Royce Freeman (Oregon)
One of those running backs who doesn’t do any one thing great but a lot of things really well. Royce Freeman has a stigma around him for being an Oregon running back but history shows the program can produce them. He’s a compact type with a mix of power, quickness and wiggle. He can catch passes as a receiver too. Not overly fast but enough speed to break longer runs if given an opening. Like most backs on this list, he gets stronger as the game goes on.
Comparison: Jonathan Stewart
It shouldn’t be a surprise that Freeman is being compared to Jonathan Stewart. They both come from the same program. Stewart was also an Oregon product. They feature similar body builds, run out of shotgun formations, are difficult to bring down, and feature an all-around solid skill set. Stewart isn’t going to wow anybody with his sheer talent but that hasn’t stopped him from going to the Pro Bowl. It’s about doing his job well and he has. Freeman looks like he should be able to do the same.