out at his ankles.
  • The speed is there. The deep speed is insane for a man of his size. I know people want to throw around some Brandon Jacobs comparisons because of the fact that he’s built like an edge rusher, but Henry’s deep speed is nothing to worry about. He showed why in that Clemson game when he broke away from one of the biggest, fastest, strongest defenses in the entire country.
  • Henry plays well as a pass protector. This is an underrated aspect of his game. He’s not afraid to stick his nose in there and make a block, but he also slides well into protections and senses where the pressure is coming from.
  • He does a good job of playing with power as well as patience and speed out on the perimeter.
  • There are times when Henry reminds me of Adrian Peterson. For a while, he will have a string of five-to-eight runs or so where he gains three or four yards, maybe less. Then, all of a sudden, it’s clear he’s worn you down, and he breaks off a few big runs. It’s clear that Henry’s training and physical stamina are in top condition, because he gets better as the game goes along.

There is so much to love about Derrick Henry’s game. These two games are only a sample of what he showed he is capable of doing throughout the course of this past season. I think he’s going to be an immediate contributor in the NFL, and an absolute star.

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