Matthew Dayes, RB, North Carolina State: 2017 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Oct 3, 2015; Raleigh, NC, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack running back Matthew Dayes (21) scores a touchdown during the second quarter against the Louisville Cardinals at Carter Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Evan Pike-USA TODAY Sports /

Matthew Dayes may not receive the recognition other ACC running backs do, but he possesses the versatility to succeed at the next level.

Player Summary

Matthew Dayes, a 2013 three-star recruit, started 25 of 45 career games for North Carolina State. He burst onto the scene immediately, scoring three touchdowns in his debut against Louisiana Tech. He would become the starter as a junior in 2015, however his season would be cut short after suffering a season-ending foot injury. He would miss the final five games of his junior season. He returned healthy in 2016 and started all 13 games.

For his career, Dayes rushed for 2,856 yards and 34 touchdowns. He added another 933 yards and six scores through the air. He played for one head coach and two offensive coordinators in his career. Dayes earned invitations to the Senior Bowl and Scouting Combine following the 2016 season. He possesses adequate size on a compact frame with solid athletic ability.

Measureables

Height: 5’8” 5/8

Weight: 205 lbs.

Arm Length: 30”

Hand Size: 10.5”

Combine/Pro Day Numbers

40-Yard Dash: 4.66 seconds

10-Yard Split: 1.59 seconds

Bench Press: 18 reps

Vertical Jump: 28”

Broad Jump: 9’1”

3-Cone Drill: 7.26 seconds

Short Shuttle: 4.51 seconds

Games Watched

2016: Clemson, Florida State, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt

Strengths

Matthew Dayes demonstrates good patience after taking the handoff as he allows his blocks to develop. He works his way down the line with solid lateral agility before utilizing very good vision to find the open lane.

Dayes possesses solid athleticism and it shows with his ability to make cuts, both behind the line of scrimmage and in the open field. On this play against Florida State, Dayes shows off his vision and cutting ability to get the most out of his run. He’s able to weave his way through the Seminoles defense and pick up a first down on third-and-five.

At 10.5 inches, Dayes possesses the largest hands among the 31 running backs who attended the 2017 NFL Scouting Combine. This aided his ball security as Dayes fumbled just six times on 677 career touches, a rate that ranks 11^th among Combine rushers.

Despite a small frame, Dayes displays good competitive toughness in short-yardage situations. When a few yards were needed to pick up a first down or touchdown, Dayes was very reliable. He averaged over four yards per carry last season on third or fourth and short.

As a receiver, Dayes possesses a solid catch radius as he adjusts well to passes around his frame. He has good hands and plucks the ball out of the air rather than letting passes into his chest. When asked to stay in and block, Dayes displays solid effort and holds his ground to allow the quarterback extra time to unload the football.

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Weaknesses

Matthew Dayes struggles to improvise when a lane doesn’t open and will try to outrun defenders to the boundary. He had some success doing this in college, but can’t rely on beating faster NFL defenders to the edge on broken plays.

A marginal burst hampers his ability to hit the hole and explode to the second level of the defense. This lack of play speed can be seen below. A large hole is opened up between the left tackle and left guard, but Dayes hesitates and can’t accelerate quick enough to burst through. He does manage four yards on the play, but the offensive line gave him an opportunity for much more.

When one-on-one in the hole, Dayes struggles to win the battle and push the pile forward as a result of adequate play strength. After contact, he does an adequate job of maintaining balance and goes down fairly quickly. When he does get into the open field, Dayes lacks the speed to breakaway from defenders in the secondary.

His performances in big games are also a concern. In three games against in-state rival North Carolina, Dayes averaged just 44 yards rushing and 12 yards receiving per game. In two bowl games, he averaged 62 yards on the ground and just six through the air.

Overall

Overall, Matthew Dayes is a backup running back in the NFL who wins with vision and cutting ability. He’s not a back who should be asked to consistently run between the tackles. He is best suited for a zone blocking scheme in which he can read the blocks in front of him and make one cut before heading upfield.

Although he isn’t expected to be selected until the third day of the 2017 NFL Draft, Dayes possesses the skill set to play almost immediately. He would be a good addition for a zone scheme looking to add a third-down back. Dayes has proven capable of converting short-yardage situations and is a very good receiver out of the backfield. He may never be a workhorse at the next level, but he’ll make a 53-man roster.

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